One of the biggest obstacles to getting to sleep is effectively shutting our minds down for the evening. We often go to bed exhausted, but unable to turn off the noise in our heads. We are bombarded with mental images of what happened today, what is going to happen tomorrow and what should have happened yesterday. Deep breathing exercises serve two purposes: They calm the central nervous system and act as a meditation to quiet the mind. While deep breathing works well on its own, it is doubly effective when combined with other relaxation techniques. Always do sleep exercises at bedtime, when you are already in bed. If you have to get up and move to the bed, you'll wake yourself up and may undo your work.
Normal Breathing
Before beginning any breathing exercise, understand the correct way to breathe. To feel a proper breath, lie on your back, and place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe normally, and feel the stomach and lungs expand and contract with each breath. Try only letting the stomach expand. Then try only letting the chest expand, and explore how the lungs feel with each breath. Practicing a normal breath fosters awareness of your breathing patterns and will better prepare you for other breathing exercises.
Breathing & Relaxing
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique in which you contract and relax different muscle groups, starting with the feet and moving up to the head. By exaggerating, then relieving, tension, you can feel when the muscle is relaxed.
This exercise is best done lying on your back, but if you are congested or uncomfortable, lie on your side. Start with the toes and do one full inhale through the nose. Hold the inhale for three seconds and squeeze your toes. Release the toes and exhale through the mouth at the same time. Inhale again, hold for three seconds, and flex the feet.
Continue breathing, flexing and releasing as you move up your body to the calves, thighs and so on. You may fall asleep before you finish, which is perfectly acceptable. If you have difficulty breathing through your nose, breath through your mouth.
Breathing With Visualization
Lie on your back with your arms relaxed at your sides. Take one full inhale, through the nose, hold it for three seconds, then slowly release through the mouth. As you release the breath, imagine that the pull of gravity has increased by 1 percent, and let your body sink into the bed.
Inhale again and, with each release, let your body sink deeper into the bed. Focus only on your breath and the heaviness in your limbs. If you start to drift off to sleep, do not fight it; just let go of the breath and start breathing normally.
If you have nasal congestion, lie on your side and breathe through your mouth.
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