The simple trick that will help you get to sleep in 120 seconds

We’ve all heard that we’re meant to get at least eight hours of sleep a night - but it can be tough to do at the best of times.

With the stresses and strains of modern day-to-day life, even managing to fall asleep easily can be difficult. Which is why we were particularly intrigued by a relaxation technique in Relax and Win (that was later summarised on Medium). The book gives readers advice on how they can "improve sports performance and reduce injuries by learning to relax and release tensions prior to competition". It also has a trick to help you fall asleep within 120 seconds - which has a 96 per cent success rate among members of the US military after six weeks of practice. Basically, you have to relax your body bit-by-bit - and then spend 10 seconds trying to totally clear your mind. Here's what you have to do:

1. Start by relaxing the muscles in your face, including your tongue, jaw, and the muscles around your eyes.
2. Drop your shoulders as low as they will go. Then relax your upper and lower arm on one side, and then the other.
3. Breathe out, and relax your chest.
4. Finally, relax your legs, first thighs and then calves.

All in all, this should take about a minute and a half - which isn't included in the 120 seconds it actually takes to nod off (sorry!). After all of that, though, it gets a lot easier. Once you have spent another 10 seconds trying to clear your mind, author Lloyd Bud Winter suggests that you keep one of the following three images in mind:

• That you're lying in a canoe on a calm lake, nothing but blue sky above you.
• That you're snuggled in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room.
• Or, instead of either of those, say “don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” over and over for ten seconds.