Falling asleep or coming down from anxiety might never be as easy as 1-2-3, but some experts believe a different set of numbers - 4-7-8 - comes much closer to doing the trick.
"What a lot of sleep difficulties are all about is people who struggle to fall asleep because their mind is buzzing," said Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
And that's exactly what we need to do before we go to bed."
The 4-7-8 method doesn't require any equipment or specific setting, bat when you're initially learning the exercise, you should sit with your back straight, according to Weil. Practicing in a calm, quiet place could help, said Robbins.
During the entire practice, place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth, as you'll be exhaling(呼气) through your mouth around your tongue. Then follow these steps, according to Weil:
● Completely exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
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● Hold your breath for a count of seven.
● Exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound for a count of eight.
● Repeat the process three more times for a total of four breath cycles.
● Keeping to the ratio of four, then seven and then eight counts is more important than the
time you spend on each phase, according to Weil.
" With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply," his website advised.
When you're stressed out, your sympathetic nervous system(交感神经系统) — responsible for your fight-or-flight response — is overly active. This makes you feel overstimulated and not ready to relax and transition into sleep, Rebecca said. "An active sympathetic nervous system can cause a fast heart rate as well as rapid and shallow breathing."
The 4-7-8 breathing practice can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system — responsible for resting and digesting—which reduces sympathetic activity. Activating the parasympathetic system also gives an anxious brain something to focus on besides "why am I not sleeping?" Weil said.
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A. Breathe out some air for a count of four. B. It can put the body in a state easier for restful sleep, he added. C. Once you get the hang of it, you can use the technique while lying in bed. D. But if you're a beginner, you could feel a little lightheaded at first, Rebecca said. E Close your mouth and quietly inhale through your nose to a mental count of four. F. But exercises like the 4-7-8 technique give you the opportunity to practice being at peace. G. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep the ratio (consistent) for the three phases. |
