Breathing exercises for sleep: four ways to wind down

Most of us know the feeling. The lights are off, the body is tired, and the mind keeps going. You replay the day, plan tomorrow, and check the clock. The harder you try to sleep, the further away it seems.

Breathing exercises will not force sleep, and nothing can. What they can do is give the mind something simple and quiet to hold while the body settles. For many people, that is enough to let sleep arrive on its own.

Here are four exercises that suit the end of the day. They get gentler as you go down the list.

Before you start

A few things help with all four:

• Get comfortable first. Lie on your back or your side, whichever you would normally sleep in. Let your hands rest wherever they fall.
• Breathe through your nose if you can.
• Keep the breaths small. Slower, not bigger. Big, deep breaths wake you up and can make you lightheaded.
• Let go of doing it right. If you lose count or forget the pattern, just start again. Nobody is grading this.

1. The long out-breath

How: breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six. No holds.

This is the simplest of the four and a good place to start. Your heart rate tends to rise a little on each in-breath and ease a little on each out-breath, so letting the out-breath run longer leans the body toward rest.

Count slowly. If six feels like a stretch, try in for three and out for five. The exact numbers matter much less than the out-breath being the longer of the two. After a few minutes, many people find they can stop counting and simply let each out-breath be slow and unhurried.

2. 4-7-8 breathing

How: breathe in through the nose for four, hold for seven, breathe out through the mouth for eight.

This pattern has the longest out-breath of any common exercise, and it is often taught as a way to wind down at night. The hold slows the whole cycle, so you end up taking only a few breaths a minute.

Start with four rounds. The holds can make some people lightheaded at first, and four rounds is plenty while you get used to it. Afterward, let your breath return to normal and rest. If you would like the counting done for you, the 4-7-8 breathing timer shows each phase. There is more on the technique in the full 4-7-8 guide.

If the hold feels like a strain, shorten every count in the same proportion, for example in for two, hold for three or four, out for four.

3. Counting breaths down

How: breathe normally. On each out-breath, count one number, starting at ten and going down to one. Then start again at ten.

This one does not change the breath at all. It gives the mind a small, boring job, which is exactly what a busy mind needs at night. Counting down feels a little like descending a staircase, and many people find it more restful than counting up.

You will lose count. Thoughts will pull you away, and you will find yourself at “four” with no idea how you got there, or still counting at “minus twelve.” When you notice, smile and go back to ten. Each time you return, you let go of whatever thought you were following, and that letting go is what makes this work.

4. Breathing into the body

How: breathe naturally. On each out-breath, let one part of the body soften.

Start with the face. On one out-breath, let the jaw loosen. On the next, the eyes and forehead. Then the shoulders, the arms, the hands, the belly, the hips, the legs and the feet. Take as many breaths as you need for each area. There is no rush.

This is a gentle cousin of the body scan meditation, paired with the breath. It suits nights when you notice tension you did not know you were carrying, such as a clenched jaw or raised shoulders. If you reach your feet and are still awake, begin again at the face.

How to choose

• New to this, or just want something easy? The long out-breath.
• Want a stronger wind-down with a clear structure? 4-7-8.
• Mind racing with thoughts? Counting breaths down.
• Body tense and restless? Breathing into the body.

You can also combine them. A common sequence is four rounds of 4-7-8, then the long out-breath for a few minutes, then counting down until you drift off.

Making it a habit

Breathing exercises tend to work better when they become part of a routine. The body starts to link the pattern with sleep. Try the same exercise at the same point each night for a week, for example once the light is off, before you decide whether it helps.

Some people like a soft background sound while they breathe. Steady sounds such as rain or brown noise can cover small household noises and give the ears something even to rest on. Set a sleep timer so the sound fades out on its own.

When sleep still will not come

Some nights it will not, whatever you do. If you have been lying awake for a long while and feel frustrated, it can help to get up, sit somewhere dim and quiet, and do a few minutes of the long out-breath there. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Lying in bed getting more annoyed tends to make things worse.

A sensible caution

Breathing exercises are safe for most people and are a reasonable part of a calm evening. They are not a treatment for insomnia, sleep apnea or any other condition. If you regularly struggle to sleep, snore heavily, or wake feeling unrested, please talk to a doctor. If you are pregnant, or have a heart or lung condition, check with your doctor before practicing breath holds such as 4-7-8, and stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy.

Common questions