I’m a Former Soldier — The ‘Military Sleep Method’ is Bullsh*t

Wes O'Donnell
6 min readFeb 6, 2024
An image I prompted for this article. This image is AI-generated.

If you’re a moderate reader of online media, you’ve likely seen a topic circulating over the past two years that reads something like this:

Military sleep method which works for 96% of people can send you to sleep in two minutesfrom Unilad.

The military sleep method that promises to help you fall asleep in two minutesfrom Country Living.

Use the Military Method to Fall Asleep Within 2 Minutes, Starting Tonightfrom INC.

There are many more.

But here’s the thing… None of these articles can agree with each other on the exact methodology, let alone where they are getting their information.

The one thing that they do have in common is some form of breathing exercise combined with a visualization process.

The Unilad article is particularly egregious, saying, “The technique was developed by the US Army, mainly for fighter pilots who need 100 percent of their reflexes.”

Um… The US Army doesn’t have fighter pilots, or fighter jets for that matter. 99.9% of aircraft in the Army are rotor-wing (helicopters).

But before I explain why and how soldiers can effectively fall asleep anywhere at a moment’s notice, let me address why there are so…

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Wes O'Donnell

US Army & US Air Force Veteran | Global Security Writer | Intel Forecaster | Law Student | TEDx Speaker | Pro Democracy | Pro Human | Hates Authoritarians