5 useful breathing exercises that could help you get to sleep quicker
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of your wellbeing, yet it is also one of the areas that many people struggle with the most. If you’re lucky, you fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling refreshed and rested.
On the flip side, getting a poor night’s sleep can leave you feeling irritable and lead to an unproductive day.
This is manageable once in a while, but if you’re regularly suffering from sleep deprivation, it can lead to a host of health issues.
Read on to find out what constitutes a “good” night’s sleep and discover some useful breathing exercises that can improve sleep quality.
Poor sleep can lead to physical and mental health issues, affecting your overall quality of life
Struggling to fall asleep can be frustrating. Even if you can drop off quickly, you may find you wake several times during the night or are wide awake long before your alarm goes off.
If this sounds like you, and it’s happening regularly, you could have insomnia. This is one of the most common sleep disorders, with research from Hillarys showing that 1 in 6 UK adults have suffered from the condition for over 10 years.
The article also mentions that in 2015 the British Lung Foundation suggested that there were an estimated 1.5 million adults in the UK with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that causes your breathing to stop and start during sleep.
Regular poor sleep can affect almost every aspect of your physical and mental health. You may find it more difficult to concentrate or make decisions and that you’re more irritable or impatient.
According to Healthline, sleep deprivation can also prevent your immune system from functioning effectively, and increase your risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Additionally, hormone disruption caused by poor sleep can contribute to weight gain, as it causes your brain to release an appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin. You may find you’re too tired to exercise the day after a bad night too.
The 4 stages of the sleep cycle each have their own important function
Your body undergoes several important processes when you sleep, making it a key part of your wellbeing.
Sleep operates in cycles regulated by your circadian rhythm, or your internal body clock. Each cycle comprises four stages.
1. Light sleep
This occurs just after you fall asleep, when your muscles slowly relax and your heart rate starts to slow down. You can easily be woken during this phase, but if you’re left uninterrupted, you’ll quickly move on to the next stage.
2. Deeper sleep
During this stage, your body temperature drops, your heartbeat, brain activity, and breathing slow, and your eyes stop moving.
3. Deep sleep
This is the stage when your body focuses on intense repair and recovery. Your heart rate, breathing, and brain activity are all at their lowest levels, and it’s difficult to wake someone during this phase.
4. Rapid eye movement (REM)
In this stage, your brain activity increases, your eyes flicker rapidly, and dreams can occur. Cognitive functions such as memory and creativity are also believed to be strengthened during REM.
These 4 stages are all important, and you’ll cycle through them several times during the night, with a complete cycle lasting around 90 minutes.
Breathing exercises can calm your body and mind to promote a better night’s sleep
If you do struggle to get a restful night’s sleep, the good news is that research has shown that breathing exercises could help you improve the quality of your sleep.
The Guardian reported in August 2025 on an interesting small-scale study during which OSA sufferers inhaled deeply and then exhaled into a conch shell using a technique known as conch blowing, or shankh blowing. After six months of using the technique, they were found to have higher blood oxygen levels during the night, as well as up to five fewer OSA episodes an hour than those who had practiced “deep-breathing techniques”.
Even if you don’t have a conch shell or OSA, here are five breathing exercises published by Medical News Today that you could try. All of These supposedly promote a feeling of relaxation and calm, soothing your mind and releasing tension from your body.
1. The 4-7-8 technique
Before starting this technique, adopt a comfortable sitting position and place the tip of the tongue on the tissue just behind your top front teeth. Then, exhale, emptying your lungs of air before inhaling through your nose for four seconds. Once done, hold your breath for seven seconds Finally, exhale for eight seconds, trying to make a “whoosh” sound as you do so. Repeat this cycle up to 4 times, however, be aware that you may feel lightheaded after doing this for the first few times, which is why finding a comfortable sitting (or lying) position is advisable to prevent dizziness or falls.
The important part here is the ratio, rather than how long the pattern lasts. So if you cannot hold your breath for long try inhaling for 2 seconds, holding your breath for 3.5 seconds and exhaling for 4 seconds.
2. 3-part breathing
This yoga exercise is really simple to do. Sitting cross-legged or upright in a chair take a few natural breaths in an out through the nose, if you feel comfortable you can close your eyes as well. Next, while breathing through the nose take in about a third of your full lung capacity deep into the diaphragm, expanding the belly, breathe the next third into the rib cage, and the final third into your upper chest. Finally, exhaling through the nose empty first the chest, then ribcage, then belly, continuing for up to 10 cycles before returning to your normal breathing rhythm.
3. Box breathing
Box breathing is a simple technique that is commonly taught to those in high stress jobs. Sitting upright, ideally with your back supported in a comfortable chair and your feet on the floor, close your eyes if possible, and breathe in deeply though your nose while counting to four slowly, then hold your breath while counting to four slowly trying not to clamp your mouth or nose shut, before exhaling through your mouth, once again for four seconds. Finally, wait four seconds before repeating again.
Ideally you should try to repeat the steps for 4 minutes. If you’re finding this technique challenging, then maybe try counting to 3 instead of four. Or if you’re used to the technique, try to hold while counting to 5 or 6 instead.
4. Alternate nasal breathing
This yoga exercise sits on the American Council on Exercise’s list of stress-relieving breathing techniques. To practice this technique, first begin breathing in and out through the nose, when ready close your right nostril with your right thumb, breathing in through your left nostril. Then, close your left nostril with your right ring finger and breathe out through your right nostril, having released your thumb. Now, with your right ring finger still closing your left nostril inhale through the right nostril before closing it and opening your left nostril and exhaling through that. With that you are back to the beginning to continue the sequence once again.
Try doing rotations of this exercise for 10 rounds before returning to normal breathing.
5. Diaphragmatic breathing
Lie flat on your back on a flat surface, or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. It can be helpful to place a pillow under your knees. Place one hand flat on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage, allowing you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe. Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out, causing your hand to rise, while the hand on your chest should remain as still as possible. Tighten your stomach muscles, so that your stomach moves in, causing your hand to lower as you exhale pursed lips, the hand on your upper chest should remain as still as possible. You should practice this exercise for five to ten minutes, three to four times a day to get the most out of it.
Get in touch.
If money worries are keeping you awake, financial planning could help to put your mind at rest. Get in touch to talk to us today.