What is the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique?
Whenever you feel stressed, anxious, or angry, the adrenaline hormone rushes through your veins, increasing your heart rate and quickening your breath. This often makes it difficult to fall asleep. However, the 4-7-8 breathing technique can help you tackle this issue.
The 4-7-8 technique involves three simple steps: First, inhale through your nose for four seconds, then hold your breath for seven seconds, and finally, exhale slowly through your mouth for eight seconds.
How Does the 4-7-8 Technique Work?
Before delving into the specifics of the 4-7-8 technique, I want to explain what you can expect when trying this method. By holding your breath for seven seconds and then exhaling slowly for eight seconds, this breathing technique acts like a sedative. When you breathe rapidly and shallowly, your body has no choice but to slow down your heart rate.
This chain reaction of holding your breath and then exhaling slowly creates a calming effect, similar to the feeling of slowly strolling towards the finish line of a sprint race.
When you first try this method, you may feel an urge to rush through the breaths or speed up the counting. However, if you persist and maintain a steady count (or at least try to), without taking “breaks” by breathing normally in between, you’ll notice your heart rate slowing down, your mind calming, and your body relaxing. It’s similar to being administered an anesthetic.
How to Practice the 4-7-8 Technique?
This breathing practice has been a part of yoga and wellness traditions for centuries but hasn’t been widely adopted in Western culture.
The 4-7-8 technique is gaining recognition in the US and is scientifically backed by researchers like Dr. Andrew Weil of Harvard University.
While I cannot promise or guarantee (and neither can Dr. Weil) that this technique will combat illnesses or provide clinical benefits, I can tell you this: if it affects you the way it has affected me, it will help you fall asleep faster. This technique is not only free but also versatile. Apart from aiding sleep, you can use the 4-7-8 technique if you wake up in the middle of the night due to intrusive thoughts, to calm pre-event jitters (like public speaking or a wedding), to ease anger or anxiety, or even to fall back asleep the night before an exciting trip.
It might be challenging at first, and you may be tempted to give up, but persevere, and you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful sense of calm and improved sleep quality.
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