If you can’t sleep? If you suffer from sleep insomnia? If you just have difficulties falling asleep? Here are two simple breathing techniques that can help you to relax and begin to drift off…
Firstly, learn how to use the “4-7-8 breathing technique”.
The 4-7-8 sleep breathing technique
Originally developed and pioneered by Dr Andrew Weil in the US. The technique is very simple, in fact deceptively simple. It involves your breathing to various counts of 4, 7 and 8. It enables your lungs to fill with oxygen, and helps to calm the mind and to relax the muscles in your body, and your nervous system helping to reduce tension as you exhale.
This technique has been described as a natural tranquilliser. The technique is simple, takes almost no time, requires no special equipment and can be done almost ANYWHERE!
In order to do this technique correctly it’s important to understand that the key elements.
Firstly when doing the 4-7-8 breathing technique you will always be breathing in through your nose.
Then while you are doing this, you will have placed your top of your tongue against the front of your upper palate just behind your teeth, held against your upper gum. With your tongue held in position for 4 and 7 you will breathe in through your nose for four seconds, and then keeping your tongue in place, you will hold your breath seven seconds, and then with a “whooshing” sound you then exhale, pushing the breath out powerfully through your mouth for eight seconds. so that your lips make a “Phhhh” sound.
Then you will repeat the 4-7-8 technique again placing your tongue back against the back against the upper gum, and breathing in through the nose for four seconds, holding the breath of seven seconds your tongue still against the back of your upper gum behind the teeth, before releasing the breath with the wooshing sound “Phhhh…” from your mouth slowly for eight seconds.
*Note: you always inhaled quietly through your nose, hold and exhale audibly through your mouth with a “Phhhhhh…” whooshing sound.
Repeating this 4-7-8 breathing technique three or four times will be enough to relax and slow you down completely if done correctly. It helps to release all inner body tension.
Doing this in fact relaxes the para-sympathetic nervous system, the oxygen calming you, and helping you to feel more connected to your body – whilst at the same time distracting you from your everyday thoughts that can disrupt falling asleep.
This technique is also very good for reducing anxiety. Dr Weil says that if you practice this technique twice a day, for six weeks until you’ve mastered enough to be able to fall asleep in just 60 seconds.
Here’s another simple breathing technique to help you fall asleep. This one is called the Bumble Bee sleep technique, it’s very simple but really only works if you sleep alone as you’re likely to annoy or disturbed whoever is with you whilst doing it. ~
The Bumble Bee Sleep Technique.
This technique is very simple, easy to do, and really quite extraordinary.
1, You just close your mouth, and breath in through your nose.
2, Then while keeping your mouth closed, you then hum like a bumblebee as you breath out through the nose for as long as possible for about 5 mins.
The vibration that you create whilst humming and exhaling both at the same time is very relaxing to the nervous system. It can help reduce your blood pressure, and help rebalance serotonin levels, you will begin to feel more relaxed. It also helps you to stop reacting to all your thoughts.
The Bumble Bee Sleep technique helps change your brain waves from lifestyle busy beta moving towards relaxing nourishing theta brainwaves. This is definitely the most unusual breathing techniques that I have ever found to help you to naturally fall asleep and overcome any insomnia. Research says that if you practice this for at least five minutes continuously, the body’s nervous system will start to settle down. Most people don’t sleep because they are “overthinking the overthinking”, and are unable to unwind and relax with a busy mind.
These two techniques I hope will be enjoyable and useful for Zzzz…
I wish you a great night’s sleep.
Max Kirsten
