The military sleep hack that promises to send you off to sleep in just two minutes.

Most of us have tried a bunch of weird things in search of a way to fall asleep.

Sleep teas. Sleep sprays. Lavender oils. Sleep supplements. Magnesium creams. Meditation. Counting sheep… it’s exhausting thinking about it.

The Sleep Health Foundation’s 2016 Sleep Australia Survey found 33 to 45 per cent of adults struggle with their sleep. Part of that is how long it takes us to nod off.

Some nights, it can feel like the second your head hits the pillow, your brain goes into overdrive.

Suddenly, you’ve got all these amazing ideas about your career or quitting your job and starting your own business. And all this emotional insight into your relationships and what you’d tell your 12-year-old self.

Which is great and all, except when you’ve got a massive day of meetings the next day or your small child will wake up wanting some food any second now.

On average, it should take us between 10 and 20 minutes to fall asleep (that’s called sleep latency), Sleep.org reports. Any longer and the quality of your sleep – and how great at life you’ll be the next day – will be affected.

Side note – if you sleep talk when you finally do get to sleep, here’s why. Post continues after video.

While the internet isn’t short of sleep hacks and ways to combat insomnia, one technique is currently trending thanks to its scary good success rate.

It’s called the Military Sleep Trick and promises to have us asleep in under 120 seconds.

The technique, which is said to have been devised to help US army personnel get to sleep quickly, was first published in the 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance.

As reported by The Independent, here’s how to deploy the technique for maximum falling asleep precision.

Part One – should take around one minute.

1. Relax the muscles in your face, including tongue, jaw and the muscles around the eyes.
2. Drop your shoulders as far down as they’ll go, followed by your upper and lower arm, one side at a time.
3. Breathe out, relaxing your chest followed.
4. Relax your legs, starting from the thighs and working down.

Part Two – visualise one of the below scenarios:

• You’re lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you.
• You’re lying in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room.
• You say “don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” to yourself over and over for about 10 seconds.

Although the technique reportedly works for 96 per cent of people who’ve tried it, there’s a catch.

Much like meditation or any form of mindfulness, you’ll only reap the benefits with practice and consistency. Relax and Win: Championship Performance estimates it’ll take six weeks of practice before you’ll be able to fall asleep like a champion.

Godspeed, friend.

Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep? What sleep hacks have you found helpful for you?