If you suffer long hours of tossing and turning, hoping you will be able to fall asleep. However, finally giving up and going to the fridge for a snack, which adds to the waistline too, or watching some television.
Here’s a trick that can help you fall asleep fast and doesn’t involve taking any herb, human-made drug or another type of supplement.
An adequate night’s sleep is uber-important to your health. While you sleep, your body performs all kinds of maintenance duties. Lack of sleep is linked to being overweight and is one of the biggest risks for obesity. There are many reasons for this, one of which is you eat more when you are tired and the second most primary reason is the lack of energy to exercise.
A good night’s sleep improves concentration and productivity, while it also lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke. One study showed that continual lack of sleep could significantly improve the risk for diabetes. Lack of sleep impairs immune response, causes depression and increases inflammation.
The Technique
Dr. Andrew Weil, a wellness practitioner with a degree from Harvard created this method. He specialized in meditation, breathing techniques and the way you can use these techniques to combat stress. In doing so, he found this technique also aided in achieving a good night’s sleep.
It’s All about Breathing Right
You don’t need to have any other specialized techniques to do this, you just need to learn how to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, which is how you’re supposed to breathe and the reason you have nose hair to filter the air.
Try the “4-7-8” Breathing Trick:
How to Do it:
① To start, touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (and try to keep it there the entire time). Then, breathe out, completely emptying your lungs.
② Try breathing in through your nostrils for 4 seconds, holding it for 7 seconds and then exhale your breath through your mouth ( exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound) to a count of 8 seconds. Continue and you’ll notice your heart rate slowing in the process.
③ Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
④ Hold your breath for a count of seven.
⑤ Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
⑥ This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
This also stimulates the brain to release chemicals that help you relax as it counteracts the adrenaline in your system. The studied combination of numbers has a chemical-like effect on our brains and would slow our heart rate and soothe us right to sleep. Moreover, “It works.”
Watch the video & learn this breathing technique pioneered by Harvard-trained Dr. Andrew Weill:
Credit: Xavier Bloomer
If you are like me, when you cannot sleep you notice everything, and will probably freak a bit when you first notice your heart rate slowing or be uncomfortable with the technique.
Continue through it, and you will soon find you become very relaxed and all the thoughts that assault your brain will start to fade. You will be so happy you have tried this trick.
NOTE:
The truth behind Weil’s 4-7-8 exercise is it takes practicing this twice a day over two months to perfect the technique until you can truly fall asleep in a minute. Once you’ve mastered it, it will become more and more effective and even help you deal with anxiety and stress in your life.
neha says
06/29/2015 at 9:08 amNo