The secret to American pilots can sleep in just 2 minutes that anyone can learn

Winter thinks that once our body has entered a state of relaxation, we can 'put all activity related thoughts out of our mind in 10 seconds, then we will sleep.'

Have you ever wanted to take a nap for a moment? Although you have chosen a comfortable position in the chair or in the corner of the room, close your eyes but still wake up. Even though you feel quite tired, you still can't sleep, the break is over and you can't take a nap. Not only can you not sleep, but you can not do anything.

Not everyone can sleep as soon as they want. Even getting to sleep when I put myself in bed every night was very difficult.

But there is a skill that can help you sleep for 2 minutes that anyone can learn. This exercise was built during World War II for naval pilots.

How to fall asleep within 2 minutes?

When it started a few years ago, the US army realized a problem to be solved immediately.

Due to the enormous pressure of air strikes, many of their pilots were so stressed that they could not react while flying and committed fatal mistakes such as shooting their troops or having an accident completely avoided. .

Sleep is a state of relaxation both in body and mind.

In order to reduce losses, the US army asked Lieutenant Commander Bud Winter to study and test a scientific method to relax. The goal of the program is to teach pilots how to relax so that they can learn and react faster, enhance concentration and defeat fears.

The training also teaches pilots how to fall asleep within 2 minutes at any time, regardless of day and night, in any situation. This technique comes with instructions to make sure the pilots get enough sleep and can take a short nap whenever possible.

To achieve the first goal, Winter taught pilots how to relax. To achieve the second goal, he taught them how to relax the mind. In fact, Winter has defined sleep as a relaxed state of both body and mind. To sleep as soon as you want, you must first know how to relax your body, then relax your mind.

How to relax the body

In the book Relax and Win about the program built for fighter pilots, Winter recorded exactly the instructions he taught pilots to practice body relaxation:

"Sit down on the chair, put your feet on the floor. Your knees are open, your hands are relaxed, and your hands are relaxed. Please close your eyes, lower your head until your chin touches your chest.

Breathe evenly and deeply slowly. Do not wrinkle your forehead, relax your scalp. Next, release the jaw and let the mouth open naturally. Loosen the facial muscles, both tongue and lips. Do not chew or purge lips. Breathe slowly.

Now relax to let your shoulders drop as low as you can. Do you feel that the back of your neck is relaxed? Relax your neck as much as possible.

Next, relax your chest. Take a deep breath and hold your breath. Then exhale vigorously, pushing all the tension out of your chest to your chest. Breathe slowly. When breathing out, push the tension out.

Next relax the arm muscles. The first is the right arm, then the right arm, then the right hand and finger. You have to feel your hands as completely relaxed. Repeat the relaxation process with your left hand. Breathe slowly.

Now that your whole upper body is relaxed, the warm and pleasant feeling is spreading all over you. You feel very comfortable. A feeling of happiness flourished in my heart.

Next is the lower body relaxation. Relax the right thigh muscle. You must feel your thighs completely let go. Next, release the calves, the ankles and the feet. Repeat the relaxation process with the left leg, starting from the thighs, then the calves, ankles and feet.

At this time, your whole body has been completely relaxed. For more certainty, take three deep breaths and when you exhale, push all the stresses out. "

If you can't relax a certain part then try to push it first and then relax.

When following the above procedure, your body can be relaxed at a relative level. Winter taught the pilots how to achieve this state in any stressful situation. It will help them relax, reduce stress, increase concentration and make smarter decisions.

From this relaxed body state, Winter began teaching the pilots how to " fall asleep and have a comfortable deep sleep " by relaxing the mind completely.

How to relax the mind

To sleep as soon as you want, you must first know how to relax your body, then relax your mind.

Winter thinks that once our body has entered a state of relaxation, we can " get rid of all the thoughts related to the activity from the mind in 10 seconds, then we will sleep." So, to fall asleep quickly, you need to stop the thoughts from running back and forth in your mind. You must stop thinking about current worries, regrets and problems.

Winter especially emphasized that there should be no thoughts related to activities. Although using imagination to "exercise on the spot" will give us some benefits, but these thoughts will increase muscle mass and make it difficult to sleep.

So, when you want to sleep, think only of the quietest and most peaceful images. Here are 3 images Winter recommends. You do not need to use all 3, choose 1 of 3 and if not effective then change to another:

"With picture 1 , imagine a warm spring day, you are lying on a boat on a calm lake. You are looking at the blue sky with flying clouds. Do not leave any thoughts. Others get in. Just focus on this image and block other thoughts outside the mind, especially those related to movement. Enjoy this peaceful setting for 10 seconds.

With image 2 , imagine you're lying on a large black velvet hammock and the surroundings are dark. You have to keep this image in mind for 10 seconds.

The third tip is to repeat the "don't think . don't think . don't think" sentence. Keep this state and push other thoughts out of your head for at least 10 seconds. "

After 6 weeks of practice, 96% of pilots were able to fall asleep within just 2 minutes - anywhere and anytime. Not only that, they can even sleep when they drink coffee and even if they are surrounded by fake machine and firecrackers.

You can use this general relaxation method to relax your body whenever you feel stressed. Then do a mental relaxation exercise when you want to fall asleep soon. This exercise will be useful when you want to take a short nap. Winter said that even a 5-minute sleep can help us recover a lot. You can also use this technique to "doze off", a very short form of sleep to stimulate creativity in the boundary between sleep and wake. Or simply use this technique when you go to sleep faster and deeper.

Remember that the ability to relax your body and mind is also a skill. As with all other skills, you won't be able to succeed after just a few tries. You must practice again and again to get used to relaxation. You will succeed if you work hard to practice this habit on a regular basis.