TRYING to get to sleep can be hard work.
All your thoughts are swimming around your head, and you're already thinking of everything on your to-do list for tomorrow.
It was today revealed that not getting enough sleep each night 'increases your risk of multiple killer diseases'.
A study found people are 25 per cent more likely to die by the age of 75 if they don’t get enough kip.
Any less than five hours per night and you could be putting your health at risk.
Short sleepers have a 40 per cent higher chance of serious illness – with cancer, heart disease and diabetes all being triggered or made worse by tiredness.
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While it might feel as though you've tried everything, there is one method many people swear by when it comes to getting to the land of nod.
It's referred to as the military technique and was first referenced in a 1981 book called Relax and Win: Championship performance.
The method was developed by army chiefs to help soldiers who were struggling with tiredness.
Days and days trekking around, carrying everything on your back, as well as always being switched on mentally can of course take its toll.
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This technique was developed to help personnel fall asleep within two minutes, after being in high alert environments.
It works in a similar way to meditation, with you trying to relax each part of the body in order to fall asleep.
The technique was shared on TikTok by fitness guru Justin Augustin, who called it "mind-blowing".
Here's what to do:
- Start at the top of your body, relaxing your face, neck, chest and arms.
- Lower your shoulders down as far as they will go, then work through your limbs
- Work through each body part until you get to the tips of your toes
- As you do this, take deep breaths
After six weeks of practice – this should work for 96 per cent of people.
Justin said as you go through these exercises, it's important to clear your mind of any thoughts or stresses.
To do this, think of two scenarios.
"One – you’re lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you," Justin said.
"Two – you’re lying in a black velvet hammock in a pitch black room."
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And, if at any point you feel yourself getting distracted, repeat the words "Don't think, don't think, don't think" for 10 seconds.
"You’re supposed to practice every night for six weeks," he concluded.
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