How to Fall Asleep in 10 Minutes or Less

The more quickly you fall asleep, the more rested you'll feel.

When you tuck yourself into bed at night, do you know how long it takes for you to finally nod off to sleep? There's a term to describe the amount of time falling asleep takes: sleep latency. The average person takes around 10 to 20 minutes to conk out at night. As for those who take much longer to doze into a slumber, you might wonder how on Earth some people accomplish such a feat.

It turns out you may be harming your quality of rest if it takes you longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep. And in turn, poor rest can have a negative effect on your mood, metabolism, cognitive skills and overall health. As such, it's important to find ways to calm your body and mind long enough that you feel relaxed enough to take a snooze. Continue reading to learn how the military method, meditation and muscle relaxation can improve sleep latency and lull you to sleep faster than you ever could counting sheep.

The military method

Individuals in the military have irregular sleep schedules, early morning rises and not-so-cozy sleeping quarters. In response, members created the "military method" to quickly and efficiently fall asleep.

• Step 1: Lie in your ideal sleeping position. Starting with the face, relax the different muscles, including your brows, lips, eyelids and mouth.
• Step 2: Move down to your arms. Start with the shoulders and keep them relaxed, followed by your elbows and then wrists.
• Step 3: Relax your chest and take deep, rhythmic breaths.
• Step 4: Move down your body and focus on relaxing your bottom-half, from your waist down to your feet.
• Step 5: Use guided imagery to imagine a tranquil scene that makes you feel relaxed and happy. This might be on a beach by the ocean, a quiet and breezy meadow or even a comfortable room. If stressful or anxious thoughts disrupt your flow, attempt to move past them by reshifting your focus back to visualization or muscle relaxation.

Progressive muscle relaxation

One study involving 32 young volunteers analyzed the effects of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). The results revealed that PMR was successful in lowering the heart rate, improving sleep efficiency and sleep latency. The goal is to use mindfulness, breathing techniques and muscle relaxation to relieve stress and promote a restful sleep.

• Step 1: Lie in a comfortable sleeping position and close your eyes. Take deep breaths and slowly inhale and exhale.
• Step 2: Scrunch your face and tense the muscles for 10 seconds. After, release tension and return to taking slow, deep breaths.
• Step 3: Move down to the shoulders and flex them for 10 seconds. Release and return to taking deep breaths.
• Step 4: Like the military method, repeat this with the other parts of your body ending with the feet. Avoid any areas where you might experience pain when you tense your muscles.

The 20-minute rule

If you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep and 20 minutes pass, don't keep lying there. The longer you lie in bed without falling asleep, the more you stress that you aren't falling asleep. Get out of bed and practice a relaxing activity or hobby until you feel yourself getting drowsy. This may include:

1. Reading
2. Listening to soft music
3. Gentle yoga stretches
4. Taking a bath
5. Drinking herbal tea