Fall Asleep Fast with Breathing Exercises

You toss from one side of the other of the bed for at least one hour, and you have a hard time falling asleep? Are you “Sleepless in Seattle” (or wherever you are), except you’re neither Meg Ryan nor Tom Hanks, and you’re not playing in a movie, but you’re living your own sleepless life? Welcome on board (or on the bed) to the Sleepless Sheep Counters Club! Or… not, if you just start breathing.

Well, guys, don’t count on me to talk for hours about insomnia, cause I’ve got better things to share with you. I might have the magic sleeping tricks for you. Nope, it’s not a pill. But it is as simple as breathing.

So, on my count on 4-7-8, let’s all fall asleep. Zzzzzzzz!
See? I told you it’s working!

No, no, no – we’re not counting sheep. We’re doing simple breathing exercises. As simple as 1,2,3 – except it’s 4-7-8 and it works like good magic.

Breathe to Sleep?

“But haven’t I been breathing since my birth? How that I have problems sleeping, then? It’s sleeping supposed to happen naturally?” Well, there’s breathing, and there’s breathing.

Do you know when you’re happy and relaxed? Your breathing matches your inner state: it’s comfortable and calm. And then, you sleep so well at night. Do you know when you’re upset, anxious, angry, or stressed up? Your breathing is shallow, fast, or heavy. And you toss in your bed for hours, unable to fall asleep. See the difference? It’s in the breathing pattern.

So, if you make a change in your breathing pattern, your mind will follow it. Imagine how many things can get better in your life with only a change of breath! Yes, controlled, balanced breathing can calm your nervous system, relax your mind and body, and prepare you for deep, deep sleep.

You can train your breath just like you can teach a dragon. It’s what you’ll do: change the fiery dragon breath that makes you an insomniac to an angel breath – calm, soft, tender, relaxing, and sleep-inducing. Let’s start our angelic breathing right now! On my count of 4-7-8 – let’s all start breathing for a better, deeper, calmer sleep tonight!

Top 3 Breathing Techniques

1. Short Breathing Meditation

It only takes 10 minutes, and it aims to induce a state of deep relaxation in your body, emotions, and mind.
Sit in your bed, supporting your back with a pillow. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, without intervening. Just observe your breath coming in and out.

Start to prolong your inhale and exhale, gradually. For that, when you exhale, count for the first time to 1, then inhale and count to 1. Exhale and count to 2, then inhale and count to 2. Continue with this steady breathing until 5. Then keep the count to 5 for ten more complete breaths.

During breathing, only focus your mind solely on breathing in and out, nothing else. After 10 minutes of focusing on your breath, you may stop. Be aware of your inner calm, relaxation, well-being… and go to sleep. You will wake up in the morning wondering how quickly and easily you’ve fallen asleep last night.

2. Yin and Yang Balancing Breathing

Oriental tradition state that we have two types of energies in our bodies, whether we are a man or a woman – Yin (which is a lunar, feminine, cooling, relaxing energy) and Yang (which is a solar, masculine, warming, powerful energy). The yin energy activates on the left side of the body while the yang energy on the right side. A harmonious, healthy, and happy human being experiences a balance between her or his yin and yang energies.

Now, do you want to know a secret? The yin energy goes in and out of your body through your left nostril, while the yang energy circulates through your right nostril.

Do you want to know another secret? Balancing your breathing through your left and right nostrils will induce an emotional and mental balance within you.

Now, knowing all that, let’s learn a simple Yin-Yang balancing breathing exercise that balances your breathing pattern and your inner states for a deep and sound sleep at night.

Sit up in your bed, with your back straight. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, without intervening.
Place the thumb of your right hand on your right nostril and press it to block it, while you inhale gently, slowly through the left nostril. Release the left nostril. Then block your left nostril with your thumb from your left hand and exhale through your right nostril.

Continue to inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril for 10 minutes. Be aware of the state of inner balance, calmness, and relaxation that you have achieved through this simple yin-yang breathing. Now lay back and from this state, fall asleep quickly.

3. Count 4-7-8 and Sleep

I said sleep, not sheep. We’re not counting countless sheep to sleep. Just breathe, count, and then quickly sleep.

Sit up in your bed with your back straight. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing without intervening, at first. Now exhale slowly through your mouth. Inhale slowly through the nose, counting mentally to 4.
Hold your breath to the count of 7 (I know it can be difficult at first, and you might want to gasp for air, but try not to do it – you won’t die, I promise you). Now, (thank God!) inhale slowly through your mouth to the count of 8.

Repeat the cycle ten times or more if you feel the need.

Breathing is Simple with Practice

If you’re unsure of how slowly to count, know that there are several apps for Apple and Android devices that can help you do the counting for you. Give them a try, while you sit relaxed with your eyes closed and breathe.

This counting breathing exercise feels like suddenly being magically transported from a crazy, adrenaline rushing speed race to a quiet spot in the middle of nature. It’s an oasis of silence, joyful calm, rest, feel-good, and never-want-to-go-back feeling.

It is a natural sedative for the nervous system, as it slows down the heart rate and shuts down the brain. It eliminates stress and anxiety, oxygenates your blood and brain better, detoxifies from lungs (from the long exhale that allows your body to eliminate residual, unhealthy air, carbon dioxide, and toxins), puts your mind to rest, and allows your body to shut down slowly.

Now, you will have quickly slip into a sweet, resting, deep sleep.