Can’t seem to catch your Zzzs? Perhaps this viral Tik Tok video, which currently has more than 515 thousand likes and has been viewed more than 6.9 million times, is just what the (sleep) doctor ordered.
@justin_agustin Technique to falling asleep in 2 minutes! Insp. AsapSCIENCE on YT #sleep #fallasleep #insomnia #insomniac #learnontiktok #howto ♬ You – Petit Biscuit
The “Tik Tokker” who posted the video is Justin Agustin, a fitness coach, and influencer, who calls this viral military sleep technique “mind-blowing.” He’s amassed a whopping 1.7 million followers and 13.9 million likes on Tik Tok (@justin_agustin), as well as 642 thousand followers on Instagram (@justinagustin). Justin says that research, which he credits to Asap SCIENCE, suggests the technique was developed for soldiers – in particular, fighter pilots – to be able to fall asleep anytime, anywhere — even on the battlefield.
Okay, now let’s get into the actual technique.
- Calm your body and systematically relax. Shut down each part of your body from head to toe.
- Relax the muscles in your forehead.
- Relax your eyes, cheeks, and jaw, and focus on your breathing.
- Move down to the neck and shoulders. Drop your shoulders as low as you can and make sure they’re not tensed up. Keep your arms, hands, and fingers loose at your side.
- Imagine a warm sensation traveling from your head down to your fingertips.
- Take a deep breath and slowly exhale.
- Slowly relax your body — start with your chest, then move down to your stomach, thighs, knees, legs, and feet.
- Imagine a warm sensation going down from your heart to your toes.
- While doing this, clear your mind of any stresses. To do this, think of two scenarios:
- Imagine yourself lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear, blue sky above you.
- Imagine yourself lying on a black, velvet hammock in a pitch-black room
- If you find yourself getting distracted, repeat the words, “Don’t think,” for ten seconds.
It’s important to note Justin said he hadn’t tried this technique himself, but that he intended to try it soon. Personally, it reminded me of a body scan combined with mindfulness meditation. I’ve done many of those meditations before bed and let me just say, it totally upped my sleep game. I now find myself falling asleep faster, and sleeping deeper. I also would recommend these types of before-bed techniques for anyone with stress or anxiety.
To completely master the military technique, Justin says you should practice it every night for six weeks, which I plan on giving a go myself. Justin says 96% of those who have mastered it say they fall asleep within 2 minutes of shutting their eyes.
Can you do it? If you’ve tried this technique or mastered it, shoot me a message at carley.prendergast@pillarfour.com letting me know how it went!
I reached out to Justin for a comment on this piece but I am still awaiting a response.