How to Fall Asleep in 10, 60, or 120 Seconds!

Asleep: Relaxation and breathing techniques, picturing a calming scene, and other methods to improve your sleep hygiene may help you get to sleep sooner.

Are you tossing and turning for hours—unable to sleep? You’re not alone.

1 in 3 trusted people in the United States is estimated to be sleep-deprived. Recommended hours of sleep vary according to your age. However, most people need at least seven trusted sources of sleep in 24 hours.

Sleep deprivation may have harmful psychological and physiological consequences, including:

• Permanent fatigue, restlessness or irritability
• Poorest performance, attention, and memory
• Higher risk of anxiety and depression
• Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity previously considered unique to adults

Pushing yourself too much to sleep can create a perpetual cycle of anxious, jittery energy that prevents you from sleeping. And if your mind can’t sleep, your body could have difficulty doing the same.

Three of the most crucial things to consider before you attempt to drift off:

• Sleeping hygiene
• Bedroom environment
• What do you do during the day?

How do you fall asleep instantly at night?

If you have all of these covered and still can’t sleep, we have anecdotal tricks that might help you flip the switch.

10 seconds

Drifting off this fast and on command typically requires some magic spell, but you may get to that 10-second sweet spot with practice.

The military method

Sharon Ackman recently focused on the military approach on Medium. It derives from Lloyd Bud Winter’s book “Relax and Win: Championship Performance” (1981).

Winter created a relaxation practice in World War II that reportedly helped U.S. Navy preflight school aviators drift off in 120 seconds. Stress and sleep deprivation had clouded their judgment, rationale , and decision-making.

It took pilots some six weeks of practice, but the alleged success rate was 96 percent—even after drinking coffee and with guns firing all around.

There’s little scientific evidence to back up these assertions. This sleeping trick also requires 120 seconds, but the last 10 seconds are what you need to sleep.

The military method

• Let your whole face relax, even the muscles in your mouth.
• Let your shoulders drop to relieve any tension, and your hands fall to either side of your body.
• Exhale, relaxing your chest.
• Lose your legs, thighs and shins.
• Spend 10 seconds clearing your mind, picturing a calming scene.
• If that fails, chant “don’t think” for ten seconds.
• You first sleep for 10 seconds!

If that fails, you might have to work on the two pillars of the military method itself: breathing and muscle relaxation. Some conditions—for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anxiety—can also interfere with the effectiveness of this approach.

60 seconds

One article, “Trusted Source,” proposes that the implications of slow breathing, good sleep hygiene, and relaxation practices are more critical than the traditional pharmacological options for insomnia.

The following two methods gently quiet your mind by focusing on your breath and relaxing the muscles. If you are a beginner, work can go up to minute 2.

4-7-8 breathing method

This specific breathing technique, derived from pranayama exercises, was created by Dr. Andrew Weil, an integrative medicine physician. The more you do this meditation and visualization technique, the more power this may have for getting you to sleep.

Consult a doctor if you have asthma or COPD before starting, as it may worsen symptoms.

Take your tongue and try to touch the roof of your mouth behind your two front teeth. And keep your tongue there the whole time, and create a little purse with your lips if you need to.

One cycle of 4-7-8 breathing goes like this:

• Allow your lips to separate slightly and make a whooshing sound as you blow air through your mouth.
• You then close your lips, inhaling silently through your nose. Count to 4 in your head.
• Make sure that you hold your breath for 7 seconds. This is the most essential part of the practice.
• Breathe out (whoosh sound) for 8 seconds.

A new cycle begins when you exhale and breathe in again.

Complete four full cycles, but let your body sleep. If you feel relaxed, come in earlier.

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)

PMR, or deep muscle relaxation, might help you relax.

The idea is to tense—not strain—your muscles, then relax to relieve the tension. This movement can encourage relaxation across your body and support insomnia.

As you start, visualize tension releasing from your body as you exhale using the four-seven-eight method.

Relaxation script

• Lift your eyebrows as high as you can for 5 seconds. This tightens your forehead muscles.
• Allow your muscles to loosen instantly and feel the stress melt away. Wait 10 seconds.
• Smile big to put some tension in the cheeks. Hold for 5 seconds. Relax.
• Pause for 10 seconds.
• Squint with your eyes shut. Hold 5 seconds. Relax.
• Pause for 10 seconds.
• Lean back a little to comfortably look up at the ceiling. Hold for 5 seconds. Relax your neck into the pillow.
• Pause for 10 seconds.
• Work your way down the rest of your body, from your triceps to your chest, your thighs to your feet.
• Don’t resist falling asleep, even if you don’t complete the tensing and relaxing of the rest of your body.

As you do this, pay attention to how relaxed and heavy your body feels in this relaxed state.

120 seconds

If none of the above are working for you, this may help.

Tell yourself to stay awake.

For people living with insomnia, attempting to fall asleep can heighten performance anxiety.

According to 2021 Trusted Source research, paradoxical intention (PI) may help alleviate sleep performance anxiety and enhance the feeling of being well-rested after sleep. PI is a method where you consciously remain awake in bed. This is so that you can ease your way out of the conscious effort of falling asleep.

This technique proves more valuable than traditional, intentional breathing practices. However, research is limited.

Visualize a calm place.

If counting is too exciting, you might use your imagination instead.

In a 2002 study published by the University of Oxford, researchers found that individuals with “imagery distraction” fell asleep more quickly than individuals with general distraction or no distraction instructions.

If you’re unable to sleep, rather than counting sheep, picture a peaceful scene and the emotions that come with it. For instance, you can imagine a waterfall, hear echoing rushing water, and breathe in moss’s wet smell. This image occupies some square footage in your brain and will then act as a moat to prevent you from going back in to think, worry, and contemplate about sleep.

Acupressure for sleep

A 2019 meta-analysis suggests acupressure may improve sleep onset and duration, but research on its effectiveness is limited.

Three particular pressure points help you get to sleep quicker than others.

1. Spirit gate

The technique

• It’s the tiny hollow space under your palm on your pinky side.
• Use even pressure in circles or up and down for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Finger roll the left side of the point (palm out) with gentle pressure for a few seconds, then hold the right side (back-of-hand out).
• Move through the same area of your opposite wrist.

2. Inner frontier gate

The technique

• On one side, palm facing up, count three finger-widths down from your wrist crease.
• Press down between the two tendons with your thumb.
• Massage in circles or back and forth until relaxed.

3. Wind pool

The technique

• Interlace your fingers (fingers out and palms touching), then open up your palms, making a cup shape with your hands.
• Place hands on the back of the head, thumbs at the base of the skull, and thumbs touching the natural hinge point where the neck meets the head.
• Apply firm fingertip pressure and massage this area in a circular or up-and-down movement.
• Take a few deep breaths and notice how your body relaxes as you exhale.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fall asleep fast right now?

Some first tips that could help you fall asleep fast are the following steps:

• Sleep well, have a good schedule, and turn your electronics off.
• Set up a cozy, dark, and quiet sleep environment.
• Have healthy habits by day, including enough sunlight, physical activity, and limiting caffeine.

If these do not work, some methods for relaxing visualization can be helpful, such as:

• The military method
• 4-7-8 breathing method
• Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
• Paradoxical intention
• Visualization
• Acupressure

Why can’t I sleep at night?

There could be several psychological or physiological factors that cause you to find it hard to fall asleep at night. These might include:

• Stress, anxiety, or depression
• A poor sleep environment, including light, loud noise, or an awkward bed
• Drinking too much coffee, not enough sunlight or exercise, or too much time on your electronic devices
• Some medications

Why can’t I fall asleep?

It is exasperating not to fall asleep, especially if you are already tired. This may occur due to:

• Your circadian rhythm is disturbed.
• Napping during the day
• Stress, anxiety , or depression
• Excessive time on your devices
• Over-consuming caffeine or food too late

Takeaway

If you can’t get to sleep, it could be partly because of your sleeping habits, environment, or activities during the day. But even if you’ve got all this under control, falling asleep can still be challenging.

Breathing, relaxation, and visualization techniques might encourage you to drift off quickly. These techniques also help you focus on only your breathing and muscles instead of outside influences.

If you still can’t fall asleep quickly after doing these things, consult a doctor about any underlying factors.