What if you mastered a technique to relax or even fall asleep in just a few minutes? A Harvard doctor, Dr. Andrew Weil, popularized a breathing exercise called the 4-7-8, to teach people how to fall asleep easily and to help them relax. Do you want to test?
If, when you roll over in bed and can’t fall asleep, you’re wondering how to fall asleep easily, the 4-7-8 technique might interest you, and even help you.
Inspired by the principles of yoga, it was developed by an American doctor, accustomed to TV shows and keen on alternative medicine, to help people fall asleep easily in less than a few minutes. It is therefore worth taking an interest in it.
When nervous tension builds up
We all need a certain amount of sleep to recharge our batteries. Nights without sleep or punctuated by episodes of insomnia deprive us of a good recovery. In the long run, poor quality sleep can be damaging to overall health.
Nervous tension builds up, and the day after a bad night’s sleep, we tend to become irritable or aggressive for no apparent reason. When the nights are not restful, the nerves do not relax.
Among the most widely used practices for easy relaxation is yoga. This discipline, which brings body and mind together, plays on breathing and the various postures of the body to relax the muscles. The primary objective: to feel good in your body and in your head.
A technique inspired by yoga
the Dr. Andrew Weil, a doctor and Harvard professor, used principles of yoga to develop a simple breathing exercise that allows you to relax and fall asleep quickly.
He baptized this technique 4-7-8 and it’s easy to understand why. According to him, it would have four main benefits:
- reduce anxiety and stress,
- help falling asleep,
- control the urge to snack,
- control outbursts of anger.
If you are wondering how to fall asleep easily, you will be able to judge … With such a promise and given the simplicity of the technique, it would still be a shame not to try. You’ll admit that it won’t cost you much.
How to fall asleep easily with the 4-7-8 technique?
So now, how do you fall asleep easily using the famous 4-7-8 technique? Relax with deep breaths and follow this protocol to the letter:
- Lie down.
- Glue the tip of your tongue to your palate just behind your incisors.
- Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds.
- Block your breathing for 7 seconds.
- Exhale slowly by mouth for 8 seconds (by not muffling the noise).
- Repeat the steps 4 times.
For the technique to work, be patient. This technique is effective if you take the time to master it and if you practice it at least twice a day. The first results will be concrete after a few days or a few weeks (depending on the individual).