The 4-7-8 breathing exercise could be the trick to quality sleep

[Vince]

This simple breathing trick is one of Breus's favorite sleep tips. "If you wake up in the middle of the night thinking through how to get calm and relaxed, (this is a) very easy thing to do," he said.

First, breathe in for the count of four. Then, hold your breath for a count of seven. Finally, breathe out while counting to eight.

Getting better sleep starts with building consistent sleep routines, including waking up at the same time every day — even on weekends, sleep specialist and clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus told the 3rd Hour of TODAY.

3 Sleep Tips to Fall Asleep Fast and Get Quality Sleep

If you wake up in the middle of the night, this one's for you.

www-today-com.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[Nelson Vergel]

It makes sense. It takes your mind away from worrying about thoughts that may keep you awake.

 

[Bennytrt]

I have been using that technique for years and it works from time to time.

 

[Tinman]

I have been using this for years as well. Learned about it initially for night time anxiety and waking issues myself but also found it to have benefits for borderline high blood pressure.

 

[DFL]

Works great for me also. I taught it to my 84 year old mother and she uses it all the time.

 

[drkelp]

Theanine can also be helpful

 

[Ozzieville]

I learned that breathing technique from Dr. Weil’s website. I check my blood pressure every morning before and after using that technique, and my blood pressure goes down noticeably afterwards. Makes sense it would also be a good sleep aid.

 

[mg707]

This simple breathing trick is one of Breus's favorite sleep tips. "If you wake up in the middle of the night thinking through how to get calm and relaxed, (this is a) very easy thing to do," he said.

First, breathe in for the count of four. Then, hold your breath for a count of seven. Finally, breathe out while counting to eight.

Getting better sleep starts with building consistent sleep routines, including waking up at the same time every day — even on weekends, sleep specialist and clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus told the 3rd Hour of TODAY.

3 Sleep Tips to Fall Asleep Fast and Get Quality Sleep

If you wake up in the middle of the night, this one's for you.

www-today-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Navy seals use it to manage stress. It sends a signal to the brain that the breathe is slowing so you’re not in danger. Lots of science behind this

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I play this video in the background while I am on my computer so that I learn how to breathe and relax. It also makes you relax while you are trying to go to sleep.

To repeat a video: Go to the watch screen of any video. Right Click in the video player. Click Loop.

 

[Vince]

Breathing techniques are designed to bring the body into a state of deep relaxation. Specific patterns that involve holding the breath for a period of time allow your body to replenish its oxygen. From the lungs outward, techniques like 4-7-8 can give your organs and tissues a much-needed oxygen boost.

Relaxation practices also help bring the body back into balance and regulate the fight-or-flight response we feel when we’re stressed. This is particularly helpful if you’re experiencing sleeplessness due to anxiety or worries about what happened today — or what might happen tomorrow. Swirling thoughts and concerns can keep us from being able to rest well.

The 4-7-8 technique forces the mind and body to focus on regulating the breath, rather than replaying your worries when you lie down at night. Proponents claim it can soothe a racing heart or calm frazzled nerves. Dr. Weil has even described it as a “natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.”

The overall concept of 4-7-8 breathing can be compared to practices like:

• Alternate nostril breathing involves breathing
  in and out of one nostril at a time while holding the other nostril closed.
• Mindfulness meditation encourages focused breathing while guiding your attention
  to the present moment.
• Visualization focuses your mind on the path and pattern of your natural breathing.
• Guided imagery encourages you to focus on a happy memory or story that will take your
  mind off your worries as you breathe.

People experiencing mild sleep disturbances, anxiety, and stress may find 4-7-8 breathing helpful for overcoming distraction and slipping into a relaxed state.

Over time and with repeated practice, proponents of 4-7-8 breathing say it becomes more and more powerful. It’s said that at first, its effects aren’t as apparent. You might feel a little lightheaded the first time you try it. Practicing 4-7-8 breathing at least twice per day could yield greater results for some people than for those who only practice it once.

4-7-8 Breathing: How It Works, How to Do It, and More

Breathing techniques are designed to bring the body into a state of deep relaxation. Specific patterns that involve holding the breath for a period of time allow your body to replenish its oxygen. From the lungs outward, techniques like 4-7-8 can give your organs and tissues a much-needed oxygen...

www.healthline.com

 

[Vince]

1. Get into a comfortable position and relax your body.

2. Place the tip of your tongue against the tissue behind your upper front teeth.

3. Exhale through your mouth, making a whooshing sound.

4. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.

5. Now hold your breath for 7 seconds.

6. Exhale fully through your mouth for 8 seconds, making a whooshing sound as you breathe out.

7. That counts as one cycle of breath. Repeat this cycle 3-4 times, twice a day.

If you find it hard to hold your breath for that long to begin with, you can speed up the count in the beginning as long as you stick to the 4:7:8 ratio per breath.

How to use the 4 7 8 sleep method to fall asleep fast and curb anxiety

Loved the military sleep technique? The 4 7 8 sleep method is even easier – here’s how to use it

www.tomsguide.com

 

[bruin]

I use a technique where I realize I need to stop my mind from racing, and I begin taking long breathes, rhythmically, and to stop the outside "noise" I replace the noise with the thought "that I am going to fall asleep". This works very well, and sometimes when it does not I get up and have a shot of Jack.

 

[Vince]

a shot of Jack "LoL"

 

[K.pietera]

Hi there ,

I have doing breathwork for the last couple of years and I do used this one also.

I have always been a verry poor sleeper and tried everything under the sun. I mean EVERYTHING to make me sleep better. The breathwork made me calm and maybe sleep in a little better but it does not help for keeping you asleep.

The things I did and do are.
I do
Sups : 2 hr before sleep
Magnesium l-threonate 500mg
Zinc 25mg
L-theanine 400mg
Melatonin fast acting 750mc.
( I tried the time release also in different doses ranging from 1mg to 10mg but that actually made me sleep worse , nightmares and waking up in the middle of the night unable to sleep again.

Bluelight blocking glasses ( red glass ) 4 hr before sleep
Twilight app on smartphone ( reduces bluelight )
Infrared light in the evening 2hr before sleep.
No screen time 1 hr before sleep , I read a book or do grounding ( walking or playing with my dogs barefeet on the grass )

I used to sleep on a earthingmat for 3 years.

Okay all of that helped me but it was not enough to make me sleep trough the night UNTILL since 2 months ago I bought a PEMF ( pulsed electro magnetic field ) device called the EARTHPULSE.

That device makes all the difference WOW ! I did a deep dive into pemf for a year , read all about it and contacted people who know more of it and I decided to buy one , it is costly +-1000€ so that is why I did so much research on it. But I can say this makes big difference for me.

It is a device that entrains the brain. And has numerous other benefits like heal the mitochondria so more ATP , helps you recover faster and so on..

The frequency that I use are the 9.6hz ( alpha brain waves state , for recovery and healing ) frequency and the 3.69 frequency ( deep sleep ).

If anyone has trouble sleeping I suggest you look for this device and see if you are interested in it. I was sceptical at first but now I'm a believer. It helps me sleep , now I hope it will heal my body also.

 

[Vtail]

Okay all of that helped me but it was not enough to make me sleep trough the night UNTILL since 2 months ago I bought a PEMF ( pulsed electro magnetic field ) device called the EARTHPULSE.

That device makes all the difference WOW !

How long did it take before you noticed improvement with sleeping?