Military Sleep Method: What It Is & How to Practice

What Is the Military Sleep Method?

The Military Sleep Method is a specific relaxation technique that follows steps to train individuals to relax their body and mind. Due to the way that it promotes mind and body relaxation, this method teaches them to fall asleep in just a couple of minutes. The term was coined by Bud Winter, who described a military technique used with Army soldiers and Navy pilots to help them fall asleep fast when they need to.

Because the soldiers needed optimal rest to perform safely in dangerous situations, they needed a way to fall asleep fast when given time to rest. Winter was an Olympic coach who studied sports psychology, later publishing the book Relax and Win: Championship Performance, which focused on helping athletes learn how to relax when needed to improve their performance.¹

Here are the six steps of the military sleep method:

1. Relax Your Facial Muscles

Close your eyes and allow yourself to get comfortable. Begin to relax the muscles in your face and head, starting with the top of your forehead and slowly moving down your face until your jaw is loose and relaxed. Notice any point of stiffness or tension, such as a clenched jaw or even a stiff tongue, and slowly relax them.

2. Breathe Deeply

Begin by taking some slow, deep breaths. Some people might like to follow diaphragmatic breathing to start deep breathing. Whatever helps you focus on breathing in and out helps. Focus on your breath for a while, making sure to breathe in deeply and out thoroughly. Feel your lungs rising and falling with each breath. Think about how the air enters and leaves your nose and lungs.

This breathing technique is an important element of learning to relax one’s body for sleep. Regulated breathing has been shown to help decrease stress and anxiety, help the body’s nervous system, and improve attention during waking hours.²

3. Begin to Drop Your Arms & Shoulders

Next, you will bring your attention lower down your body to your arms, shoulders, and neck area. Consciously focus on having your arms and shoulders drop and relax. This might involve allowing them to go limp or rest against the back of the bed or chair. Pay attention to areas where you are clenching or holding your shoulders stiffly, for example.

Make sure your focus stays in this area of your body, bringing your mind to one shoulder, then that elbow, followed by that wrist- before moving to the next arm. Allow the muscles and tension to leave as you focus on one arm and the next.

4. Continue Down

Next, you will continue down the body towards your chest and lower torso. Focus on your stomach and abdomen, allowing them to relax their muscles as you breathe. Take a few moments to ensure that this area of your body is relaxed, going back over the area if needed to promote relaxation, allowing your body to fall limp into the bed.

Continue to your lower body, focusing on your hips and upper thighs. Scan this area for any tension or clenching or any feelings of stiffness or discomfort. Then, bring your focus down to your calves, scanning again and allowing this area to relax. You will eventually get down to your feet. Stretch and relax your toes. If you are wearing shoes or uncomfortable socks, remove them. Allow each muscle to settle into the space while continuing to breathe.

5. Clear Your Mind

Focus on your mind and the content of your thoughts. Clear your mind of any of the day’s worries or concerns by picturing a calming image or scene. For some, this could be a beach scene or a quiet path on their favorite hiking trail. It could also be a quiet cabin on a mountaintop. Picture any place or location that brings a sense of calm.

It is normal for other thoughts to distract you during this time, such as work emails, a homework assignment that is due, or a conflict with a friend. Acknowledge these distractions, but picture them slowly leaving the mind just as quickly as they arrived.

6. Repeat the Words “Don’t Think”

As you relax, repeat the phrase “Don’t think.” For many, this extra step is needed to fully clear the mind of the distractions and concerns that pop in while trying to sleep. If you do not need these words and find that the visualization of a calming scene is enough, then this final step is unnecessary.

Is the Military Sleep Method Effective?

Unfortunately, no direct studies have been performed on this specific sleep method. However, a lot of research supports the benefits of the relaxation elements that make up the Military Sleep Method, including deep breathing, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation.

Using these techniques have been shown to decrease symptoms of anger,³ decrease anxiety,⁴ improve relaxation and the ability to fall asleep,⁵ and even improve pain symptoms.⁶

The Benefits of the Military Sleep Method

Although this method was created to help people fall asleep, it can be done any time to promote relaxation and decrease stress. Sleep is essential to our mental and physical health, and not getting adequate sleep can increase symptoms of medical and physical concerns.⁷

There are many benefits of the military sleep method, including improved focus, decreased muscle and body tension, and improved relaxation. Because quality of sleep greatly impacts mental health, improvements in one’s sleep will, in turn, improve the symptoms of any mental health symptoms.⁸

The benefits of the military sleep method include:

• Decreased anxiety and depression
• Decreased symptoms of stress and worry
• Promotes relaxation
• Decreased physical tension
• Improved focus
• Improved ability to fall asleep
• Decreases racing thoughts at night
• Helps with concentration
• Helps decrease anger and frustration

Other Sleep Methods to Try

The Military Sleep Method might not work for everyone. If it does not work for you, or if you do not feel comfortable with it for whatever reason, there are other sleep methods to promote relaxation and sleep.

The most important part of developing a sleep method that works for you is relaxation. Take time every day to relax your mind and body, and this will help decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as improve the body’s response to relaxation when it is time to go to bed.

Here are a few other sleep methods to try:

• Improve sleep hygiene: Improving sleep hygiene can help with sleep issues, including difficulty falling asleep. Putting effort into maintaining a relaxing schedule in the evenings before bed, including limiting stressors or disruptions before bed and ensuring the temperature is set to a comfortable setting, are all things that help prepare your body for sleep.
• 4-7-8 breathing technique: The 478 breathing technique helps improve relaxation and sleep. It involves breathing and counting, which work together to relax the mind and body. To do this method, take in a breath for a count of four seconds, then hold for seven seconds, and then exhale your breath for eight seconds.
• Guided Imagery: Using guided imagery for anxiety is a great way to help prepare the mind before sleep, but it can also be used any time of the day to decrease anxious thoughts and improve focus.
• Meditation: Taking time to meditate before bed will help promote relaxation and create a feeling of calm. This will help you prepare your mind and body for sleep. Meditation has been shown to promote relaxation and calm. “Over time, regular practice of mediation allows individuals to react to their environment and anything that arises in the course of their day with more calm and equanimity.”⁹
• Journaling: Many who cannot fall asleep report having many thoughts and worries swirling around in their brain, preventing them from being able to rest. If you can relate to this, writing down the thoughts in your mind in a journal before bed can help you clear your mind.

When to Seek Professional Support

Occasional sleep issues are usually not an immediate cause for concern, as they can often be due to situational stressors such as a work event or a recent move. However, there are times when people find that their inability to sleep lasts more than a night or so and is greatly affecting their lives. If this happens to you, it is important to seek support.

An online therapist directory or online therapy platform is a good choice for finding a therapist who specializes in sleep disorders and can help you develop coping skills to manage your symptoms. Sometimes, people need medication management to help with their sleep issues or the mental health symptoms leading to sleep issues. For those people, online psychiatrist options are good for finding sleep medication management.