Slowing down
Starts close to your pace right now, at 3 and 4 seconds, and gets slower every few cycles. For nights when your mind is still racing.
Breathing to
Breathing exercises for sleep
Four breathing exercises for winding down once you're in bed. None of them puts you to sleep on its own: they give you something quiet to follow while your body lets go.
Breathings to start with
Lengthening breath
In for 4 while the exhale grows little by little, from 6 to 10 seconds. Pick it if you'd like the guide to do the work while you just follow.
Belly breathing
In for 4, out for 6, rest for 2, with a hand on your belly. Comfortable on your back and easy to follow without looking at the screen.
4-7-8 breathing
In for 4, hold for 7, out through the mouth for 8, just four cycles. Short and well known; if the hold bothers you, pick another.
How to use them in bed
Lie down the way you usually sleep. Dim your phone or turn it face down and follow the sound alone. Breathe through your nose, without effort, and let the exhale be the long part.
There's no goal. If you lose count, start over without scolding yourself. If you fall asleep halfway through, the session did its job. And if the breathing makes you impatient one night, drop it and breathe normally: it isn't a test.
What the studies say
The evidence is limited. In a small 2015 study of 14 people with insomnia and 14 good sleepers, 20 minutes of slow breathing before bed, at about six breaths a minute, was linked in the insomnia group with falling asleep faster and waking up less. A 2019 paper proposes slow breathing as an add-on for insomnia, but that is its authors' hypothesis, and it calls for more trials.
The exercises on this page share that slow pace. Exact counts like 4-7-8 come from practice, not from those studies.
What to expect
Most often you'll notice your breath slowing and your body feeling heavier. Some nights it works and some nights it doesn't. It helps to repeat the same exercise several nights in a row, so it becomes a familiar signal that the day is over.
When to ask for help
An occasional bad night happens to everyone. The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes insomnia as trouble falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week, and calls it chronic when it lasts three months or longer. If lack of sleep is affecting your daily activities, talk to a health care provider.
If you're pregnant or have a heart, lung, or blood pressure condition, ask before doing breath holds like the one in 4-7-8 breathing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best breathing exercise for sleep?
There isn't one that's best for everybody. The ones people use most are slow, with an exhale longer than the inhale. Try one for several nights before switching, and keep whichever feels most comfortable.
Does 4-7-8 breathing put you to sleep in one minute?
Nobody can promise that, and this site doesn't. It's a slow breath with a pause and a long exhale that many people use to relax before bed. Four cycles take a little over a minute, and what happens next varies from person to person.
Can I do breathing exercises lying down?
Yes. Everything on this page can be done in bed, on your back or on your side. If you're on your back, a hand on your belly helps you feel it rise and fall.
What should I do if I wake up in the middle of the night?
You can repeat the same exercise without turning the screen on, counting on your own. Pick one with no holds, like belly breathing, and don't check the time. If you wake up often, mention it to your care provider.
More breathings for this
4-6 breathing
Breathe out a little longer than you breathe in. The simplest place to start.
Long exhale 4-8
The exhale lasts twice as long as the inhale.
4-4-8 breathing
A short pause with the air in, then a long exhale.
Moon breath (chandra bhedana)
Breathe in through the left nostril and out through the right.
Bhramari, the bee breath
Breathe out with a long, soft hum, lips closed.