The 4-7-8 technique is a relaxation exercise that involves breathing in for four counts, holding that breath for seven counts, and exhaling for eight counts, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Southern California in Keck. School of Medicine, via email. Also known as “relaxation breathing,” 4-7-8 has ancient roots in pranayama, which is the yogic practice of regulating the breath, but was popularized by integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil in 2015. High angle view of father holding son while standing at home How to put a crying baby to sleep, the scientific way “What a lot of sleep difficulties have to do with is people having trouble falling asleep because their minds are buzzing,” said Rebecca Robbins, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate scientist in the field of sleep and circadian disorders at the Brigham and Boston Women’s Hospital. “But exercises like the 4-7-8 technique give you a chance to practice stillness. And that’s exactly what we have to do before we go to sleep.” “It doesn’t ‘put you to sleep,’ but rather it can reduce stress to increase the likelihood that you’ll fall asleep,” said Joshua Tal, a clinical psychologist based in New York. How 4-7-8 works The 4-7-8 method requires no equipment or specific setup, but when you first learn the exercise, you should sit with your back straight, according to Weil. Practicing in a calm, quiet place could help, Robbins said. Once you get the hang of it, you can use the technique while lying in bed. During the entire practice, place the tip of your tongue on the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth as you exhale through the mouth around your tongue. Then follow these steps, according to Weil: Exhale completely through your mouth, making a popping sound. Close your mouth and breathe in quietly through your nose until you mentally count to four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your mouth, making an impact sound for a count of eight. Repeat the process three more times for a total of four breathing cycles. Keeping the ratio of four, then seven, then eight counts is more important than the time you spend in each phase, according to Weil. Lack of sleep can make us selfish, according to a new study. Not getting enough sleep? It could make you more selfish “If you have trouble holding your breath, speed up the exercise, but keep the ratio (consistent) for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to breathing in and out more and more deeply,” advises its website. When you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system — responsible for the fight-or-flight response — is overactive, which makes you feel overstimulated and not ready to relax and go to sleep, Dasgupta said. “An active sympathetic nervous system can cause a rapid heart rate as well as rapid and shallow breathing.” What the research shows The 4-7-8 breathing practice can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system — responsible for rest and digestion — which reduces sympathetic activity, she added, putting the body in a state more conducive to restful sleep. Activating the parasympathetic system also gives the anxious brain something to focus on besides “why can’t I sleep?” Tal said. While proponents may swear by the method, more research is needed to establish clearer links between the 4-7-8 and sleep and other health benefits, he added. “There is some evidence that 4-7-8 breathing helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia when compared before and after the intervention, however, there are no large randomized control trials specifically for 4-7-8 breathing as I am aware. Tal said. “Research on (the effect of) diaphragmatic breathing on these symptoms in general is spotty, with no clear link due to the poor quality of the studies.” A team of researchers based in Thailand studied the immediate effects of 4-7-8 breathing on heart rate and blood pressure in 43 healthy young adults. After participants had these health factors and measured their fasting blood glucose, they performed 4-7-8 breaths for six cycles per set for three sets, interspersed with one minute of normal breathing between each set. Researchers found the technique improved participants’ heart rate and blood pressure, according to a study published in July. “If you do some of these activities, what we see is (an) increase in the amplitude of the theta and delta (brain) waves, which indicate that someone is in a parasympathetic state,” Robbins said. “Slow breathing like the 4-7-8 technique reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and improves lung function.” The 4-7-8 technique is relatively safe, but if you’re a beginner, you could feel a little confused at first, Dasgupta said. What to expect “Normal breathing is a balance between inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. When you disrupt this balance by exhaling more than you inhale, it causes a rapid decrease in carbon dioxide in the body,” he said. “Low levels of carbon dioxide lead to narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. This reduction in blood supply to the brain leads to symptoms such as dizziness. That’s why it’s often recommended to start slow and practice three to four rounds at a time until you feel comfortable with the technique.” The more you practice the 4-7-8 technique, the better you’ll get, and the more your body and mind will incorporate it into your usual toolkit for managing stress and anxiety, Dasgupta said. Some people combine this method with other relaxation practices, such as progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, mindfulness, or meditation. Deep breathing exercises can help combat stress. How to tell if your stress levels are normal or a sign of something more Uncontrolled stress can rear its head in the form of sleep difficulties, Robbins said. “But when we can manage our stress during the day (and) apply some of these breathing techniques, we can put ourselves in the driver’s seat instead of being victims of events that happen in our lives.”
