Six simple steps to slumber require no breathing apparatuses, hard liquor, or any other sleep aids.
Once I turn off the lights and decide to go to bed, I’m lucky if I can fall asleep before 30 minutes pass, and even that’s a major improvement on the one to two hours it used to take me. As anyone who’s struggled with insomnia knows, tossing and turning is frustrating, dull, and exhausting, plus a majorly inefficient way to spend your time.
But Japanese manga artist Onodera-san (@onoderasan001 on Twitter) recently shared what he says is an easy way to fall asleep, with “almost complete certainty,” in just 10 minutes.
Let’s take a look at thie strategy, which has racked up over 315,000 likes in just a few days.
Step 1: Sit on top of your bed, with your legs crossed to keep your body from moving.
Step 2: Close your eyes, and breathe slowly, inhaling and exhaling with the same rhythm as you would if you were asleep.
Step 3: Do not actively think of anything. However, Onodera-san says that it’s actually incredibly difficult for the human mind to remain completely blank for even a minute, and after about 20 seconds or so you’re likely to get an image of something in your mind’s eye. Alternatively, if absolutely no image comes to mind and the inky darkness is unnerving you enough to keep you from getting drowsy, he suggests thinking of something simple and pleasant, like a cute character.
Step 4: Allow yourself to passively watch whatever images appear in your mind’s eye. Don’t think. Just let the mental image play out.
Step 5: Being on the borderline of conscious and unconscious thought, at some point, you’ll find yourself suddenly thinking “Wait, did I just doze off?” When that happens, slowly shift your body so that you’re lying down in bed, under the sheets.
Step 6: While lying down, repeat the process from Step 1, and before you realize, you’ll be sleeping soundly.
The trick is to relax your mind and let it run on autopilot, thus creating a condition closely resembling what’s going to happen when you’re fully asleep. As you get used to the process, you’ll stop needing to repeat it after lying down, Onodera-san.
▼ By the way, if you’re wondering about the character giving the demonstration, it’s Arisu, from Onodera-san’s manga Comiket Fairytale.
Onodera-san is upfront about the fact that this is an entirely self-developed technique, and so he doesn’t know what specific scientific basis, if any, there is for its effectiveness. Still, since his tweet caught the attention of Internet users in Japan, several of the, have left comments saying they’ve tried the trick and it’s worked for them, including those looking for ways to kickstart an afternoon nap or fall back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night.
So if you’re currently lying sleepless in bed, give this a shot. We’ll even provide something simple and cute for you to picture, if need be.
Sweet dreams!
Source: Twitter/onoderasan001
Top image: Twitter/onoderasan001
Insert images: Twitter/onoderasan001, SoraNews24
Follow Casey on Twitter, where -zzzzzzzz.