Jack Reacher, as many of you will know (not that I know that many), is the hero of Lee Child's thriller mystery novels. Reacher is six foot five and upwards of 250 pounds and he does not carry a gun. I won't go into more detail but the reason I am writing about him is that he has taught me to get to sleep faster. When he lies down, even after a strenuous or dangerous day, he takes three breaths and falls asleep. Oh, and he can set his head and wake at the time he specifies.
In one yoga class I went to, the guide instructed us to take a deep breath and fill our bellies, then, letting out that breath, take another and direct the air up to the chest. Then sigh as you let the air out. That's what I do now when I lie down, and think of Jack Reacher. Works like a charm. I have always been able to set my head although if I have to catch a plane, I don't trust myself. I might as well, because I can't handle an alarm clock. I take a brief nap every day, set the timer for half an hour, go into a deep REM sleep and wake one or two minutes before the timer buzzes. I have a terrible sense of direction but an exquisite sense of time. My line is that I lost my map when I was born but I swallowed a clock.
Me and Jack Reacher.