To fall asleep fast, within minutes, several effective techniques can be used:

1. Military Method (Fall asleep in about 2 minutes)

• Relax your entire face, including mouth muscles.
• Drop your shoulders and let your hands fall by your sides.
• Exhale and relax your chest.
• Relax your legs, thighs, and calves.
• Clear your mind by imagining a relaxing scene for 10 seconds or repeat "don't think" for 10 seconds.
• This method reportedly helped Navy pilots fall asleep quickly, though it requires practice and takes about 2 minutes to complete

2. 4-7-8 Breathing Technique (Fall asleep in about 1 minute)

• Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth.
• Exhale forcefully through your mouth with a whooshing sound.
• Close your mouth and inhale silently through your nose for 4 seconds.
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
• Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.
• Repeat this cycle 4 times. This slows breathing and calms the nervous system, promoting sleep

3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Tense and then relax each muscle group progressively from toes to head.
• Focus on releasing tension in each area.
• This method helps reduce physical tension and anxiety, making it easier to fall asleep

4. Optimize Sleep Environment and Routine

• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
• Avoid screens at least an hour before bed to reduce blue light exposure.
• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime.
• Engage in calming activities like meditation or guided imagery

5. Acupressure Points (Optional)

• Applying gentle pressure on specific points like the "Spirit gate" (wrist area), "Inner frontier gate," and "Wind pool" (base of skull) may help relax the body and decrease time to fall asleep

By combining these methods—especially the military method or 4-7-8 breathing—with good sleep hygiene, most people can fall asleep within minutes. Practice improves effectiveness, and relaxation techniques are key to switching off the mind and body quickly