Doctor-approved sleep trick could help you to drift off in 60 seconds

20 August 2023 , 08:47

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Say goodbye to sleepless nights (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

There's nothing worse than settling into bed in the hopes of a good night's sleep only to find you're counting sheep. One of numerous methods you can try to kickstart your dreams, it's not always effective. Thankfully, there's a much less tedious trick that can help you get some shut-eye. It's so fast acting, it could help you drift off in 60 seconds.

The simple breathing tip is also backed by a number of experts, including 'The Sleep Doctor', Michael Breus. Recommending the method in a video shared to his popular TikTok, @thesleepdoctor, Dr Breus said it's his favourite technique for lowering his heart rate at bedtime.

The pro explained: "One of the top questions I'm asked is, 'How do I lower my heart rate either just before bed or in the middle of the night?' My favourite technique is called 4-7-8 breathing." He continued: "You slowly breathe in for a count of four, you hold for a count of seven, then you slowly breathe out for a count of eight. The science behind this is pretty cool. You actually dump excess carbon dioxide which means your heart has to work less and it lowers your heart rate."

The fast-acting trick, based on ancient yogic technique, was popularised by Dr Andrew Weil, a specialist in integrative medicine. Dr Weil recommends repeating the exercise twice a day but never completing more than four breath cycles per practice for the first month - moving to a maximum of eight cycles when you feel ready to progress. He adds that it is the ratio of 4-7-8 that is important, not the time spent on each phase. As such, you can adapt the speed if you have trouble holding your breath for a longer period of time.

Amber O'Connor