How to Breathe Yourself to Sleep
How to Breathe Yourself to Sleep – You may not have to stay awake counting sheep, after all!
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a medical doctor and practitioner of holistic health, yoga breathing techniques can help you deal with a whole host of stress-related problems, including sleep. Dr. Weil pioneered a breathing technique, called 4-7-8 breathing, which, he says, can help you fall asleep in just 60 seconds, provided you practice the technique regularly.
The theory is that by regulating your breath voluntarily, you can have a better control over your involuntary nervous system. This can be achieved in time by practicing it regularly, and you will notice the results after about 8 weeks. The best part is, you can do the exercise in any position, standing, seated or lying down.
Dr. Weil says that you may feel light-headed when you first do the breathing exercise but it will pass as you do it regularly. The feeling of relaxation will also increase with practice. Dr. Weil recommends doing the exercise at least twice a day, right after waking up in the morning, and just before bedtime, so you can sleep peacefully.
This breathing technique can also help in reducing high blood pressure. You can also use this technique in many daily situations to control anxiety, stress, anger, and food cravings. Since breathing becomes disordered when you become anxious, learning to control your breathing is key to controlling anxiety.
To do the 4-7-8 breathing exercise:
- Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth just above your teeth, and keep it there through the exercise.
- Exhale loudly through your mouth.
- Close your mouth and inhale softly through your nose and count to 4.
- Hold your breath and count to 7.
- Exhale loudly in one large breath counting to 8.
- Inhale again, and repeat the cycle 3 times for a total of 4 breaths.
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