Breathing exercises to help you fall asleep

How can breathing exercises help you fall asleep?

When you're wound up, breathing tends to go quick and high in the chest. Slowing it down, and especially letting the breath out take longer than the breath in, is one of the few ways to send a calmer message straight back to your body. Your heart naturally eases a touch on every long breath out.

It helps your mind as well. Counting breaths gives a busy head one small, dull job, and that's often all it needs to stop replaying the day. That's why nearly every pattern below comes with numbers.

There's some research behind it, too. In a 2023 study from Stanford University, people who spent five minutes a day on slow breathing with a long, sighing breath out reported a bigger lift in mood over a month than people who spent the same five minutes on mindfulness meditation. It wasn't a sleep study, and breathing isn't a cure for insomnia. But as a gentle way to settle at bedtime, it's free, quiet and always with you.

Before you start: get comfortable

Lie however you'd normally fall asleep, on your back or on your side. There's no need to sit up or find a special pose. Turn the clock round so you can't see it, and put your phone face down.

Rest one hand on your belly if you like. As you breathe in, let that hand rise a little instead of lifting your shoulders. Breathe in through your nose if that's comfortable, and let the breath out leave through your nose or through softly parted lips.

Then keep it easy. You're not trying to take huge breaths or squeeze your lungs empty. If a count feels too long, shorten it. The rhythm matters far more than the exact numbers.

The longer out-breath: the easiest place to start

If you only learn one, make it this one. There are no holds and nothing to remember except that the breath out is longer than the breath in.

1. Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four.
2. Breathe out slowly for a count of six, as if you were letting the air out of a balloon a little at a time.
3. Let there be a natural pause before the next breath comes. Don't rush it, and don't force it.
4. Repeat for about ten rounds, which takes roughly two minutes.

If four and six feel like a stretch, try three and five. If they feel too easy, leave them as they are for now. Slower isn't better once it starts to feel like work.

Box breathing before bed

Box breathing, also called square breathing, has four equal sides: in, hold, out, hold. It suits people who like structure, and it's a good fit when your thoughts keep running off, because there's always a next step to count.

1. Breathe in through your nose for four.
2. Hold gently for four. Keep your throat and shoulders soft rather than clamping shut.
3. Breathe out for four.
4. Rest with your lungs empty for four.
5. Picture tracing the four sides of a square as you go, and repeat for six rounds or so.

At night, some people find the holds a little too alert. If that's you, shorten them to two, or drop them and keep an even four in and four out. Our guide on how to fall back asleep at 3am has the square drawn out, if you'd like to picture it.

4-7-8 breathing for sleep

The 4-7-8 pattern was made popular by the American doctor Andrew Weil, who adapted it from yoga breathing. A short breath in, a long hold and a very long breath out make it feel heavier and slower than box breathing, which is exactly why many people save it for bedtime.

1. Rest the tip of your tongue just behind your top front teeth, if that feels natural.
2. Breathe out fully through your mouth to begin.
3. Close your mouth and breathe in quietly through your nose for four.
4. Hold your breath for seven.
5. Breathe out through your mouth for eight, with a soft whoosh.
6. That's one round. Do four rounds, then breathe normally.

Keep to a few rounds at first. The long hold can leave some people light-headed, and if it does, stop and breathe normally for a while. The ratio matters more than the seconds, so if seven feels long, simply count faster. The breath out should still be about twice as long as the breath in.

A slow sigh for a racing mind

This one is sometimes called the physiological sigh, or cyclic sighing, and it's the pattern the Stanford volunteers practised. It copies the double breath in that people take on their own after a good cry, followed by a long, emptying sigh. Many people find it the quickest way to loosen a tight chest.

1. Breathe in through your nose until your lungs feel comfortably full.
2. Without breathing out, take one more small sip of air through your nose to top up.
3. Let it all go slowly through your mouth, for as long as feels natural.
4. Repeat for a minute or two, then let your breathing find its own pace.

Keep that top-up small. You're not trying to cram air in. After a few rounds, most people notice they want to breathe quietly and slowly on their own, and that's the moment to stop counting and let sleep take its turn.

Which breathing exercise should you try tonight?

There's no single best breathing exercise for sleep. The right one is whichever feels easy enough that you half forget you're doing it. Here are all four side by side, one full breath each.

As a rough guide to where to start:

• If your thoughts are racing, try box breathing. The counting keeps your mind occupied.
• If your chest feels tight or you feel wired, start with a few slow sighs, then settle into a longer out-breath.
• If you want something that feels heavy and slow, try 4-7-8, a few rounds at a time.
• If you're simply tired and want it easy, the longer out-breath is enough on its own.

Give one pattern a week before you swap. The more familiar it gets, the less effort it takes, and at bedtime that familiarity is half of what makes it work.

What if breathing exercises keep you awake?

It happens. Paying close attention to your breath can make some people more alert, especially anyone who already feels anxious about breathing. A few simple fixes:

• Light-headed or tingly? You're probably breathing too deeply. Take smaller, softer breaths and leave out the holds.
• Counting feels like a test? Stop counting and just let each breath out be a little slower than the one before it.
• Mind keeps drifting? That's fine, and it's often the first sign that sleep is close. Come back to the count without telling yourself off.
• Watching your breath makes you uneasy? Move your attention to a sound instead. A steady sound like rain gives your mind somewhere else to rest, and our guide to sounds to help you fall asleep can help you choose one.

And if you've been trying for what feels like twenty minutes and you're wide awake, get up for a while. Sit somewhere dim, do something quiet, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy.

How to make slow breathing part of your night

Breathing exercises work best as a habit rather than an emergency tool. Practise once during the day, when you're calm, so the counts already feel familiar by the time you need them at midnight. Then give them a few minutes at the very end of the evening, just after the lights go off.

Slow breathing fits neatly at the end of a bedtime routine for adults: lights low, teeth, phone away, a few slow breaths, sleep. Some people like a soft sound playing underneath, and a timer that fades it out means it won't stop with a jolt after you've drifted off. Our guide on playing sleep sounds all night or on a timer helps you decide.

If you'd like something to follow with your eyes closed, MoonEase has a breathing guide with a slow circle to watch, spoken cues and a soft buzz for each step. Box breathing is there to start with, and 4-7-8 and coherent breathing come with Premium.

Questions people ask

What is the 4-7-8 breathing method for sleep?

You breathe in through your nose for four counts, hold for seven, then breathe out slowly through your mouth for eight. Doing four rounds takes a little over a minute. The long breath out is what makes it feel slow and heavy, so keep the ratio even if you count faster.

How long does it take for breathing exercises to help you fall asleep?

Many people feel calmer within a few minutes, but there's no set time and no guarantee of sleep. Aim to feel more settled rather than to be asleep by a deadline. It usually gets easier after a week or two of practice.

Is box breathing good before bed?

For lots of people, yes, especially when a busy mind needs something to count. If the holds make you feel more alert, shorten them or leave them out and keep an even breath in and out.

What is the quickest calming breath to fall asleep faster?

There isn't one that works for everyone. Many people find a few slow sighs, with a small top-up breath in and a long breath out, calm them quickest. Then switch to a gentle longer out-breath and let the counting fade.

Can breathing exercises make you dizzy?

They can, if you breathe too deeply or hold your breath for too long. Take smaller breaths, drop the holds and return to normal breathing if you feel light-headed. If dizziness keeps happening, or you have a heart or lung condition, talk to your doctor.

What is coherent breathing?

It's an even breath in and out with no holds, each lasting about five and a half seconds, which works out at about five and a half breaths a minute. It's also called resonant breathing, and it suits people who find holds uncomfortable.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you often struggle to fall asleep for more than a few weeks, or poor sleep is affecting your days, please talk to a doctor.

More guides for calmer nights

• 

  How to fall back asleep at 3am

  What to do in the first few minutes after you wake, what to skip, and when it's worth seeing a doctor.

• 

  A bedtime routine for adults

  A short evening plan you can keep: what to do in the hours before bed, and how to make it stick.

• 

  Sounds to help you fall asleep

  Rain, water, fire, hums, noise, music or a story: how to match the sound to whatever keeps you up.

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