A sleep medicine doctor says a clever “pre-dreaming” technique used by the military can help you fall asleep faster at night.
And while it works better than counting sheep, you don’t actually have to forget the sheep entirely to get the most out of it.
Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor at Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, explained that visualization is a lot like “pre-dreaming.”
“Everyone knows that beautiful feeling as you start to lightly dream as you doze off into sleep,” he told The Post. “Guess what? Dreams are visual, and the more you can invoke the visual system, the faster you might be able to fall asleep.
“Instead of counting sheep, try picturing a beautiful scene that makes you relaxed,” he said, suggesting imagining yourself floating on your back in a canoe on a serene lake.
But if you’re really attached to those sheep, they can still make an appearance — just don’t tally them up.
“Visualizing sheep is probably better than counting sheep. Verbal or counting activity is likely more brain-stimulating than serene visualization,” he explained.
You want whatever scene you’re imagining to be something that you personally find relaxing.
“Calming visuals can have a relaxing effect and stop mind wandering,” Dimitriu said.
He recommends getting lost in a particular scene from a memory, be it a beautiful beach from your trip to Santori or the the peaceful forest where you used to hike as a kid.
“There is some belief that seeing — or imagining — vistas, as in a natural expanse, can have a calming effect,” he went on.
“I also think it helps slow down the verbal thinking mind, which can be a source of anxiety, by putting a focus on visualization. And dreams are visual, after all.”
To really maximize the impact, Dimitriu suggests using visualization as just one part of a military method for sleep.
Outlined in the 1981 book called Relax and Win: Championship Performance in Whatever You Do, the method was reportedly developed by Army chiefs to help soldiers sleep in high-stress situations.
It starts with a body scan, in which you slowly move your focus down your body from your head to your toes, consciously relaxing each part bit by bit.
While doing this, slow your breathing down. Then finish with the visualization tactic.
“The stages of the military method are fundamentally relaxing the body, slowing the breath and visualization to calm the mind — all three are beneficial together, and probably still helpful in parts,” the doc said.
“I certainly use this as part of my treatment plan for patients with insomnia, and my kids know about this too!”
