Nothing is worse than lying awake at night, desperately trying to get to sleep - and failing.
But, while there are plenty of natural remedies for insomnia out there, this latest trick could prove to be the ultimate solution to sleepless nights.
Dubbed the 4-7-8 breathing technique, it was introduced by Dr Andrew Weill, who insists that the yoga-inspired method can help people fall asleep in 60 seconds by acting as a “natural tranquilliser for the nervous system”.
So how do you do it?
-
Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your front teeth
-
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
-
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
-
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
-
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
-
This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Dr Andrew Weil insists that you should “always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth” - and, most importantly, make sure that your “exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation”.
Plenty of people to say they’ve found the 4-7-8 method does the trick for them - but will it do the job for you?
Let us know via the comments box below now.