What is 4-7-8 breathing?
4-7-8 breathing is a relaxing breath with a long hold and an even longer exhale. It was popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, who adapted it from pranayama, the breathing practices of yoga. It is one of the most searched breathing techniques for falling asleep.
How to do 4-7-8 breathing
- Exhale completely through your mouth to start.
- Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
- Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds, slowly and completely.
- That is one cycle. Repeat.
The ratio matters more than the exact seconds. If holding for seven is hard, speed the whole count up a little and keep the 4:7:8 proportion.
What 4-7-8 breathing helps with
- Falling asleep. Use it in bed, lights off, phone down.
- Racing thoughts at night. Counting to seven and eight leaves little room for anything else.
- Moments of tension during the day, when you need to slow down fast.
Why it works
An exhale longer than the inhale is associated with a shift toward the parasympathetic, “rest” side of the nervous system, and heart rate naturally slows as you breathe out. With 4-7-8 the exhale is twice as long as the inhale, and the whole cycle takes 19 seconds—about three breaths a minute, far slower than your usual rhythm.
Where 4-7-8 breathing is used
It is a common recommendation in sleep hygiene advice, yoga and relaxation classes, and it is widely shared by doctors and sleep coaches as a simple, drug-free way to wind down.
How long and when to practice
Start with four cycles—a little over a minute—once or twice a day, as Dr. Weil suggests, and work up to eight cycles. The best time is right before sleep. The long hold can make you lightheaded at first; if it does, stop and breathe normally.
4-7-8 breathing in Hima
Open the Recharge tab, choose 4–7–8 Breathing and pick how long you want to breathe—anywhere from 1 to 60 minutes, with one-tap 3, 5, 10 and 15 minute options. A calm animation shows each phase, so you can follow it with your eyes half closed.
- Background sounds. Thirteen to choose from: Ocean Waves, Rain, Forest, Wind, Flowing Stream, Fireplace, Pink Noise, Brown Noise, Om Chant and four binaural beats—Delta 2.5 Hz, Theta 5 Hz, Beta 16 Hz and Gamma 40 Hz (use headphones for these).
- Vibration. Light or strong haptic cues mark each phase, so you can breathe with your eyes closed.
- Reminders. Set a daily reminder for your breathing practice at the time and days you choose.
- A breath before the scroll. The same calm breath appears when you open an app you have chosen to pause—one breath between you and the feed.
Sources
- Zaccaro A. et al. How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018. doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
Hima is a wellness app, not a medical device. Breathing exercises are not a treatment for any condition. If you feel dizzy, short of breath or unwell, stop and breathe normally. If you have a heart, lung or anxiety condition, are pregnant, or have epilepsy, talk to your doctor first.