If you have trouble sleeping at night for whatever reason: anxious about the next day’s events, stressed over the events of the day, or regularly find it difficult to fall asleep – we’ve got just the solution for you. The answer to your sleep deprivation is called the 4-7-8 method and it’s pretty simple to get down and will help you sleep at night.
You begin by breathing in slowly and calmly through your nose for 4 seconds. Instead of exhaling, hold your breath in for 7 seconds. Then exhale slowly and calmly through your mouth for 8 seconds. It’s very simple so it might sound crazy that it works, but it really does. The method will help calm your nerves so that you fall asleep, and stay asleep!
So how does the 4-7-8 method work? If you are stressed or anxious, you will have trouble sleeping. The amount of adrenaline in your blood increases and your breathing gets faster and lighter. The 4-7-8 method works as a sort of sedative. It deliberately slows your breathing, which in turn forces the rhythm of your heart to slow down.
This has the effect of calming you down very quickly which will help you sleep. The 4-7-8 method also can help calm your mind – it’s not just for sleeping! It helps you concentrate completely on your breathing which will reduce the activity in your central nervous system, causing feelings of anxiety to disappear.
The result is that your whole body will relax. In terms of its physical effect, the exercise can be compared to an anesthetic. Andrew Weil, a Harvard medical doctor found that the 4-7-8 method has been around for several centuries and was practiced by Indian yogis.
The yogis used to use the 4-7-8 method during their meditation practices in order to achieve a state of total focus and relaxation. What this means is that the method is completely harmless and will work.
If you find yourself waking up at night because you’re feeling anxious, or something specific is bothering you, it will help you. The 4-7-8 method is a sure-fire way to let you get the sleep you need.
To really ensure that you get your rest you can also try this sleeping mixture right before you hit the sheets. Just add together 1/4 tablespoons of honey, 1/8 tablespoons of sea salt, and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. You can either swallow the mixture or add it to warm water. Not only are the ingredients very good for your health, but they will also reduce cortisol spikes which impact your ability to sleep, and also wake you up at night.
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