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Has a disguised athlete running down a dirt road ever shouted health advice through your phone? Sometimes these videos are motivational and get you off the couch to start exercising; Sometimes they are educational. But can his advice help us citizens?
Let’s see what it means to follow “military” Sleep Method”. Various versions of this are circulating social mediaWhich also includes claims that it can help you quit in two minutes.
It certainly looks attractive.
I research sleep and the body clock. And in field work, I’ve been part of many high-performance environments, helping athletes and military personnel deal with fatigue and jet lag and get better sleep.
Here’s why the military sleep method might work for soldiers. But can it work for you too?
Just 3 Steps to Sleep?
The Military Sleep Method, as the name suggests, is meant to help military personnel prepare their bodies for sleep, regardless of the environment.
The first mention of this method is in a sports performance book called Relax and Win.
Reports of military sleep patterns may vary slightly depending on the source. But three key components have remained consistent:
- progressive muscle Rest: contracting and relaxing the muscles of the face, then shoulders and arms before moving down to the chest and legs
- Controlled breathing: breathing is slowed and controlled, with emphasis on long exhalations
- Visualization: Visualizing a peaceful environment, such as swimming on calm water or lying in a calm field.
Is this science or folklore?
As you might expect, the world’s militaries aren’t publishing their sleep techniques in open access journals. Therefore there are no specific validations of military sleep methodology in mainstream science.
So, let’s compare this to the recommended first-line treatment for insomnia, known as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia cbt-I.
It includes several key components:
- Cognitive Therapy: Challenging Unrealistic Beliefs and Worries Sleep
- Stimulation control: strengthening the bedSleep Avoid sleep-inducing activities in bed and lie down only when you feel sleepy.
- Sleep restrictions: Limiting time in bed initially to induce sleep
- Sleep hygiene: Maintaining healthy routines and environments, such as limiting caffeine and alcohol, keeping a consistent schedule, and making the bedroom a relaxing space that’s not associated with other activities.
- Rest Techniques: Using techniques such as mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation or breathing to reduce arousal and help you fall asleep.
sounds familiar?
Notice the similarity between the Military Sleep Method and CBT-I? There are some incidents like this also. For example, soldiers may be sleep deprived, and sleep restriction is part of CBT-I. He has also been trained to take stronger control of his thoughts, and uses CBT-I cognitive therapy.
About the author
Dean J. Miller is a Senior Lecturer, Appleton Institute, HealthWise Research Group, CQUniversity Australia.
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
The differences between the two also relate to high-performance military environments. For example, defense personnel will have no control over their sleep hygiene.
In other words, think of the Military Sleep Method as sharing aspects of CBT-I, but tailored for defense personnel and focused on three things they can control.
Can you really fall asleep in 2 minutes?
Based on these similarities, it’s entirely possible that the steps outlined in the Military Sleep Method could help most of us fall asleep faster. But do we really need to fall asleep in two minutes?
In an unfortunate blow to the ego, most of us are not high-performing employees. It is unlikely that we would experience the psychological and physical demands that the military sleep system was intended for. So for civilians, falling asleep in two minutes is an unrealistic goal.
As a general guideline, falling asleep consistently within eight minutes is considered abnormal, and falling asleep within five consecutive minutes may be a sign of excessive daytime sleepiness.
For citizens who work from nine to five and maintain a regular schedule, falling asleep within ten to 20 minutes is considered normal.
But if you’re a shift worker, a new parent, or have a sleep disorder, these figures may not apply.
So should I sleep like a soldier?
Soldiers are trained extensively in how their physiology functions in challenging environments. The purpose of this training is to give them as much control as possible over their bodies, including how to get the best sleep.
The Military Sleep Method is a fascinating way to package healthy sleep techniques. In practice, it is a mix of tools already based in sleep science (Restbreathing and visualization).
Trying this won’t hurt your sleep, but move the goalposts away from the two-minute goal.
If you’re adamant on falling asleep within two minutes and start worrying when it doesn’t happen, that very worry can make it difficult for you to sleep.
If you are having persistent sleep problems, or suspect you may have a sleep disorder, see a medical professional, such as your GP, for advice and assessment. If necessary, they will refer you to a sleep specialist.