The Military Sleep Method: Does It Work?

The military sleep method promises that (with practice) you can learn to fall asleep in two minutes. Yes. Two. Minutes.

Sound too good to be true? It might be.

Could it help you get cozy and drift off a little faster than usual? Maybe.

Nearly 15% of adults in the United States have trouble falling asleep, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It’s called sleep onset insomnia. And that tossing and turning and looking at the clock can put a real damper on your morning — and your overall health.

So, it makes sense that people are looking for all kinds of magic solutions to help fall asleep faster. From melatonin supplements to sleepy girl mocktails and, now, the military sleep method.

We talked with sleep psychologist Alaina Tiani, PhD, about what this method is and whether it’s worth a try.

What is the military sleep method?

The military sleep method is a relaxation routine that claims to get you to sleep in two minutes. Considering that it can be normal to take up to a half hour (or longer) for the average person to fall asleep, it can sound like just the remedy you need.

“Understandably, when you’re having trouble falling asleep, you want to find the thing that’s going to help get you there quickly, which is probably why things like the military sleep method have become so popular. I have patients asking about it more and more,” Dr. Tiani acknowledges.

Reports are conflicting about where the method started and whether it’s actually taught to military personnel. But the lore says that service people — particularly fighter pilots and those out on missions — use this method to ensure they can conk out fast when time is of the essence.

But for the average person, the stakes aren’t that high. And hurrying along sleep can actually make sleep more elusive. More on that in a bit.

Military sleep method steps

The military sleep method emphasizes well-researched techniques that can promote a sense of calm and relaxation to help your brain and body prepare for sleep.

But it’s worth pointing out that no studies have been done on the method itself. And no research has promised that any of these techniques will get you snoozing in two minutes.

Depending on what you read or watch, the exact steps of the military sleep method can vary. Let’s take a look at the most widely recommended practices.

1. Muscle relaxation

The military sleep method recommends starting by lying down in bed on your back. Close your eyes and purposefully think about relaxing each part of your body. Start at your forehead and work methodically down to your toes.

Think about each part of your body, consider how it feels and give it permission to relax.

• Are you clenching your jaw? Allow it to soften.
• Are you scrunching up your shoulders? Release the tension.
• Are you sucking in your belly? Allow it to rise and fall with your breath.
• Are your toes pointing straight up at the ceiling? Let your feet flop naturally to the sides.

2. Breathing

As you relax your body, deepen your breath. Take long inhales. And even longer exhales.

Deep breathing allows oxygen to flow freely through your body. That can help calm your racing thoughts and relax your muscles.

3. Visualization

Visualization techniques, like guided imagery, are also an important part of the military sleep method.

Here’s how to do it: As you relax your body and breathe, imagine and immerse yourself in a calming situation. Maybe you’re floating down river in a canoe at sunset. Or admiring the view from a snow-capped mountain top. Or watching the tide roll in on a tropical beach.

Wherever your happy place is, use all of your senses to ground yourself in that place. Take in the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures around you. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to that place.

Does the military sleep method work?

Proponents of the method suggest that after practicing the method faithfully for six weeks, you’ll find that you nod off in two minutes.

That’s a pretty bold claim. And it’s not likely to work for everyone.

For the military personnel for whom the method is named, it makes sense that they’d fall asleep quickly. But that may have more to do with the intense physical and mental experiences they endure each day than the sleep method itself.

“The methods proposed by the military sleep method may help to facilitate a calm and restful state that may increase the likelihood of falling asleep. But they are likely not the things that are putting you to sleep,” Dr. Tiani clarifies.

In other words, yes, these relaxation techniques may help set the stage for sleep by relaxing your body and calming your mind. But it takes more than a relaxed self to head to dreamland.

Your circadian rhythm (determined by your circulating melatonin levels), and your sleep drive (just how much your body feels a need to sleep at any given moment), matter, too.

And when sleep (inevitably) doesn’t wash over you after 120 seconds of deep breathing, your attempts can really backfire.

You get frustrated. You chastise yourself for failing. You feel defeated.

“We’re seeing a phenomenon where sleep is becoming performance-based or gamified,” Dr. Tiani notes. “You can track sleep on your fitness device, and you get a score. You want to get good sleep, of course. But all that information can build a lot of pressure to ‘win the sleep game.’”

Even the idea that you need to fall asleep in two minutes can place undue pressure on yourself. But no one is handing out gold stars for falling asleep the fastest.

For most people, taking 20 or 30 minutes to fall asleep isn’t something to “fix.” What’s more, for most people, regularly falling asleep too quickly isn’t necessarily a “good” thing. It could indicate a larger problem with sleep deprivation or other underlying sleep disorders.

But we want to fall asleep now. And all that pressure, frustration and disappointment? Absolutely not helping you get to sleep.

Some people are calling it “orthosomnia.” It’s a term that gets at the idea that some people will laser-focus on doing everything they can to make sure they get good sleep — to a fault.

“We’ve seen people work so hard to sleep and try so many ‘sleep hacks’ that it backfires. Because the pressure is so intense,” Dr. Tiani shares. “You can even develop sleep anxiety, where you dread going to sleep night after night.”

That said, the techniques used in the military sleep method — relaxation, breathing and visualization — are all scientifically backed practices to help you wind down and (maybe) get some ZZZs. So long as you actually find them to be calming and not adding extra stress to your nightly routine, they might be worth a try.

The best way to fall asleep with ease?

Per Dr. Tiani, “Only climb into bed when you are sleepy — not just tired, but truly sleepy. Think of that heavier feeling where it’s hard to keep your eyes open. We can’t necessarily pick an arbitrary time to force our body to generate sleep at night. It is better to go about your night, wait until you notice a feeling of sleepiness, and then act on it by heading to bed.”

For those who experience sleep onset insomnia, she recommends considering delaying your bedtime by 30 to 60-minute increments to see if going to bed later helps you fall asleep faster.

Other sleep hygiene methods, like following a consistent bedtime and limiting screens before bed might help, too.

And if sleep is still out of reach? Talk with a healthcare provider. They can help you find ways to get the sleep you need.