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After a demanding day and during prolonged stress or strong upset, it can be almost impossible to fall asleep. You toss and turn from side to side and no position is comfortable enough. On top of that, you keep checking how long it will be until the alarm goes off. And the more you focus on the fact that you absolutely need to fall asleep because you have to get up early, the worse the whole situation becomes and the harder it is to fall asleep. However, a simple and low-effort method described in this article can help you.
Simple counting while breathing
This breathing exercise is best done regularly — every day after waking and every night before bed — because that trains your body and enhances the effect. In addition to shortening the time needed to fall asleep, this simple trick based on 4-7-8 counting will help you in stressful situations, panic attacks, or when you need to lower your blood pressure in tense and demanding moments.
Deep inhale
The first step, where it all begins, is the inhale. It should be deeper, but you’re not competing for the biggest breath. Keep your tongue in a relaxed position so that it touches the palate. Then slowly inhale through your nose and quietly count to four in your head.
Hold your breath
Now hold your breath while remaining relaxed, and count to seven silently. Your body will now have enough time to absorb oxygen. During this moment the organs relax and, by concentrating on counting, you clear your mind of distracting thoughts that prevent sleep. This also naturally increases the oxygen content in your blood and your body begins to relax.
Calming exhale
Exhale all the air through your mouth while counting to eight. Try to exhale evenly and as smoothly as possible. A slow exhale ensures that all the air that has already been used is completely pushed out of the body. With a little practice you can use this trick anywhere to reach a relaxed state within seconds, which can be very practical in stressful situations or panic attacks.
