The method claims to help even the most hardcore insomniacs
If you struggle with insomnia, you’ve likely tried all kinds of ways to get to sleep, from podcasts to meditation to staring despairing at the ceiling under the guise of counting sheep. Thankfully, we have a fix that might actually help: Developed by doctor Andrew Weil, an integrative medicine specialist at the University of Arizona, the 4-7-8 technique promises to help even the most hardcore insomniacs in getting a good night’s rest.
Speaking to Medical News Today, he explained: “It’s the regularity of doing this over a period of weeks, months, years that produces the changes that you want.” He also added that it helps with anxiety too.
To begin, find yourself a comfy seated, or lie down with the tip of your tongue on the tissue directly behind your front teeth. Then empty your lungs of air by breathing out; breathe in quietly through the nose for a count of four seconds; hold the breath for seven seconds; exhale forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips and making a ‘whoosh’ sound that lasts for eight seconds; repeat the cycle up to four times.
For the best results, Weil recommends that you should try the technique out twice a day. Admittedly, there’s no clinical evidence to back up the method – but it’s free and easy, so here’s hoping.
