Sleep Hack 478

Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes, including moods.By simply focusing your attention on your breathing and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation.

This same philosophy is used in the "4-7-8 Breathing Exercise", also called “The Relaxing Breath,” which promotes better sleep.
This is based on PRANAYAMA, an ancient Indian practice that means “regulation of breath.” The exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system that eases the body into a state of calmness and relaxation.

The technique is shockingly simple, takes hardly any time, although you can do the exercise in any position, it’s recommended to sit with your back straight while learning the exercise.
Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there through the entire exercise.
You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue, try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

The Steps:
0. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
1. Close your mouth and INHALE quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
2. HOLD your breath for 7 seconds.
3. EXHALE completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound for 8 seconds.
4. This is 1 breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle 3 more times for a total of 4 breaths.
(Note: Just hear the app indications for each step.)

The most important part of this process is holding your breath for 8 seconds. This is because keeping the breath in will allow oxygen to fill your lungs and then circulate throughout the body. It is this that produces a relaxing effect in the body.