The 'perfect, portable stress antidote' — how to use the 4 7 8 breathing method to fall asleep fast

The 4-7-8 sleep method is a simple, effective relaxation technique that can be used throughout the year. But it may be particularly useful in the darker, colder months of fall and winter, when about 5% of people in the US and 3% in the UK experience a type of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

SAD symptoms include low mood, irritability, stress and anxiety — the latter of which can impact our ability to fall asleep and sleep well.

If you experience SAD, sleep anxiety or issues dropping off, the 4-7-8 sleep method is a breathing technique that "puts the practitioner in a relaxed state almost immediately," according to Dr. Andrew Weil, who popularized the method — making it an effective technique for feeling calmer before sleep.

So what is this "perfect, portable stress antidote," (as Weil's team describe it) and how can you learn how to do it in order to reduce anxiety, feel calm and fall asleep faster?

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What is the 4-7-8 sleep method breathing technique?

The 4-7-8 method is a form of deep breathing that has its roots in yogic breath control, known as pranayama.

The founder and director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Dr. Weil, popularized the 4-7-8 method, which he describes as a form of 'conscious breathing'.

Also known as 'Relaxing Breath,' it involves cycles of breathing in through your nose, holding your breath and forcefully out through your mouth, counting as you do so. This induces a state of relaxation, which is more pronounced with practice, that is helpful for combatting anxiety and conducive to sleeping.

"It will help you fall asleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night for any reason and do this, it's a great way to help yourself fall back asleep," Dr. Weil explained.

He has even described it as the "the most powerful method I've found to access the relaxation response and the most powerful anti-anxiety measure I've ever come across."

Since this breathing technique helps reduce tension and anxiety, it's not surprising that its popular with people dealing with sleep anxiety or who are too wired, worried and stressed to switch off for sleep.

Using the 4-7-8 sleep method at bedtime aims to give you have a better chance of falling asleep fast and sleep through the night.

How to use the 4-7-8 sleep method 

First things first, you need to practice this breathing technique twice a day every day. Just like the military sleep method, the 4-7-8 sleep method increases in power the more you use it.

Secondly, if you have asthma or a respiratory condition, speak to your doctor first to make sure this breathing technique is safe for you to use. Ready to start? Then here’s how to use the 4-7-8 sleep method tonight…

1. Get into a comfortable position and relax your body.

2. Place the tip of your tongue against the tissue behind your upper front teeth.

3. Exhale through your mouth, making a whooshing sound.

4. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.

5. Now hold your breath for 7 seconds.

6. Exhale fully through your mouth for 8 seconds, making a whooshing sound as you breathe out.

7. That counts as one cycle of breath. Repeat this cycle 3-4 times, twice a day.

Dr. Weil explains how to do his 4-7-8 breathing technique. Relaxing Breathing Exercise - YouTube

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If you find it hard to hold your breath for that long to begin with, you can speed up the count in the beginning as long as you stick to the 4:7:8 ratio per breath.

It may take four to six weeks to notice any big changes, but with twice-daily practice you’ll soon be falling asleep faster and feeling more peaceful when drifting off.

And if you wake up often at night, you can also use the 4-7-8 sleep method to get back to sleep quickly. Here’s Dr Weil on how to use this breathing technique and what it sounds like when you do it right:

How does the 4-7-8 sleep method work?

When talking about the 4-7-8 breathing technique, Dr Weil explained how, “this exercise is subtle when you first try it, but gains in power with repetition and practice.”

The 4-7-8 sleep method works by activating your parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS).

Psychologists describe the PSNS as the system responsible for rest and relaxation, and for switching off the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) – the one that kick-starts your stress response and ‘fight or flight’ mode.

Through deep, rhythmic breathing, this powerful technique helps you fall asleep faster while reducing any night time anxiety and stress you might be feeling.

How does it compare to the Military Sleep Method?

While both the 4-7-8 sleep method and the Military Sleep Method involve breathwork, the 4-7-8 sleep method is essentially a breathing technique while the Military Sleep Method is a visualization technique based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Both can be powerful ways to calm your sleep anxiety and stressed out mind to fall asleep faster at night, but we usually find that most people gravitate towards one or the other.

If you're very stressed and anxious, try the 4-7-8 Sleep Method as it will quickly regulate your breathing and drop you into a place of calm.

You feel too stressed out otherwise to work through the imagery laid out in the Military Sleep Method, which has some similar elements to a guided sleep meditation or body scan technique.

Make sure your environment matches the mood you want to achieve as well. We've explored how light pollution can disrupt your sleep, so if you want to try the 4-7-8 method, opt for a dark room.

Of course, there are other methods you can use to fall asleep besides the Military Sleep Method and the 4-7-8 method, such as the the 5-4-3-2-1 method for helping sleep anxiety and Cognitive Shuffling.

Alternative deep breathing methods for sleep

Deep breathing is a natural sleep aid and, best of all, it’s completely free and easy to do. Research has shown that it can be effective for people with insomnia, and how slow, deep breathing — especially when used with sleep hygiene techniques — can help people initiate sleep faster.

According to guidance shared by the University of Michigan Health, deep breathing "sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body," making it one of the best ways to quickly lower stress.

While it's important to speak to your healthcare professional to see what help is available to you if are worried about your sleep, deep breathing techniques can be incredibly useful to create a state of calm conducive to rest.

Here are some alternatives to the 4-7-8 method:

• Box breathing: A simple breathing technique where you breathe in, hold the breath, breathe out and hold the breath for four seconds each. The name comes from the fact that you can visualize a box as you practise, and benefits include lowering stress, reducing heart rate and improvements in sleep.
• Body scan meditation: Although this involves scanning your body and releasing tension in each body part at you go, you need to maintain steady, even breathing as you go, which contributes to relaxing your body and mind.
• Resonance frequency breathing: A process whereby you slow down your breathing, typically by counting to five on both the inhale and exhale, in order to reach a rate of 5-6 breaths per minute. This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and induce feelings of relaxation.
• Wim Hof method: Developed by the extreme athlete of the same name, this technique is said to help improve sleep and lower stress, and sees you expand your belly as you breathe in, and then exhale through your mouth for a cycle of 30 breaths, holding the exhale on your final breath and then taking a large breath you hold for 15 seconds.

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