How To Do The 4-7-8 Breathing Method to Release Anxiety and Fall Asleep

The 4-7-8 yogic breathing method can help you relax enough to release anxiety and fall asleep. You can sleep quicker if you calm your racing or worried thoughts.

This yogic breathing technique is a relaxation exercise that requires keeping a ratio in your breaths. You’ll inhale for four counts, hold it for seven, and exhale for eight.

Many people can’t fall asleep because their minds won’t stop racing. You might be thinking of things that have already happened or worrying about tomorrow. Either way, it can prevent you from relaxing enough to fall asleep and rest peacefully.

Practicing the 4-7-8 yogic breathing method can help promote peace. It doesn’t put you to sleep, but it eases your anxiety enough to improve your chances of a good night’s rest.

The 4-7-8 yogic breathing method has existed since ancient times but became more popular thanks to Dr. Andrew Weil. It is also called the “relaxing breath” because it requires breath regulation. The regulation can help you control your breathing, relax, and ease the anxiety enough to fall asleep.

Using this yogic breathing method requires practice, and you’ll improve each time you work on it. It doesn’t require any equipment; you can do it in any calm, quiet setting. Follow these steps to do the 4-7-8 breathing technique:

Following the steps for this yogic breathing method can help you release anxiety and fall asleep. However, there are other tips you can follow to improve your practice. These tips include the following:

Experts indicate the 4-7-8 yogic breathing technique can improve your heart rate and blood pressure. Breathing methods can help you relax your mind and body.

Holding your breath during the techniques can help you replenish your body with oxygen. It boosts the oxygen that travels to your organs and tissues, promoting overall health.

Finding ways to relax also balances your body and regulates the fight-or-flight response. With regulation, you’ll experience less stress and overcome potential triggers more easily. It will help you relax enough to fall asleep if you have trouble turning off your thoughts while lying in bed.

The 4-7-8 yogic breathing method helps you focus on your breathing instead of stress or worries. It improves your heart’s health and calms your nervous system enough to allow you to get some rest. This process also helps you resist distractions and relax your mind quickly.

You might not notice the effects of the 4-7-8 breathing technique the first few times you do it. It takes practice, and you’ll recognize the benefits the more you try.

This method can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system. The system affects resting and digesting, helping your body prepare for sleep. Triggering this system also can help you focus on something other than your anxiety.

The 4-7-8 yogic breathing method isn’t the only way to release anxiety and fall asleep at night. You can combine it with other techniques, including the following:

A sleep mask goes over your eyes and can help you sleep better. It will block light and other disturbances around you, allowing you to relax and focus on sleep.

A white noise machine can eliminate distracting sounds around you while you lay in bed. You can choose from sounds like a fan, ocean waves, rain, and other relaxing sounds.

Ear plugs can block out noises in your home as you lay in bed to fall asleep. You can choose from different shapes and sizes to find the most comfortable earplugs. There are also foam plugs or pre-molded earplugs for further comfort.

Studies show that listening to relaxing music before falling asleep improves your sleep health. It also helps you fall asleep quicker as it helps ease your anxiety.

Breathing in specific essential oils before bed can help you fall asleep sooner than when you don’t use them. Some oils that can help you sleep include lavender, bergamot, chamomile, cedarwood, and clary sage oil.

Caffeine promotes wakefulness and can cause issues with sleep and anxiety if consumed too late in the day. Experts suggest that caffeine stays in your body for five hours, so avoiding it five hours before bed can help.

Yoga can help reduce stress, ease anxiety, and promote sleep. Focusing on your breathing while doing yoga can help with self-soothing and releasing tension. Some of the best yoga positions for getting rest include:

This technique focuses on breathing and awareness, calming your mind, and easing anxiety. Studies show that it reduces insomnia and fatigue while helping you fall asleep easier at night.

This technique requires focusing on a specific sound, object, or experience to push away other thoughts. The things you focus on should be peaceful, helping calm your mind and promoting sleep. It reduces stress and anxiety, giving you the rest you need to function the next day.

The alternate nostril breathing technique can lower stress, ease anxiety, and help you fall asleep at night. It also promises improved pulse and blood pressure. This method involves breathing in through one nostril and exhaling through the opposite one.

Visualization promotes unwinding, stress relief, and sleep health. It eases anxious or fearful thoughts and images, allowing you to focus on sleep or positivity.

You can visualize places you’ve been that triggered relaxing and peaceful feelings. Once you think of a location that promotes peacefulness, you should recall sensory details that bring positive emotions. Consider the colors, textures, temperatures, people, or time of day that made the place so peaceful.

Research indicates that enjoying a warm bath can help ease anxiety and promote sleep health. The water should be warm but not too hot, as you should be comfortable as you relax in the tub.

There might be an underlying condition if the 4-7-8 yogic breathing method or other techniques don’t work. Sometimes, medical issues can trigger insomnia, and you’ll need medical intervention to help. These conditions might include the following:

When you can’t overcome insomnia, consider talking to a professional. Contacting your doctor can help you determine the underlying cause and allow you to get help.

Anxiety and stress can keep you awake at night, but yogic breathing methods can help. Practicing the 4-7-8 technique can help release anxious feelings and help you get some rest.

Managing your stress can be life-changing when it comes to getting enough rest to function fully. You can try the 4-7-8 breathing method with other techniques to help you fall asleep at night.