TRYING to sleep can be hard work.
All your thoughts are racing through your head and you’re already thinking about everything on your to-do list for tomorrow.
Today it turned out that don’t get enough sleep every night “increases the risk of many deadly diseases.”
A study found that people are 25 percent more likely to die before the age of 75 if they don’t get enough kip.
Less than five hours a night can put your health at risk.
Those who sleep poorly are 40 percent more likely to develop a serious illness cancer, heart disease and diabetes mellitus all of which are caused or exacerbated by fatigue.
While it may seem like you’ve tried everything, there’s one method that many swear by when it comes to getting to the land of nods.
This is called a military technique and was first mentioned in a 1981 book called Relax and Win: Championship performance.
The method was developed by army chiefs to help soldiers struggling with fatigue.
Of course, days and days of hiking, carrying everything on your back, and being mentally switched on all the time can take a toll.
This technique was developed to help personnel fall asleep within two minutes of being in a high alert environment.
It works similar to meditation: you try to relax every part of your body in order to fall asleep.
The technique was shared further TikTok fitness guru Justin Augustine, who called it “stunning.”
Here’s what to do:
- Start with your upper body, relaxing your face, neck, chest and arms.
- Lower your shoulders down as far as they will go, then work your limbs
- Work through each body part until you reach the tips of your toes
- Take deep breaths as you do this
After six weeks of practice, it should work for 96 percent of people.
Justin said it’s important to clear your mind of any thoughts or stress while doing these exercises.
To do this, consider two scenarios.
“First, you’re lying in a canoe on a quiet lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you,” Justin said.
“Two – you’re lying in a black velvet hammock in a dark room.”
And if at any point you feel distracted, repeat the words “Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” for 10 seconds.
“You must train every night for six weeks,” he concluded.
