The 4-7-8 approach for better sleeping
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Falling asleep or overcoming anxiety may never be as simple as 1-2-3, but some experts feel a new set of numbers - 4-7-8 - gets considerably closer.
According to Dr Raj Dasgupta, a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, the 4-7-8 technique is a relaxation exercise that involves breathing in for four counts, holding that breath for seven minutes, then expelling for eight counts.
4-7-8, often known as the "relaxing breath," has ancient roots in pranayama, a yogic technique of breath control, but was popularized in 2015 by integrative medicine specialist Dr Andrew Weil.
"A lot of sleep troubles are caused by patients who struggle to go asleep because their mind is buzzing," said Rebecca Robbins, an associate scientist in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "However, exercises like the 4-7-8 approach allow you to practice being at peace." And that is precisely what we must accomplish before retiring."
"It does not 'put you to sleep,' but it may lower anxiety to enhance the chance of falling asleep," said Joshua Tal, a clinical psychologist in New York state.
How does 4-7-8 work?
The 4-7-8 approach does not require any equipment or a special location, however, Weil recommends sitting with your back straight while first beginning the exercise. Robbins suggests practising in a calm, quiet environment. Once you've mastered the technique, you may apply it while reclining in bed.
Place the tip of your tongue on the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth throughout the practice, since you will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue. Then, according to Weil, take the following steps:
- Exhale completely via your lips, generating a whoosh sound.
- Close your lips and take four slow, deep breaths via your nose.
- Hold your breath for seven counts.
- Exhale through your lips for eight counts, generating a whoosh sound.
- Rep the procedure three times more for a total of four breath cycles.
According to Weil, following the ratio of four, seven, and eight counts is more important than the amount of time spent on each phase.
"If you have difficulty holding your breath, speed up the workout while maintaining the ratio (constant) during the three stages." "With practice, you may slow it down and become accustomed to breathing and exhaling more deeply," his website said.
When you're worried, your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your fight-or-flight reaction, becomes too active, making you feel overstimulated and unable to relax and transition into sleep, according to Dasgupta. "An active sympathetic nervous system can result in a high heart rate and shallow breathing."
What research reveals
He noted that the 4-7-8 breathing exercise could assist engage your parasympathetic nerve system, which is responsible for relaxing and digesting, which minimizes sympathetic activity and puts the body in a condition more favourable to deep sleep. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system also gives an anxious brain something to think about other than "why am I not sleeping?" Tal said.
While proponents of the approach may swear by it, he believes that additional study is needed to establish more precise correlations between 4-7-8 and sleep and other health advantages.
"There is some evidence that 4-7-8 breathing helps reduce anxiously, depressed, and insomniac symptoms when comparing pre-and post-intervention," Tal said. "However, to my knowledge, no major randomized control trials are focusing on 4-7-8 breathing." "Research on the effect of diaphragmatic breathing on these symptoms, in general, is patchy, with no apparent correlation due to low study quality."
A group of Thai researchers investigated the immediate effects of 4-7-8 breathing on heart rate and blood pressure in 43 healthy young individuals. After these health indicators and fasting blood glucose levels were determined, participants conducted 4-7-8 breathing for six cycles per set for three sets, interspersed with one minute of regular breathing between each set. According to a July study, researchers discovered that the approach boosted participants' heart rate and blood pressure.
"When you undertake some of these activities, we detect an increase in the amplitude of theta and delta (brain) waves, which suggest that you're in the parasympathetic state," Robbins said. "Slow breathing techniques, such as the 4-7-8 technique, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes while also improving pulmonary function."
The 4-7-8 approach is pretty safe, although if you're a rookie, you may feel dizzy at first, according to Dasgupta.
What to anticipate
"Normal breathing is a balance of taking in oxygen and expending carbon dioxide." "When you disrupt this equilibrium by exhaling more than you inhale, it results in a quick decrease in carbon dioxide in the body," he explained. "Low carbon dioxide levels cause the blood arteries that carry blood to the brain to constrict." This decrease in blood circulation to the brain causes symptoms such as lightheadedness. This is why it is commonly advised to begin gently and practice three to four cycles at a time until you are comfortable with the technique."
The more you practice the 4-7-8 approach, the better you'll get, and the more your body and mind will incorporate it into your regular toolbox for dealing with stress and anxiety, according to Dasgupta. This strategy is sometimes used with other relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, mindfulness, or meditation.
According to Robbins, unmanaged stress can manifest as sleep problems. "However, if we can manage our stress throughout the day (and) practice some of these breathing methods, we can put ourselves in control rather than becoming victims of events in our life."