Insomnia: Doctor shares '4-7-8 method' – can send you to sleep in 'minutes'

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Sometimes falling asleep at night can be a problem. It is believed that a third of adults have experienced some form of insomnia at least once in their lives. While there's no hard and fast rule about why someone might have trouble sleeping, it's generally accepted that stress and anxiety play a role.

One expert believes that the way we breathe may play a key role value when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety. neurologist, shares the 4-7-8 exercise, which she says is a “natural tranquilizer.”

“The 4-7-8 breathing exercise is extremely simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment, and can be performed anywhere. Breathing patterns play a role in our autonomic nervous system, which regulates heart rate, muscle tension, motivation, and other aspects of relaxation or arousal. While fast, shallow breathing can cause anxiety, deep, slow breathing can be calming,” says the doctor.

To perform the 4-7-8 method, follow the steps below.

< p>Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whistling sound. Close your mouth and calmly breathe in through your nose, mentally counting to four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whistling sound, to the count of eight.

This is one cycle of breathing. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times, for a total of four cycles.

“This breathing exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system,” added the neurologist.