Sleeping well is essential for our physical health and emotional well-being. Being continually sleep-deprived leads to headaches, makes us irritable, unhappy, and it can even have a negative impact on our energy and health.
If tossing, turning, or waking up frequently is the problem you face, don’t try sleeping pills, as there is a breathing technique that can work as a ‘natural tranquilizer for the nervous system’ and can help in reducing tension and relax your body.
This breathing technique is based on ‘Pranayama,’ an ancient Indian practice.
Pranayama means ‘regulation of breath’ and is commonly known as the 4-7-8 breathing technique. This technique is very powerful as it allows oxygen to better fill the lungs. As per Arizona-based Dr. Andrew Weil, it is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment, and can be done anywhere. It can work wonders before bedtime!
Simple steps of the amazing 4-7-8 breathing technique:
- To relieve your mind, sit up in bed with your back straight and press your tongue’s tip on the roof of your mouth.
- Inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four, keeping your mouth closed.
- After that hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Now exhale completely through your mouth for about eight seconds in one large breath, making another whoosh sound.
- Now repeat this cycle three times.
Dr. Chris Idzikowski, Edinburgh Sleep Centre Director and author of Sound Asleep, explains that after doing this 4-7-8 breathing technique, tell yourself that you are ready for sleep and then get up slowly and go to bed.
