Straw Breathing For Sleeping: 4-7-8 Breathing
Benefit: A 2019 study believes, “slow breathing techniques in adjunct to relaxation techniques and sleep hygiene may be a more powerful tool in combating insomnia than the prevailing method of using hypnotics and other pharmaceutical interventions.”
Technique: 4-7-8 Breathing.
Uses: To help insomnia and restlessness by quieting the mind.
Step 1. Place straw between closed flat lips.
Step 2. Gently close eyes.
Step 3. Inhale deeply through the nose counting to4.
Step 4. Pause and hold for 7 counts.
Step 5. Gently exhale through the straw for 8-12 counts.
Step 6. Repeat this breathing cycle until asleep.
TIP: Breath counts are an approximation. Focus on the ratio of a shorter inhale, medium pause and longer exhale than the exact number.