The daily rigors of life can make it difficult to fall asleep, especially if you are struggling with troubling events such as unemployment or heartbreak. According to the Sam Houston State University Counseling Center, breathing techniques have been used for thousands of years to settle anxiety and calm the mind and body. If practiced daily, breathing exercises may help you to fall asleep easier.
Diaphragm Breathing
Begin by placing one palm on your abdomen and the other on your chest. To make sure that you are using your diaphragm, inhale deeply and allow the hand on your abdomen to rise higher than the hand on your chest. Breathe out slowly through your mouth and then take a deep breath via your nose. Imagine that you are breathing in all of the air in the room for seven seconds. Expel the air slowly via your mouth for eight seconds, contracting your abdominals to completely remove all of the air from your lungs. Repeat four more times.
Deep Breathing
Lie on your back and relax your entire body. Inhale slowly through your nose, filling first the lower section of your chest, then the middle, then the upper part of your lungs and chest. Do this very slowly over about 10 seconds. Hold the breath for just a few seconds and then quietly exhale. Rest for a moment and then repeat. Imagine yourself in a peaceful place like on the beach throughout this breathing technique.
Humming Breath
Sit in a comfortable, quiet spot, inhale deeply and slowly exhale. On the next inhale, relax the muscles of your belly, imagining the stomach filling up with air. Keep inhaling even after your belly is full, feeling your chest and ribs expand as well. Slowly let out the breath, making a "hum" sound through the entire exhale. Contract your stomach muscles to extend the "hum" for a few more seconds. Relax and then continue for about three minutes.
Rolling Breath
Ask a friend or partner to do this exercise with you. Lie down on your back and have your partner place one of his hands on your stomach and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath, filling the abdomen first and then the chest. Watch your partner's hands rise with each breath, making sure the hand on your abdomen lifts first. Exhale the air in the stomach and chest simultaneously; repeat until you feel relaxed.
