In our last article — Breathing Exercises To Promote Better Sleep — Pt. 1 — we looked at some breathing techniques to help promote relaxation and better sleep. Meditative breathing, alternating nostril breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing were all mentioned in this article, and if you have yet to check out, give it a quick glance before reading on. In today’s article, we are going to pick up right where we left off and introduce a few more breathing techniques.

4-7-8 Relaxing Breathing

Influenced by the ancient yoga technique called pranayama, the 4-7-8 breathing technique is a breathing pattern first developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. For this method, you begin by positioning your tongue so that it is resting just behind your upper front teeth. Next, you let all air out through your mouth while making a whoosh sound. Then, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold your breath for seven, and exhale with the same whooshing sound, but this time do it for eight seconds. If you are not able to adhere to the 4-7-8 time counts, that’s okay. The important aspect is to keep to this ratio. Some claim that by practicing this technique twice a day, you can help train your mind and body to fall asleep quickly every night.

Lengthened Breathing

When you are stressed and anxious, you tend to breathe faster and take in more air. While this can be hard to regulate, you can trick your body into a state of relaxation by breathing out longer than you breathe in. For example, if you inhale for three seconds, exhale for six seconds. You should experiment with this and find a ratio that works best for you. The aim is to prolong your exhale in comparison to your inhale. By lengthening exhalation relative to inhalation, you can reduce the fight-or-flight impulse related to stress, maintain healthy levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, and help your body relax.

When you are stressed and anxious, you tend to breathe faster and take in more air. While this can be hard to regulate, you can trick your body into a state of relaxation by breathing out longer than you breathe in. For example, if you inhale for three seconds, exhale for six seconds. You should experiment with this and find a ratio that works best for you. The key aim is to prolong your exhale in comparison to your inhalation. By lengthening exhalation relative to inhalation, you can reduce the fight-or-flight impulse related to stress, maintain healthy levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, and help your body relax.

Humming Bee Breathing

In the world of yoga, this breathing technique is known as brahmari — the Sanskrit word for bee. As you may have already guessed, during this breathing exercise, you create a buzzing sound. After a deep and slow inhalation, exhale slowly and use your throat to make a humming sound as you let the air seep out. The sound can be soothing for a spinning mind, and the technique lengthens the exhalation without excessive strain. Those who have mastered this technique often say that the longer you are able to sustain the humming exhalation, the more relaxing the bee breath will be.

Remember that with these breathing exercises, you should not force the breath beyond your capacity. Doing this can have the reverse effect and cause even more stress. Experiment with some of these techniques and spend some time with the one that best suits you. Also, keep in mind that to truly benefit from these techniques, you have to incorporate them into your daily routine. Whatever method you choose, be sure to stick to it and to your bedtime routine. These routines send a powerful signal to the brain that it’s time to wind down and let the stress of the day fade away.

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