Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain Stuff Lauren vocal bomb here. Getting good sleep is important for everyone. It's essential for optimal cognitive performance, physiological processes, emotional regulation, and quality of life. But the National Sleep Foundation found at its annual Sleep Index study the just ten percent of American adults prioritize sleep over other things in their daily lives, such as fitness and nutrition, work,
social life, and hobbies and personal interests. In the study, just thirty five percent of those surveyed described their sleep quality as good, while said it was fair, and twelve percent rated their sleep quality as poor. Most adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, and the effects of sleep deprivation when you don't get enough sleep can be serious. So what's one to do when they either can't fall asleep or simply don't get
good quality of sleep when they do. A pop culture legend of sorts suggests that the military might have the answer. Members of armed forces do have to sleep in dangerous and stressful environments all the time, and the consequences of poor sleep for soldiers on missions can be catastrophic. Soldiers on deployment often have unpredictable schedules that conflict with their natural circadian rhythms, and they have small sleep quarters that
double is personal and leisure space. That's why soldiers reportedly use a meditation technique that helps them or anyone, fall into RESTful sleep in two minutes. According to a November report from the U. S Army, a metric called the Performance Triad is used to assess and improve soldiers readiness in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and sleep. The report revealed that almost one third of soldiers get less
than five hours of sleep per night. One out of every twenty active duty soldiers takes prescription sleep medication, and sleep deprivation can increase the risk of soldiers developing post traumatic stress disorder. The report includes that the Performance Triad course offered to soldiers provides tactical sleep techniques to help them get as much rest as possible while on deployment. It also suggests soldiers aim to get eight hours of sleep in a twenty four hour period and avoid caffeine
six hours before bedtime. It includes advice on how to use caffeine or energy drinks to improve performance while minimizing their impact on sleep. Although this report demonstrates the Army's understanding of the importance of sleep. It includes no mention of meditation as a sleep tool. So where did this oft cited technique come from. The technique was developed in
the U. S. Navy Pre Flight School. It appears to have entered popular culture by way of self help book that's now out of print called Relax and Win Championship Performance. The author, Lloyd Bud Winter, was by then a well
known track and field coach. The book is actually based on research the Winter conducted as a naval ensign after World War Two years before the book's publication, Winter's technique was tested on two groups in Winter's Navy preflight academy to teach the naval aviators how to properly relax and fall asleep faster. The test group outperformed the control group in numerous tests and drills, and after six weeks of
the group could fall asleep practically on command. So while the technique has seen a resurgence lately, thinks to some mentions in the press, it's definitely not new, but it is courtesy of the military. Winter described the process in his book to physically relax quickly. In short. His technique leads you through full body relaxation and then helps you clear your mind. You start by slowly relaxing the muscles in your face, including your tongue and lips. Then move
down to your shoulders, arms, and torso. Let each muscle go limp and breathe slowly as you concentrate on relaxing, focus on your chest while you take in deep breaths and exhale, releasing your tension with your breaths. Once your upper body muscles feel relaxed, move down to your thighs, calves, and feet, consider them dead weight. Finally, take three deep breaths, and when you let them out, blow out all of your remaining tension. The process should take about a minute
and a half. It takes practice to relax your body on command, so the trick is to first tents up each area and then or axit. Clear your mind by concentrating on a common mental image. In theory, you should fall asleep pretty quickly. Based on recent military publications. It's unclear if this technique is still taught or widely used, but if you have insomnia or just aren't getting a good night's rest, there's certainly no harm in trying it.
Today's episode was written by Sheris three Witt and produced by Tyler clayg. Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of other relaxing topics, visit our home planet, how stuff Works dot com. And for more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.