4-7-8 Breath for Sleep

In bed, when the mind is racing and sleep won't come.

1. 1Lie comfortably on your back. Rest the tip of the tongue behind the top front teeth.
2. 2Exhale completely through the mouth with a soft whoosh.
3. 3Close the mouth. Inhale quietly through the nose for 4 counts.
4. 4Hold for 7 counts.
5. 5Exhale slowly through the mouth for 8 counts. Repeat 4 cycles.

Avicenna wrote that the night belongs to rest and digestion. A long, soft exhale before sleep is the body's way of releasing the day.

Lengthening the exhale relative to the inhale increases vagal tone and slows the heart rate, helping the nervous system cross into sleep.