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Sleep Tip #13
Breathing Techniques Before Bed
Sleep Tip #13
Breathing Techniques Before Bed
Before bed, practice breathing exercises to help you sleep better
and fall asleep more quickly.
If you have trouble sleeping, it's likely because you're thinking about a lot of things at once. . .
Maybe you feel like your mind is racing, and all the different thoughts are keeping you from going to sleep. One of many effective sleep tips is the breathing technique--a tried-and-true way to calm your mind before sleep.
Here are three breathing techniques that you can use at home, or anywhere else when you need to rest;
Breath Awareness Exercise
This type of breathing helps you focus on your breath and tune out the rest of the world for a little bit.
This exercise is simple:
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Just sit or lie down somewhere comfortable
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Inhale through your nose for four seconds, then exhale through your mouth for seven seconds.
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Repeat this cycle for eight rounds in total.
It's a great technique for when you're feeling anxious or stressed out—it helps clear your mind so that you can relax and fall asleep quickly when it's time to do so!
4-7-8 Breathing
This method is pretty simple:
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Start by sitting with your back straight. Put the tip of your tongue on the tissue right behind your top front teeth. Keep your tongue in that spot during the entire workout.
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Breathe out through your mouth.
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Close your mouth. Count to four while taking a deep breath through your nose.
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Hold your breath and count to 7. Count to eight while exhaling through your mouth.
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Repeat these steps three more times. Practice this exercise at least twice a day.
When you're feeling stressed or anxious, you can unwind by using the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
The hormone cortisol, which regulates your fight-or-flight response, is influenced by this exercise. This technique is important because the release of too much cortisol into the body on a regular basis can have negative effects on your long-term health.
Belly Breathing
When you perform this exercise for the first time, it can be simpler to lie down:
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Bent-kneeling position: Lie flat, preferably on your bed. Put pillows under your legs and your head.
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Place a hand on the top of your chest. Place the other hand on the area of your tummy closest to the ribs.
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Inhale through your nose. Draw the breath down to your tummy while concentrating on your breathing. As you breathe in and out, the hand on your tummy will rise. Your chest should not move.
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Exhale slowly. Your belly ought to drop back down. Keep your hand still on your upper chest.
Belly breathing is an exercise that encourages slower and more relaxed breaths. It's also called abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing.
You're more likely to fall asleep easily when you feel more relaxed.
When you practice breathing techniques before bed, the heart rate will decrease, and your breathing will become much more regular and slow. All of these symptoms result from the body's natural response to deep breathing, which is to embrace relaxation.
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