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Breathing Exercises to Fall Asleep

In for four, out for six, lying down, screen dimmed. If you lose count, good.

The breathing exercise to fall asleep with the most research behind it is slow 4-6 breathing: in through the nose for 4 seconds, out for 6, six breaths a minute, lying in bed. A small trial used 20 minutes; 10 is a realistic start. The better-known 4-7-8 breath (in 4, hold 7, out 8, four rounds) has no proper sleep trial.

Slow 4-6 breathing in bed

  1. Lie down the way you normally fall asleep. Dim the screen and put the phone face up beside you, or close your eyes and count in your head.
  2. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, low into the belly.
  3. Breathe out through your nose for 6 seconds. No pause, no effort at the end.
  4. Carry on for 10 to 20 minutes, or until you stop noticing.

It should feel like a drowsy heaviness. Losing count is a good sign, not a mistake: it means your attention is letting go. Do not start again from one with a sigh of annoyance. Pick up wherever you are, or stop counting and keep the rhythm.

This is the one with a study behind it. In a 2015 trial, people with insomnia who breathed at six breaths a minute for 20 minutes before bed fell asleep sooner and woke less during the night. It was small, 28 people, so it is a first result and not the last word. Shorter paces are on the long exhale breathing page.

4-7-8 breathing

The classic bedtime breath. Rest the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Breathe out fully through your mouth with a whoosh. Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, then whoosh out through your mouth for 8. Four rounds, which takes a little over a minute, and stop there.

The long exhale feels like a real letting go, and many people like it. Two honest things, though. First, the 7-count hold followed by an 8-count exhale is the part most people complain about. Count faster if you need to: the ratio is what is taught, not the seconds. Second, there is no proper trial of 4-7-8 for sleep. One small study found mixed changes in heart rate variability and blood pressure, and a 2025 comparison in 84 students found it raised heart rate variability less than plain breathing at six breaths a minute. Slight light-headedness at first is normal and fades with practice. The 4-7-8 breathing timer counts the four rounds for you and has a shorter-count setting; the 4-7-8 chip above keeps going for the minutes you pick, so stop it after four.

Humming, quietly

Breathe in through your nose, keep your lips closed and hum a soft "mmm" for the whole breath out, 6 to 10 seconds. Five to ten rounds. The buzz in your lips and nose gives your mind something to rest on, and thoughts tend to go quiet while the hum lasts. It does not need to be loud enough for anyone else to hear. Evidence for calm is weak, a few small studies with mixed results, so judge it by how it feels. Skip it if you have an ear infection.

The body-release exhale

This comes from an old relaxation routine often called the military sleep method. Lying down, relax your face: forehead, jaw, tongue, eyes. Drop your shoulders and arms. Then take one long, slow breath out and let your chest go loose. Relax your legs. Finish with ten seconds of a calm picture in your mind. It takes about two minutes, and you can repeat it.

The feeling to look for is sinking into the mattress. The famous claim that it puts you to sleep in two minutes is anecdote; nobody has tested it in a controlled study. It works well as a closer after a few minutes of 4-6.

Box breathing for sleep

Box breathing (in 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4) works for some people at night, mostly because the count crowds out other thoughts. But it was built for staying sharp before a demanding task, and the two holds keep you a little alert. If it helps you, keep it. If you are lying there counting squares and feeling wide awake, drop the holds and switch to 4-6. The differences are laid out in 4-7-8 vs box breathing.

Keep any hold comfortable and never strain. Skip the holds if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or uncontrolled blood pressure, or if holding your breath makes you anxious; 4-6 has none. If you feel dizzy, stop and breathe normally. Falling asleep mid-exercise is fine. Breathing exercises are not a treatment for insomnia or any other condition.

Questions people ask

What is the best breathing exercise to fall asleep?

Slow breathing at 4 seconds in and 6 seconds out has the most support: in a small 2015 trial, people with insomnia who did 20 minutes of it before bed fell asleep sooner. 4-7-8 is more famous but has not been tested for sleep in a proper trial.

Does the 4-7-8 sleep trick really work?

Many people find it relaxing, but there is no proper trial of 4-7-8 for sleep. One small study showed mixed changes in heart rate variability and blood pressure. Try four rounds and judge by how you feel.

How does 4-7-8 breathing work?

Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, and breathe out through your mouth for 8, with your tongue tip behind your upper front teeth. Do four rounds. The counts can be faster than seconds; the ratio is what matters.

How long should I do breathing exercises before bed?

The sleep trial used 20 minutes of slow breathing. Ten minutes is a realistic place to start, and 4-7-8 is taught as only four rounds, a little over a minute.

Can I use box breathing to fall asleep?

You can, and it works for some people. The two breath holds keep you slightly alert, so a pattern with no holds and a long breath out, like 4-6, usually suits bedtime better.

Is it OK if I lose count or fall asleep during the exercise?

Yes. Losing count is a sign you are getting drowsy, and falling asleep is the point. Do not restart the count; let the rhythm carry on by itself.

Sources

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Last updated 11 November 2026. Written by the makers of Slower. This page is general information, not medical advice.