Breathing exercises for sleep: what helps, and what the studies say

Why your breath can help you fall asleep

Falling asleep means your body has to power down, and you can’t order it to. Breathing is one of the few body functions that runs on autopilot but that you can still steer on purpose. When you slow it down, your heart rate variability goes up, a measure of how active the calming branch of your nervous system is. A large review of 223 studies found that effect during the exercise, right after it, and after several sessions.¹

At rest, adults typically breathe 12 to 20 times a minute.² The exercises below are much slower. Here’s what that looks like:

1. Calm and awake: about 15 breaths a minute.
2. Slow breathing: 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out. That’s 6 breaths a minute.
3. 4-7-8: one breath takes 19 seconds, so just over 3 a minute. Most of that time goes to holding and breathing out.

Watch again

Exercise 1: Slow breathing, six breaths a minute

This is the exercise with the best evidence for sleep, and it’s simple: equal time in and out, 5 seconds each way.

1. Lie down the way you want to fall asleep. A hand on your belly helps you feel your breath.
2. Breathe in gently through your nose for 5 seconds.
3. Breathe out calmly for 5 seconds, through your nose or slightly parted lips.
4. Don’t breathe deeper than you need to. It’s about the rhythm, not about taking in a lot of air.
5. Keep going for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you feel sleepy.

Two minutes of slow breathing

Tap Breathe along once you’re lying down

Breathe along

What the research shows: in a randomized trial, 64 healthy young adults did 15 minutes of slow breathing every evening for 30 days, guided by an app. The comparison group spent the same time on social media. The slow breathers rated their sleep better afterward, and their overnight heart rate variability went up.³ The study tested the technique, not the nowa app.

It’s a small study of healthy young adults. That makes it an early hint, nothing more, but the exercise has hardly any downsides.

Exercise 2: The 4-7-8 method

The 4-7-8 method goes back to Andrew Weil, who adapted it from a yoga breathing technique. It’s meant to help you wind down and fall asleep. This is how one study taught it:⁴

1. Lie down and close your eyes.
2. Breathe out completely through your mouth, with an audible whoosh.
3. Close your lips and breathe in quietly through your nose while you count to 4.
4. Hold your breath while you count to 7.
5. Breathe out through your mouth with a whoosh while you count to 8.

Four rounds are plenty to start with. Then just breathe normally.

Four rounds of 4-7-8

Breathe all the way out first

Breathe along

What the research shows: 4-7-8 has barely been studied for sleep itself. In 43 healthy young adults, heart rate dropped after three short sets.⁴ When researchers compared 4-7-8 directly with six breaths a minute, heart rate variability rose more with six breaths a minute. In the lab, none of the exercises had a meaningful effect on blood pressure or mood.⁵ None of these studies measured how fast people fall asleep, and all of them tested the techniques, not the nowa app.

That doesn’t mean 4-7-8 doesn’t work for you. Many people like the counting because it gives their mind something to do. But the evidence for it is weaker than for slow breathing.

When 4-7-8 feels hard or makes things worse

People often search for “4-7-8 is too hard” or “4-7-8 doesn’t work.” If that’s you, one of these usually helps:

• The hold feels endless. Count faster, or try 3-5-6. The ratio matters more than the seconds.
• You feel lightheaded or tingly. You’re probably taking in too much air. Breathe more gently, or switch to slow breathing without a hold.
• Counting keeps you awake. Let the pacer or a vibration count for you, or try simply breathing out longer than you breathe in.
• You feel more anxious. For some people, paying close attention to their breath feels uncomfortable at first. That’s not a failure. Stop, breathe normally and try again another time with a gentler rhythm.

Which exercise fits you?

The third row is a good choice if holding your breath feels unpleasant: breathe in normally and breathe out for twice as long. In a lab study with 30 adults, people felt more relaxed when they breathed out longer than they breathed in.⁶

Making it work tonight

• In bed, lights off. Do the exercise where you want to fall asleep.
• No screen. In the 30-evening study, the comparison group was on their phones and slept worse.³ A vibration or quiet counting is all you need.
• Gentle, not deep. In the lab comparison, six breaths a minute led to mild overbreathing on average, meaning too much air.⁵ If you feel dizzy or notice tingling in your hands or lips, you’re probably breathing too much: breathe more lightly.
• Don’t force it. Trying hard to fall asleep keeps you awake. The exercise is an offer, not a test.

When to get help

A bad night is normal. Breathing exercises are a wind-down routine, not a treatment.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I do breathing exercises before bed?

The study with 64 young adults used 15 minutes in the evening.³ Try it and notice what feels right for you. If you fall asleep while doing it, even better.

Nose or mouth?

For slow breathing, ideally through your nose. For 4-7-8, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Can I fall asleep in 60 seconds with a breathing trick?

That promise doesn’t come from research. The studies on 4-7-8 I found didn’t measure how fast people fall asleep. Give yourself 10 to 15 minutes instead.

Can I do these when I wake up at night?

Yes. The same rules apply for falling back asleep: keep the lights off, don’t look at your phone, and breathe slowly and calmly.