The relaxation hack Winter designed worked: After just six weeks of practice, 96 percent of pilots could fall asleep within 120 seconds . Even with distractions like gunfire in the background. Even after drinking coffee. Even sitting up. If it works for combat pilots, it will work for you, regardless of how stressed you are about that meeting tomorrow. 1. Get into a comfortable position.

Obviously, if you're in your bed, this is a non-issue. But if you're out and about, get into the most comfortable position that's feasible (i.e., lean your seat back if you're in your car; find the most comfortable chair in the conference room if you're napping at work). 2. Relax your face. This is key to the whole thing. You have 43 muscles in your face, and they're a big part of how your body knows whether you're stressed. When you fully relax your face, you send a physiological signal to your body that all is well. It's safe to sleep.

So close your eyes and relax your whole face: forehead, cheeks, tongue, and jaw. Let it all go slack. You'll notice as you do this that your breathing naturally starts to deepen and slow. Now make sure your eyes are fully relaxed. You have six muscles in your eye sockets; feel them all go limp. 3. Drop your shoulders.

For most of us, getting enough sleep isn't a life-or-death kind of thing. Sure, we might make poor decisions, but our being sleepy at the marketing meeting tomorrow is not going to get someone killed. During WWII, though, the U.S. military quickly got hip to the fact that if fighter pilots didn't get sleep, their poor decisions had dire consequences.

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Want to Fall Asleep Faster? Military Pilots Use This Hack to Sleep Anywhere in 2 Minutes or Less

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