Home LivingWellnessSleepI tried the 4-7-8 breathing sleep trick & it’s helped my anxietyHow the 4-7-8 breathing technique helps with sleep, stress & anxietyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleepI tried the 4-7-8 breathing sleep trick & it’s helped my anxietyHow the 4-7-8 breathing technique helps with sleep, stress & anxietyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
How the 4-7-8 breathing technique helps with sleep, stress & anxiety
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Miriam Alonso / Pexels)
(Image credit: Miriam Alonso / Pexels)
We all want to sleep better at night, so much so that many people are trying strange sleep hacks in an effort to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer. One sleep trick that I’ve seen popping up everywhere recently is the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
While sleep has always come naturally to me, I do have times where I can’t fall asleep for up to an hour after I’ve turned my lights off. As someone who experiences anxiety fairly regularly, I’ve tried many breathing techniques to help ease stress, so I really wanted to give the 4-7-8 technique a try to see if it actually works. And here’s what I found…
What is the 4-7-8 technique?
Before I get into how to do the 4-7-8 technique, it’s important to note that to best master it, you should practice regularly. When you first start doing 4-7-8, you’ll notice subtle changes but as you repeat it, it becomes more effective. Practicing 4-7-8 at least twice a day is said to be the most beneficial for relaxation and sleep.
(Image credit: Darius Bashar / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Darius Bashar / Unsplash)
How to do the 4-7-8 technique
The 4-7-8 breathing technique can be practiced anywhere, as long as you have somewhere that you can sit or lie down comfortably. This is what initially drew me to this exercise as I can do it from the comfort of my home or at my desk in the office if I need to. Follow the steps below to practice 4-7-8 breathing. A full tutorial can also be found onDr Weil’s website.
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Does the 4-7-8 technique help with sleep & anxiety?
I’ve tried the 4-7-8 technique intermittently but once I saw it blowing up, I thought I’d make it a regular habit. For several nights, I got into bed, lay on my back with my palms on my chest and focused on the 4-7-8 cycle. Clearing my mind and concentrating solely on my breathing was a huge help. As someone who worries about the tiniest things, I mainly stay awake longer before falling asleep because my brain won’t shut off, so having something to focus on massively slowed this down.
After trying the 4-7-8 trick a few times, I found that my whole body felt more relaxed and ready to go to sleep after I’d completed the cycles. My overall mood felt better too, and I felt less anxious which helped me sleep better and not wake up through the night. If I did wake up during the night, I simply did 4-7-8 again and found myself relaxing into sleep once more. Overall, after trying the 4-7-8 breathing sleep trick, I can confidently say it’s my go-to if I’m struggling to get to sleep or if I’m feeling anxious.
Researchers have found that alongside better sleep and less stress, the 4-7-8 technique also has many health benefits. In aCNNarticle about the 4-7-8 technique, it stated that researchers saw an increase in theta and delta brain waves from 4-7-8 breathing,which indicates that someone is in a parasympathetic state, aka the ‘rest and digest’ state. As suggested in studies, counting is what is said to help people relax most easily, as they’re focused on something rather than letting the mind wander. Breathing deeply like this also signals to the body that it’s time to relax due to the amount of oxygen being exhaled, according toPrevention.
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