You don’t need an expert to explain how beneficial sleep is for your overall health. You already know how much better you feel when you wake up after a good night’s rest. The benefits extend beyond an energy boost and better mood. Optimal sleep may help support your health far more than you realize, which is especially true if you aren’t sleeping enough right now. 

According to sleep experts, the average adult should get seven to eight hours of sleep every night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that getting less than that may reduce immunity and increase the risk of chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity, and heart disease. Yet, one in three people do not get enough sleep per night. Even though this is the case, you can improve your chances of getting better, more restorative sleep. The following tips explain how you can set yourself up for sleep success.

Lower Your Thermostat

There is an attraction to being warm and cozy and snuggling up like a little fox in a bed. According to sleep experts, though, keeping your bedroom cool at night can support more optimal sleep. The body’s core temperature naturally dips in the evening to prepare the body for bed. For this reason, experts recommend that you put your thermostat between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the body cool. If you run hot at night, consider purchasing sheets or nightwear that is moisture-wicking or cooling. 

Move Your Body

Some evidence suggests that exercising during the day leads to more restful sleep, especially for adults and older adults. Physical activity actively tires out the body’s major muscles and helps to relieve stress, both of which relax the mind and body, making it easier for you to fall asleep. You don’t have to run a marathon or take part in a Spartan race to reap the benefits. A 2017 study found that regular movement can improve both sleep quality and duration, regardless of the intensity of your exercise. 

Make Your Bedroom A Sleep Haven

You do not need to do any major remodeling to your bedroom to sleep better. Set your bedroom up for sleep success by making it very dark, cool, and as tranquil as you can. Darkness is paramount because the more light you have, the likelier your mind is to race and wake up. Research from 2018 found that even a soft glow can disrupt your sleep, so consider purchasing blackout curtains or shades and unplug any devices or charges that emit light. Sleep experts also encourage you to make your bedroom a sleep-only zone, meaning you don’t spend time in bed catching up on work emails or scrolling social media. Treat your bedroom as a sacred space for sleep, which may help train your brain to power down when you go under the covers at night.

Try Relaxation Techniques In Bed

If you struggle to fall asleep because you get tense or anxious at night, it can be beneficial to engage in relaxation techniques. Many people benefit from guided imagery, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation. Trying to force yourself to fall asleep usually has the opposite effect. If you are not able to doze off with the relaxation techniques we just mentioned, consider reading, listening to an audiobook, or listening to calming music. Accepting your sleepless state can actually relax the mind and make it easier to fall asleep. 

Create A Relaxing Bedtime Routine

Sleep experts suggest going to bed and waking up around the same time daily to regulate the body’s internal clock. Research from 2015 found that consistent sleep and wake times may make it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up with more energy the next day. In order to do this, consider establishing a nighttime ritual, which can include pre-bed activities that aid sleep, such as: 

• Dimming the lights: A study from 2019 found that exposure to bright light suppresses the body’s production of melatonin. Turning off or dimming the lights an hour or so before bed may help you drift off more easily. Additionally, stop looking at screens an hour or so before bed to reduce your exposure to blue light. 
• Take a hot shower or bath: Taking a steamy, hot shower or warm bath is very relaxing, but it’s the aftermath that may have a positive effect on your sleep. Research from 2019 found that the body’s core temperature starts to go down after a hot bath/shower. That supports that natural temperature dip that occurs every evening to prime the body for sleep.

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Sleep paralysis occurs when our brain is awake, but our bodies are still in REM mode. This makes us feel paralyzed.

0:00 Intro
0:30 You can stop breathing during sleep.
2:39 You’re paralyzed while asleep.
4:07 Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder.
6:05 Nightmares are more common in adults than children.
7:22 Tiebreaker
7:58 Outro

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Sleep apnea happens when you stop breathing in your sleep. Sleep apnea may raise other health risks like, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Excess weight, use of drugs, smoking, medical conditions are some factors that may increase the risk of sleep apnea.

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When you think of an ideal location for the best sleep possible, a hospital never crosses your mind. The bright neon lights, the strange smells and noises, and, most importantly, the bed is not conducive to a good night’s sleep. The sheets are scratchy and your reason for being in the hospital often gets in the way of optimal sleep. Although you won’t get the best rest of your life in a hospital, there are a few tips to help you catch some quality shut-eye. 

Why Good Sleep Matters

You know how much better it feels to wake up after a night of sound sleep than after a night of tossing and turning. Health experts understand the link between sleep and recovery, and that’s especially true if you are in the hospital. If you are in the hospital, you are most likely sick or in pain. Since the body is under a lot of stress, quality sleep can help accelerate recovery, and lack of sleep will only make your issues worse. According to sleep experts, quality sleep aids your recover in the following ways:

• Reduces stress hormone levels and increases alertness and energy.
• Decreases inflammation, which helps your tissues heal faster.
• Supports the immune system by allowing the body to produce antibodies, which the body produces less of when sleep is less than great.
• Improves your body’s ability to metabolize sugar. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) can get in the way of the body’s recovery, according to researchers. 

All that is to say that sleep matters a great deal for your immune system and overall healing. Sleep during a hospital stay is integral for recovery, especially for older adults, because lack of sleep contributes to delirium. Without sufficient deep sleep, the brain cannot properly get rid of toxic metabolites, which leads to disorientation and agitation. That’s why experts have detailed the following tips for better sleep during your hospital stay. 

Stay Consistent With Your Sleep Schedule

Ideally, replicate the same schedule you have at home during your hospital stay, or as close as you can. Avoid big meals close to bedtime and skip alcohol and caffeinated beverages in the evening. If you turn off screens at 9 p.m. and read for another 30 minutes to aid sleep, maintain this practice. Be consistent with any routines you may have, and that includes waking up at your usual time as well. 

Be Active During The Day (If Possible)

This will all depend on why you are in the hospital and your overall ability to engage in light exercise. Remaining in your bed all day leads to poor sleep, and experts agree on the sentiment that being vertical by day leads to better sleep horizontally at night. Try to get out of bed as much as possible and move around to the best of your ability. If you cannot get out of bed, change the incline of the bed to be in a seated position. You can also engage in chair exercises, which you can learn more about by clicking here. Lastly, take care not to nap too much because excessive napping makes it harder to fall asleep at night.

Reduce Sound And Light At Night

In a hospital, it is very unlikely that you can replicate the blackout curtains and quiet comfort of your bedroom. Cover your eyes with a sleep mask to establish darkness and use ear plugs or headphones to help block out sound. You can also use a white noise machine, or an app on your phone if you are unable to bring your sleep machine from home. Try to avoid bright blue light from screens, especially an hour before you go to sleep. 

Request Comfortable Items

If you can boost your comfort, why not? If you cannot bring a pillow or your cozy blanket from home, you can ask for extra pillows or blankets to make your bed more comfortable. You can also request to move to a room without a roommate if yours is disruptive. 

Check Your Hospital’s Sleep Protocols

If you have to spend the night in the hospital, you may be woken up several times. Phlebotomists, for example, usually collect blood from patients at 4 a.m., so that labs are ready when physicians make their rounds. Nurses may stop by once or twice to check your blood pressure as well. None of that is conducive to a good night’s sleep! Researchers note that taking vitals from every hospitalized patient every four hours may not be necessary. It is better to talk with your doctors and nurses to contribute to better sleep. For example, you can ask for your blood to be drawn during waking hours, and whether you need overnight vitals. If they must wake you during the night, ask to have everything done at once. That will lead to fewer nighttime disturbances and better sleep. 

Get Light During The Day

Exposing yourself to natural light during the day can help the body better prepare for sleep at night. Open your blinds during the day and engage in light exercise if possible. Depending on your room setup, that may or may not be possible. Just remember that natural light in the day and darkness at night is beneficial for your circadian rhythm.

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Have you noticed getting tired after Thanksgiving dinner? Before you blame the tryptophan in the turkey, it’s actually the loads of carbs you consume in one sitting. You can avoid the grogginess by eating slower, taking a walk after dinner, or even just taking smaller portion.

Chapters:
0:00 Prologue
0:17 The Shocking Truth
0:19 New Study for the Sleepless
0:26 Colon Cancer
0:40 Colorectal Adenomas
1:00 Decrease of Melatonin
1:20 Chronic Insomnia
1:42 End Credits

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According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are over 80 different types of sleep disorders. More than 50 million people in the United States have a sleep disorder, and more than 100 million Americans of all ages report that they get insufficient sleep. Sleep is an essential part of what makes the body function, and the amount of sleep you need could be more or less than what others need. That said, experts recommended adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. 

Until this new study, previous studies typically used single sleep measures. That means that they focused on sleep duration, quality, or insomnia. A composite of multidimensional sleep health may better indicate whether or not a person has a higher risk of heart disease. Study others examined the degree of multidimensional sleep health and its association with the risk of heart disease. This is especially important because lack of sleep may reduce productivity, impair immune function, and increase the risk of heart disease, or other illnesses, later on in life. 

Study: Link Between Sleep And Heart Disease

In order to determine the effects of how sleep affects potential heart issues, study authors took a look at self-reported sleep characteristics and heart disease history for 6,820 adults with a median age of 53.4 years old. In order to do that, study authors tested two sleep health composites based on self-report only, and both self-report and actigraphy. This took place across multiple sleep dimensions, using a weighted sum approach, so higher scores mean more sleep problems. 

The study authors found that the risk of heart disease could increase by as much as 141% when coupled with poor sleep. Additionally, researchers also found the following:

• Each additional sleep problem increased the risk of heart disease by 54%
• Sleep regularity, satisfaction, timing of sleep, sleep efficiency, alertness during waking hours, and sleep duration all influenced the risk of heart disease. 

Study authors noted that those findings indicate the importance of assessing sleep problems within an individual to determine the risk of heart disease. This is one of the first studies to show those findings! In well-functioning adults during midlife, having more sleep problems may increase the risk of heart disease. Another point from the study to note is that measuring sleep health accurately and comprehensively is important to predict heart disease risk. 

Tips For Better Sleep

Although sleep troubles may increase the risk of heart disease, you don’t have to accept that as your fate. There are ways to promote better sleep, which will only enhance heart health. Below, we highlight a few ways to help improve your sleep quality. 

Block Out Light

A lot of people are very sensitive to light at night, but it is very common for people to have lights on at all times. Screens and artificial lighting, especially inches from your face before bed, do not aid your sleep efforts. Excess light can affect your circadian rhythm, so avoiding bright light can help you transition to bedtime and aid the body’s production of melatonin. If light penetrates your room, consider investing in blackout curtains or wearing a sleep mask. 

Relax For 30 Minutes Before Bed

If you are in a relaxed state, it is much easier to fall asleep. Low-impact stretching, breathing exercises, soothing music, and quiet reading are all examples of how to get in the right headspace before bed. Focus on trying to relax instead without aiming to fall asleep. Follow your breath with controlled breathing or guided meditation. Use these tools, which are readily available, to help ease you into better, sounder sleep. 

Limit Daytime Naps

A lot of people love a good nap, but napping for too long or too frequently during the day may ruin your sleep at night. Limit your naps to no more than 30-40 minutes during mid-morning or early afternoon. Don’t nap for over an hour and avoid evening or late night napping. If you work nights, though, you may need to take a nap late in the day to help make up your sleep debt. 

Stick To A Sleep Schedule

As noted earlier, sleep experts recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night for adults. Most people can function optimally with seven hours of sleep, while others need more. Ideally, go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces the body’s sleep/wake cycle. If you lay in bed and are still awake within 20 minutes, leave the bedroom to engage in a relaxing practice. Go back to bed when you feel tired and repeat as needed.

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Yoga is a gentle and restorative form of exercise that is a great way to wind down at the end of the day. According to a national survey, over 55% of people who did yoga at night experienced better sleep. Over 85% of people in the survey said that yoga helped them reduce stress. Because yoga is incredibly customizable and most poses have modifications for all skill levels, anyone can experiment with poses to see if they benefit from them. 

Aside from the gentle poses in this bedtime yoga routine, your breath plays an equally important role. Some people like to use a calming yoga breath technique called Ujjayi Breath, or Ocean Breath. Inhale deeply through the nose, close your mouth, and exhale through your nose while constricting the back of your throat. This exhale should sound like an ocean wave, but you do not have to do this type of breath during the routine. 

If you struggle to fall asleep at night, the following routine may help relax your mind and body, which may contribute to some much-needed shut-eye. Stretching also keeps your muscles flexible, so you are less likely to experience discomfort while going to bed. Let us know in the comments if this bedtime yoga routine helps you fall asleep. 

Standing Forward Fold

Targeting the neck and back, this is a great stretch to help you relax before bed. Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart. Breathe in deeply and, as you exhale, hinge at the hips to fold forward. Allow your arms to hang and hands to touch the ground if you can. If that position is not comfortable, place your hands on your shins and bend your knees slightly. You can also place yoga blocks in front of you for support. Hang in this position for at least 20 seconds, breathing deeply throughout. 

Legs Up The Wall

Aiming to improve circulation from your legs back to the rest of your body, legs up the wall is a classically relaxing pose. Sit up straight next to a wall, positioning yourself so that your right shoulder touches the wall. Keep your legs extended out in front of you. In one fluid motion, swing your legs up the wall as you lay on your back. Scoot your buttocks as close to the wall as possible and rest the back of your legs against the wall. Rest with your arms out the sides and remain in this position for 20-40 seconds. 

Sleeping Swan

This pose works to target major muscle groups, including those in the hips, back, legs, neck, and shoulders. Begin in a tabletop position on all fours, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Bring your right knee between your hands and extend your left leg behind you. Slowly come down on top of your right leg, bending it so that it falls to the ground. Extend your arms out overhead, keeping your elbows slightly bent. You can place a pillow under your forearms if that is more comfortable. Remain in this position for about 30 seconds and then switch legs. 

Lizard Pose

Lizard pose targets the hip flexors, quadriceps, and hamstrings, all of which deserve more attention. Begin in a downward dog position and then step your right foot just outside your right hand. Bend the right knee so that you come into a lunge position, dropping your left knee to the ground for support. Lower your body to rest on your forearms, but make sure to keep your back straight and hips square to the ground. Hold for 15-20 seconds and then switch sides. 

Happy Baby

Happy baby is a very relaxing pose that aims to open up the hips and create more space in the groin and spine. Lie flat on your back and bend your knees as you lift them toward your chest. Keep the soles of your feet facing the ceiling. Reach your hands up to grab the outer side of each food and try to pull your knees toward your armpits. If you can, rock gently from side to side to help massage the spine. Remain in this position for 20 seconds. 

Seated Side Bend

If you have tight obliques or a tight neck, this stretch will help loosen you up before bed. Sit up straight in a cross-legged position, placing a pillow under your butt for added comfort. Place your left hand on the floor outside your left hip and extend your right arm above your head. Reach your right arm over to the left as you lean that way, keeping your butt on the floor and shoulders down. 

Corpse Pose

A fitting way to end the routine before you hit the hay, corpse pose helps to calm the mind. If you haven’t brushed your teeth by this point, go ahead and do that because you can do this pose from the comfort of your bed. Climb into bed and lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms resting by your sides. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, going in and out like waves up and down the beach. Remain in this position for at least one minute, or until you are sound asleep.

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About 40% of people share one flaw that cripples their emotional intelligence, creativity, and social adaptability. Can you guess what this common flaw is? It is sleep, which is necessary for optimal brain health and overall cognition. The brain operates all day long, sending signals and messages to various parts of the body.

In the same way that muscles become fatigued and reach exhaustion, so can the brain. The constant sending and receiving of signals causes a build-up of metabolites between neurons. When you sleep, however, the brain turns on the glymphatic system, a recently discovered system that clears out macroscopic waste. It utilizes various perivascular channels, formed by astroglial cells, to help eliminate soluble proteins and metabolites from the central nervous system. In simpler terms, the glymphatic system helps take out the garbage in the brain so it can function better. 

Failing to get enough high-quality sleep? Waste starts to build up over time and your cognitive function can suffer. There may be good reasoning behind why so many people struggle with sleep. 

Technology And Overstimulation

It’s safe to say that people do not know how to turn off anymore. You could be reading this right now, switch to Instagram, play Candy Crush, and then come back to reading this. Social media, technology, and incredibly low attention spans contribute to this overstimulation. Technology is a great tool, but it can also be a weapon that sabotages your life if you don’t use it intentionally.

Cultural Norms

Sometimes for the better but mostly for the worse, people operate in a hustle-and-grind culture. It’s encouraged to work yourself to the bone and grind until you can finally relax. One study from a sleep-focused journal found that too little sleep is associated with negative health outcomes. Sleep is the best productivity tool you have, so don’t be afraid to use it! 

Weak Work-Life Boundaries

There is supposed to be a healthy balance between your work and regular life, but rarely are those boundaries distinguished. If you respond to work emails well into the night when you are at home, that is not healthy. It fuels the “just a little more work” attitude and doesn’t help you wind down at night for optimal sleep. If you work a nine-to-five, be done at five. Don’t take your work responsibilities home because you won’t be able to relax and your sleep will suffer. 

What Can You Do To Change This? 

Now that we have covered the problems surrounding sleep, hopefully we can provide some solutions. That doesn’t mean that you need to do three hours of pre-bedtime meditation or two hours of restorative yoga. If you are a busy bee and want to wake up feeling more refreshed, then the following tips may be of great help to you. 

Use Light To Your Advantage

The brain relies on the eyes to discern what time of day it is. For this reason, some sleep experts recommend dimming the house lights as the sun sets. You don’t need fancy house lights that cost a fortune; rather, you need a few affordable lamps with amber-colored bulbs, which emit an orange glow. If you want to harness the power of light, you can make your screens as dim as functionally possible in the evening. Blue-light-blocking glasses may also help your brain produce more melatonin to get ready for bed. Ideally, though, you should stop looking at screens about one to two hours before bed.

Cool Things Down

The reticular activating system (RAS) controls a large part of your sleep. This system supports biological signaling, which signals the body and brain to know what time it is, coordinating hormones and neurotransmitters to help encourage sleep. The two big biological levers you can pull to support those systems are light and temperature. When you start to fall asleep, the major muscle groups settle down and the body temperature drops. In order to support the drop in temperature, turn down your bedroom thermostat or take a shower an hour before bed. Consider keeping a face roller in your freezer and rolling it on your face before bed. Believe it or not, the face contains temperature-sensitive neurons that have a strong link to circadian biology. 

Consider Supplementation

There is nothing that can magically fix your sleep, but you can consider a few sleep supplements to improve the quality of your sleep. There are millions of sleep supplements, so how do you know which one to choose? Some people recommend melatonin, but you ideally want the body to produce sufficient amounts. The last thing you want is to depend on a supplement in order to sleep. Many people benefit from magnesium supplements or powders, while others swear by GABA, which is a neurotransmitter that helps calm the brain. Before choosing a supplement, consider talking with your healthcare provider to see if they recommend something specific and support it for healthier sleep.

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When it comes to sleeping in your birthday suit, people tend to fall into two categories: for it and against it. Some people only want to sleep nude, while others prefer some protection from loose clothing items. Sleeping nude has somewhat of a taboo status, but it doesn’t always have to be about making love. Through various studies, researchers have found that sleeping nude comes with a number of health benefits.

Sleeping nude can boost several aspects of your health, physically and mentally. It seems strange that such a simple thing can improve your health in several ways. Some of the health benefits are just too good to ignore! Don’t fight the data and consider stripping down to get your snooze on after learning about the following benefits of sleeping nude.

Better Sleep Quality

One thing that everyone can agree on about sleeping nude is that it helps to keep you cool during sleep. Your body temperature plays a big role in how you fall asleep and how long you remain asleep. By cooling down your body, you can improve your overall sleep quality. That said, sleeping nude may not have the best effects if your house is very hot. Sleep experts agree that the ideal sleep environment ranges between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, a 2012 study confirmed that the temperature of the room where you sleep is one of the most integral components to quality sleep. When you are cool at night, you don’t toss and turn as much, which helps you wake up well rested.

Keeps Your Skin Healthy

Besides enhancing sleep quality, sleeping in the buff may help keep your skin healthy. A small study observed whether or not people with poor sleep experienced a reduced ability to heal from a small wound. Researchers divided the participants into three groups – one group received adequate sleep, one group was sleep deprived, and the third group was sleep deprived but received extra nutrients. The group that slept well experienced quicker recovery from the small wound. This may not have a direct correlation to sleeping nude, but it may indirectly benefit the skin by improving overall sleep quality. 

Promotes The Release Of Oxytocin

Oxytocin, or the love hormone, can benefit your health in several ways. According to research, oxytocin may help decrease stress levels, lower blood pressure, combat depression, and boost your mood. Sleep studies show that sleeping nude aids the release of oxytocin, and some nighttime cuddles with skin-to-skin contact only produces more oxytocin. A 2014 study observed 1,000 married couples in England. 57% of the couples who slept naked reported a happier feeling in their relationship. On the other hand, 48% of the couples who slept in pajamas reported a similar happy feeling. 15% of the couples who slept in onesies were merely “satisfied” with their partner. Lose the onesie and remove unnecessary clothing to see if that sparks a new fire in your relationship. 

May Improve Testicular Health

If you are a man and want to keep those swimmers as healthy as you can, sleep in the natural state. Some researchers from various universities discovered that wearing boxers during the day and going commando at night improved sperm quality. Researchers studied 500 men, each of whom explained the sleeping habits and attire of their choice for a year. At the end of the study period, the men who followed the “boxer-by-day/nude-by-night” example had a 25% lower rate of damaged DNA in sperm than men who wore tighter underwear all day. 

Reduces Risk Of Yeast Infections

Yeast infections are quite common and they have become easier to treat over the years. They are also avoidable, provided you take the right preventative steps. A yeast infection requires a certain environment in which to thrive, but preventing that environment can eradicate the need for treatment. Sleeping in the nude keeps your body at a cooler temperature, and yeast requires a warm, moist environment for growth. You can help reduce the risk of yeast infections, or prevent them from growing and spreading, by sleeping in your birthday suit.

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If you lay awake at night struggling to fall asleep, trust us when we tell you that you are not alone. In fact, one in three people in the United States experience sleep deprivation. While the recommended number of hours for sleep depends on your age, most adults should sleep seven to eight hours per night. A lack of sleep can lead to a series of psychological and physiological effects, such as: 

• Decreased concentration, performance, and memory
• Increased risk of anxiety and depression
• Constant fatigue, irritability, or restlessness
• Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity

The act of trying too hard to fall asleep can induce anxiety, as the inability to fall asleep makes your mind race. If you cannot calm the mind, it will be very difficult for you to fall asleep, because a sleepless mind results in no sleep. You may try to establish better sleep hygiene, bedroom environment, and improve what you do during the day. If all of those changes don’t help you fall asleep, the following anecdotal methods may help you turn the lights off. 

The 10-Second Method

Unless you have a magic wand, falling asleep in 10 seconds or less is nearly impossible. Practice makes perfect, so you may be able to achieve this goal soon enough. The 10-second method, or military method, was recently brought back into mainstream attention. During World War II, Lloyd Bud Winter developed a relaxation technique that helped U.S. Navy preflight school airmen fall asleep in 120 seconds. 

According to historical accounts, it took pilots six weeks of practice, but there was a supposed 96% success rate, even after drinking coffee and being around firing guns. This sounds too good to be true, and lack of scientific research makes people think exactly that. The full method takes 120 seconds to complete, but the last 10 seconds help you doze off. To do the method:

• Relax all the muscles in your face, even inside the mouth. 
• Drop your shoulders to release tension and allow your arms to rest by your sides. 
• Exhale fully to relax your chest, and then relax your legs, thighs, and calves.
• Clear your mind for 10 seconds by picturing a relaxing scene. 
• If that doesn’t work, try saying, “don’t think,” repeatedly for 10 seconds. Within those 10 seconds, you should fall asleep.

The 60-Second Method

According to one article, slow breathing, relaxation methods, and better sleep hygiene may be more useful for insomnia than pharmacological methods. The following two methods may help you quiet the mind to help you go to sleep within a minute. If you are just starting this, it may take a couple minutes to work. 

4-7-8 Breathing

Developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, the 4-7-8 breathing method is based on pranayama exercises. The more you practice this method, the more effective it becomes. If you have a respiratory condition, consider speaking with a doctor before experimenting with this method, as it may aggravate symptoms. The method is executed as follows:

• Let your lips part slightly, just far open enough so that you can make a “whoosh” sound as you exhale out of your mouth. 
• Close your lips and inhale quietly through your nose for four seconds. 
• Hold your breath for seven seconds, and then exhale (with the “whoosh”) for a full eight seconds. 
• Your next inhale begins a new cycle. Repeat this cycle four times, but allow your body to sleep if you feel the onset of relaxation. 

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Also known as PMR or deep muscle relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation may help you drift off to sleep. Essentially, this practice involves tensing your muscles and then fully relaxing them. Alternating between tensing and relaxing may help promote tranquility and even relieve insomnia. Ideally, practice this method as you exhale during the 4-7-8 method. 

• Raise your eyebrows as high as you can for five seconds to tighten your forehead muscles. Relax those muscles and feel the tension drop. 
• Wait 10 seconds before smiling widely to tense your cheeks. Hold for five seconds and relax. 
• Pause 10 seconds and then tilt your head back gently to look up at the ceiling. Hold this position for five seconds and then relax as your neck sinks into the pillow. 
• Pause another 10 seconds, and then continue moving down the rest of your body, tightening everything from your triceps and chest to your thighs and feet. 
• Allow yourself to fall asleep, even if you don’t finish tensing and relaxing your feet. 

The 120-Second Method

If the previous methods don’t do the trick, consider this simple one. Just tell yourself to stay awake, because trying to fall asleep, especially if you have insomnia, can increase anxiety. A study from 2021 found the paradoxical intention (PI) may reduce performance anxiety. By doing so, you can increase the perception of feeling well-rested after sleep. PI is a technique that requires you to intentionally stay awake in bed. That can help you overcome the fear and conscious effort of falling asleep. This method can be more effective than traditional breathing practices for some, but research is quite limited.

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