7 ways to fall asleep fast (without the sheep or fairy dust)

The military is known for pushing people to their mental and physical limits, and this technique is no different, albeit in a soothing way.

The technique, revealed in "Relax and Win: Championship Performance" by Lloyd Bud, enabled soldiers to fall asleep in under two minutes. After six weeks of practice, almost all the soldiers could do it.

We're big fans of the 4-7-8 method because you can use it both to relax when you're feeling anxious and to fall asleep faster. Developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, it's based on pranayama, a traditional yogic breathing technique.

The counting element serves as a distraction from the anxieties keeping your mind whirring, and the breathing regulates your oxygen intake. This helps kick your parasympathetic nervous system into gear to chill you out and bring on the calm.

Your mind loves replaying those anxiety-inducing moments from earlier that day just as you're trying to doze off. With the "imagery distraction" technique, you can show your brain who's boss by making your mind a positive-vibes-only mini cinema.

The idea here is if you let your imagination run wild, your brain will be distracted from those pesky doom-and-gloom worries. Indeed, a 2002 study found that imagery distraction helped people with insomnia fall asleep faster and have fewer distressing thoughts as they lay in bed.

It's midnight, and you're sitting on the sofa, flicking through Netflix. You should go to bed to be ready for work in the morning, but you're just. not. tired. Do you a) press play and hope for the best or b) go to bed and lay awake in the dark?

Neither! The answer is c) try progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), a relaxation technique based on tensing specific muscle groups throughout your body.

It might sound counterintuitive, but trying to make yourself stay awake could actually help you fall asleep quicker. The technical term is paradoxical intention, and research has shown that it's sometimes effective.

The theory is because sleep is an involuntary process, trying to make yourself do it will actually hurt more than help. By thinking about staying awake, you'll feel more in control and distracted from your concerns, which will help you ease into sleep.

Brahms, Mozart, Handel and co. could be your new BFFs when it comes to riding the fast train to the land of nod.

A variety of research shows that listening to certain music, especially classical, can improve sleep quality and help people fall asleep faster.

Sleeping on your left side it thought to help with digestion by taking advantage of gravity to help food move through the different sections of your colon. Since there's evidence that digestive issues and sleep are related, this might make your body happy and more able to find sleep.

Side sleeping is particularly helpful for heavy snorers and folks with sleep apnea, because it may help soften snoring, which disrupts sleep.

What you do in the lead-up to bedtime has a huge impact on your sleep. If you heed these pieces of advice, the methods above will have a better chance of working.

Good bedtime habits

While these techniques are designed help speed up the journey to the land of nod, they aren't a cure-all. If your insomnia is chronic, reaching out to a professional is probably a good idea.

And keep in mind that sleep problems are a common side effect of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. So if you've noticed other symptoms, that's also a good reason to reach out to a professional.