Breathing Yourself To Sleep: A Practice For Bad Nights
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For the nights that do not go to plan
Everyone has them: in bed by eleven, wide awake at one, and increasingly annoyed about it. Breathing practices will not cure insomnia, but they will stop you making a bad night worse, and one of them is simple enough to do half asleep.
What helps it work
The practice is easy. These are the details that decide whether it does anything.
- Do it lying in the position you actually sleep in, not sitting upright.
- Breathe quietly through the nose; effort defeats the purpose.
- Keep the exhale slow rather than long; never empty the lungs forcefully.
- Stop counting once it feels automatic.
- Use it when you wake at three as well as when you go to bed.
- Leave the phone face down and out of reach before you start.
- Practise it once in daylight so it is familiar when you need it at night.
If you fall asleep before round ten, the practice worked. There is nothing to finish.
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The practice, in full
Lie on your back or your side, whichever you actually sleep in. Breathe in through the nose for a count of four, then out for a count of six or eight, letting the exhale be slow rather than forced. Keep going for ten rounds and then stop counting. If you lose track, you were probably drifting off, which is the point.
You cannot make yourself fall asleep. You can stop doing the things that keep you awake, and slow breathing is the easiest of them to change.
Why a long exhale works
Heart rate rises slightly on an inhale and falls on an exhale. Lengthening the exhale nudges the parasympathetic system, the branch that slows things down, and it also gives an anxious mind a small, dull job. Neither effect is dramatic. Together they are usually enough to stop the escalation that keeps people awake.
The honest limits
Breathing will not fix a bedroom that is too warm, a late espresso, a phone at midnight or a genuine sleep disorder. If you are regularly awake for hours, snoring heavily or exhausted despite eight hours in bed, that is worth a conversation with a doctor rather than a longer exhale.
Within those limits, this is the most useful thing to have to hand at two in the morning. It costs nothing, needs no equipment, and works about as well on the fiftieth night as the first.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked
Questions
Still have a question?
Send us a message and we'll come back to you within one business day.
Do I need experience to start?
No. Every class is taught with options rather than expectations, and our Fundamentals and Gentle sessions assume no prior practice at all. Tell your teacher it's your first time and they will look after you.
What should I bring to my first class?
Comfortable clothes and a water bottle. Mats, blocks, straps and bolsters are all provided, and there are showers and lockers in the changing rooms.
Can I come without a membership?
Yes. Drop-in classes and pay-as-you-go class packs sit alongside our memberships, so you can practise as often or as rarely as suits you.
How early should I arrive?
Fifteen minutes before your first class, and around five for every class after that. It gives you time to check in, settle and set up your mat without rushing.
Can I pause or cancel my membership?
Pause or cancel anytime with 30 days notice. There are no joining fees and no lock-in contracts, and any unused class credits stay on your account.
Do you teach pregnant or injured students?
We do. Several of our teachers are qualified in pre and postnatal practice and in therapeutic yoga. Let us know before class so your teacher can adapt the session for you.
