At what point do I come clean about having sleep issues? I blame every season that comes around for my broken, short-lived kips; summer is too hot and bright, I tell myself, while autumn is supposedly too dark and cool.
Maybe I should accept that I’m one of the 20% of UK residents who just can’t get enough sleep.
And if that feels a little fatalistic, at least I have some helpful advice to fall back on ―sleep experts say that the 4-7-8 breathing method can help many of us to drop off in no time.
How do I do the 4-7-8 method?
According to Dr. Micheal Breus, clinical psychologist, Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (also known as “The Sleep Doctor”), it’s down to your breathing.
In a TikTok, the doctor shared that it helps to “lower your heart rate” whether you do it “just before bed or in the middle of the night.”
“High heart rates are connected with taking longer to fall asleep and experiencing lower sleep quality, as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” Sleep Foundation writes.
So, to keep it at a low enough level to allow you to drop off, Dr. Breus’ “favourite technique is called 4-7-8 breathing.”
This involves slowly breathing in for a count of four, holding your breath for a count of seven, and slowly breathing out for a count of eight.
That’s all it takes ― and having tried it, I’ve been pretty impressed by the results.
Why does it work?
Dr. Breus said that the science behind the method is “pretty cool.”
“You actually dump excess carbon dioxide which means your heart has to work less, and it lowers your heart rate.”
We’ve explained above how a heightened heart rate at bedtime is associated with a tougher time falling asleep.
No wonder so many comments under the doctor’s TikTok were about how surprisingly well this simple trick worked...