When it comes to getting a job done, members of the military generally have it sorted - and falling asleep is no exception.
Sleep experts say adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night, but this isn't always easy if you're one of the many who find it difficult to get forty winks.
A recent survey found around two thirds (65%) of Brits admitted to not getting enough sleep each night, with stress, parental duties, screens, work or simply the inability to switch off.
The US army has revealed a genius trick used by the military when it comes to falling asleep fast, which is said to work on almost everyone.
So successful is the technique, it's said to work even in stressful, high-paced work environments - which is why it's used by the Army for soldiers who need to get their sleep in when in warzones or other dangerous places.
The technique is explained in the 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance, and was developed to deal with the issue of exhausted soldiers being too stressed or alert to sleep.
And those who use it swear by it.
So, how does it work? Firstly, you should know that it is similar to a body scan in which you relax your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.
You start by relaxing your face muscles, tongue, jaw and the muscles around the eyes.
Next, lower your shoulders as far down as they’ll go, then do the same with your upper and lower arm, one side at a time.
Finally, exhale and relax your chest, then move down to your legs, starting from the thighs all the way down to your toes.
Apparently, after six weeks of practice, this works for 96% of people who try the technique, which has being doing the rounds on social media.
One TikTok commentator said: “I'm a military brat and was taught this. I also had a veteran as a psychology teacher in college who taught this. It definitely works”.
Another said: “My doctor taught me this technique with slight variations when I had insomnia due to PTSD. Trust me it works 100% once you get it down.”
Twitter user @Jontafkasi even said it may have cured his four decades of insomnia. “Hmm, might be a bit early to get excited but after 40 odd years of insomnia, I got a half decent sleep last night.. I'll be impressed (and a little annoyed) if it was that simple. Military method.
“I never have trouble going to sleep but usually wake up in the early hours and that's when I struggle. Normally at that stage I would toss and turn for ages but this technique stopped all that and allowed me to get back to sleep quite quickly.
"It's taken a few weeks of practice but touch wood, seems to be helping.”
Inevitably, the reaction on social media has been varied.
It ranges from those who have tried it and have for the first time in years managed to get some sound sleep, to sceptics who claim it didn't work for them — and contemptuous keyboard warriors who simply dismiss the method as bunkum.
