breathing exercise for better sleep

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By: Kimberley Hatherall
Edited date: October 18, 2022Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

try this simple yet powerful breathwork technique if you’re dreaming of a better quality sleep

Have you ever found yourself laying awake in bed at night wishing you could go to sleep? We all have experienced the ache of a sleepless night at some point in our lives. You know, those nights when your mind is replaying the same thoughts over and over again and the constant chatter won’t let you drift off.

There could be plenty of reasons why you generally have trouble sleeping. Sleep quality can be affected by activities you have had during the day, the food and drink you have consumed, and the overall healthiness of your lifestyle.

Luckily, there is a very simple breathing exercise we would love to share with you that will help you get to deep rested sleep in no time.

Breathwork for better sleep

It is time to quiet the mind and create a deep state of relaxation and meditation. This breathing exercise helps you focus on your breath, and ease you gently into the present moment. 

The benefit of this particular breathwork technique is that it switches on the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. This is the perfect state to be in for a deep and restful sleep because it encourages your body to produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.

As soon as you do the exercise, your blood pressure and heart rate will lower. Simply place your hand on your heart to feel the reduction as you do it.

How to do the breathwork exercise for better sleep

Try practicing this powerful breathing technique just before your bedtime. It is important to be somewhere peaceful where you will be uninterrupted. You may find that you will fall asleep much easier and wake up feeling more refreshed and rejuvenated.

  1. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight
  2. Inhale deeply through your nose or mouth
  3. Purse your lips and gently breathe the air out of your mouth very slowly as though you are breathing out through a straw
  4. Relax all the muscles in your body as much as possible while you do this
  5. As you exhale, imagine a wave of relaxation flowing down your body from the top of your head to the soles of your feet and through to the tips of your toes
  6. Once you have exhaled, hold your breath for a few seconds before inhaling and repeating the process again
  7. Repeat the process for 5-10 minutes

You could include this breathing technique several times during the evening before bedtime if you like. Practicing this exercise throughout the day and every evening will help you achieve an overall much better sleep quality.

There are a few enhancements you can add to this for a deeper relaxation, which are recommended by Niraj Naik, SOMA Breath facilitator who teaches energized meditation techniques. Try them out and see if you prefer any of these:

  • Converge your eyes towards the tip of your nose or up towards the third eye – this helps to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system as well
  • Make a long humming sound on the out breath with AUM or any sound or single tone that feels good for you. You will feel a vibration around your body that is deeply relaxing
  • Silently repeat this mantra: “I command my subconscious mind to fall into a deep sleep and wake up feeling totally refreshed and rejuvenated”. This is a very effective self hypnosis.

If you have been feeling sleep deprived, or you are dreaming of a better sleep, give this all natural sleep aid a try, which has come highly recommended from SOMA Breath. 

How Can I Experience More Benefits of Breathwork?

SOMA Breath teaches ancient breathing techniques combined with modern science to create a powerful cleansing effect which boosts our overall health and wellbeing. During these sessions, participants state they feel powerful emotional releases, and an increased ability to feel entirely present. By using these specific breathing techniques, negative emotions, trauma and stress can be effortlessly cleansed from the mind and body.

What could life be like for you if these simple breathwork techniques could dramatically improve your sleep quality, and your overall physical and mental wellbeing?

You also might like to learn about yoga nidra for sleep