Breathing exercises to fall asleep

Breathe in, breathe out - fall asleep! Calming breathing techniques can help you relax and help you fall asleep in the evening. We'll show you various breathing exercises that are particularly well suited to falling asleep without stress.

Table of contents

1. Relaxation and calming before going to bed
2. The best breathing exercises for falling asleep
   1. Deep, conscious breathing
   2. Alternate Nostril Breathing
   3. Box breathing
   4. The 4-7-8 technique
3. Conclusion

1. Relaxation and calming down before going to bed

stress and tension are often responsible for the fact that we cannot really switch off and fall asleep in the evening. Therefore, it is important that we can relax sufficiently, especially in the last few hours before going to bed - for example with certain breathing exercises.

Calming breathing techniques are one of the most effective methods against stress, because our breathing is not only fundamental to our body's function, but also closely connected to our mind. Controlled, deep breathing ensures a sufficient supply of oxygen to our body and brain, regulates blood pressure and the cardiovascular system, and has a positive effect on the areas of our nervous system that are responsible for relaxation. This can help you to calm down better and fall asleep more quickly after a stressful day.

Breathing exercises can also be easily integrated into everyday life or the evening routine and can also be used in acute stress situations if necessary. We will show you a few simple exercises that are an effective help against stress and difficulty falling asleep have proven themselves. However, you will have to try out for yourself which method ultimately helps you the most and leads to fatigue.

2. The best breathing exercises to fall asleep

#1 Deep, conscious breathing

The key to the success of all breathing techniques is learning to concentrate on your own breathing and to breathe in and out deeply without losing focus on what is inside you. Basically, you should try to breathe through your nose and not your mouth. When you breathe through your nose, the incoming air is warmed, cleaned and moistened and you can take in up to 20% more oxygen than when you breathe through your mouth.

#2 Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodana Pranayama)

Alternate nostril breathing is also known in yoga as Nadi Shodana Pranayama and is used to calm and balance the inner energetic currents. The relaxing effect of the breathing technique has been proven in various studies and is a simple way to relieve nervousness or tension before going to sleep.

Here's how: Alternate nostril breathing involves breathing alternately through the left and right nostrils. Use your thumb to close your right nostril and breathe in slowly and deeply through the left nostril. Hold your breath for about 4 seconds, then release your thumb and breathe out through the right nostril. Then close the left side of your nose, breathe in on the right side and let the air flow out through the left nostril. Simply put: breathe in on the left, hold, breathe out on the right. Breathe in on the right, hold, breathe out on the left and start again. You should repeat this process of alternating for a few minutes.

#3 Box breathing

Box breathing is particularly suitable in moments of acute anxiety and stress, as it works easily and quickly against built-up stress and tension.But this breathing technique can also be used before going to bed can be very helpful and lead to more relaxation and better sleep. Due to its regular four-beat rhythm, it is also known as "square breathing".

Here's how: Control your breathing using a simple four-beat rhythm: breathe in deeply for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, breathe out deeply for four seconds, and pause for four seconds. Repeat this process as many times as you like or until you feel enough relaxation in your body and mind.

#4 The 4-7-8 breathing

The 4-7-8 technique is a well-known breathing technique that is said to help with anxiety and panic attacks and also make it easier to fall asleep. The exercise involves concentrating on the rhythm of breathing in order to bring more oxygen into the body and more carbon dioxide out of the body. It can be done sitting, lying down or standing, for example immediately before sleeping or immediately after waking up.

Here's how: Breathe about 4 Breathe deeply through your nose for seconds, hold the air 7 seconds and then breathe 8 seconds. You should repeat this sequence at least four times and ideally do the entire exercise regularly.

3. Conclusion

• Healthy, controlled breathing has a positive effect on physical and mental well-being, promotes relaxation and makes it easier to fall asleep.

• Special breathing techniques such as alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodana Pranayama), box breathing or the 4-7-8 technique help to relieve stress and tension and thus enable good sleep.