Is Breath The Answer To Good Sleep?
Breathing and sleep are deeply connected. Your breathing rhythm is essential in coordinating brain activity during sleep and influencing sleep quality. Slow, deep breathing can promote relaxation and help improve sleep.
2 Breathing Techniques For Better Sleep:
This Navy Seal technique involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding the breath in for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. It is often used to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
Box breathing can aid in pain management, help manage stress, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. It’s a 4-4-4-4 breath style: inhale in 4 seconds, hold the breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold the breath out for 4 seconds, and repeat.
How To Be Successful
Test drive the breathing techniques. How easy are they to implement? If it’s easy, great, if you’re finding difficulty, would you consider modifying the techniques to meet your readiness?
What does that look like? How can you align the technique with your readiness?
Making It Work For You
4-7-8 & Box Breathing
No matter where you start, emphasize awareness. When you try the different breathing styles, how does it feel? How’s it working? How can you make the style work for you? How can you modify it to fit your comfort level? For 4-7-8, would 3-6-7 work better? For Box Breathing, would 2-4-6 work better? It’s not about being perfect. It’s about finding your path to better sleep. Experiment with different numbers to see what works best for you.