“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 At Women’s Hospital in Boston, he told CNN News. “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.”
What is the 4-7-8 breathing technique?
The breathing style that can calm a racing mind was devised by integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil in 2015, but it is an ancient practice with roots in yoga. The technique itself is simple. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it works like this: A Healthline report warns that at first, those using the technique may feel dizzy, but practicing it often can pay off.
What are the benefits of the 4-7-8 breathing technique?
Not only can the 4-7-8 technique calm a distracted mind, it can also reduce stress and anxiety as well as train the body to better respond to stress. “The breathing techniques of yoga calm the body and bring it into a more relaxed state,” Dr. Melissa Young, an integrative medicine specialist, told Cleveland Health. “This type of breathing can help us focus our mind and body away from worries and repetitive thoughts.” He said it can take time for the nervous system to respond, saying “the more we do it, the more we allow our body to go into that parasympathetic mode.”
