3 Sleep Tricks to Try in Bed

By Shannon Sexton, Yoga+

The following exercises will help you fall asleep — and stay asleep — by facilitating physical, mental, and emotional cleansing and activating the body’s relaxation response. Try them and see for yourself.

2:1 Breathing
Have you ever noticed that when your nervous system is jacked up, your inhalations are longer than your exhalations? Short exhalations make us vulnerable to anxiety and depression, cause toxins to accumulate, and create an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, all of which make sleeping difficult. The antidote? Make your exhalation twice as long as your inhalation.

To begin, lie in shavasana. Place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest. Tune into your breath. (If your chest is moving, relax your rib cage and focus on breathing solely into your abdomen.) Let the inhalation and exhalation be approximately equal in length.

Gradually deepen the breath and slow it down: On your next exhalation, gently engage your abdominal muscles and push a little extra air out of the lungs. Allow your abdomen to rise slightly higher as you inhale. Then begin to count your in- and out-breaths in even ratios — starting, perhaps, with 3:3, then moving up to 6:6 — whatever is within your comfortable capacity.

Let your breath flow quietly and smoothly through the nostrils, and when you are ready, let the next inhalation be a little shorter than the last. Gradually adjust your breathing to achieve a 2:1 ratio, exhaling for four counts and inhaling for two, for example. Focus on creating a smooth transition between your in- and out-breath, and back off a bit if you feel any urge to gasp for air.

If you sustain this breathing pattern for a few minutes, your heart rate slows, your blood pressure drops, and your muscles begin to relax. When practiced correctly, 2:1 breathing eliminates wastes from the lungs while calming and nurturing the nervous system. You can do this practice for as long as it is comfortable.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Franco D.

4:40PM PDT on Apr 25, 2011

I will try it tonight.

send a green star

Faith B.

11:37AM PDT on Mar 26, 2011

great info, thanks :)

Maira S.

6:36PM PST on Mar 11, 2011

Gracias!

Brittany B.

9:12PM PST on Mar 7, 2011

I'm a big fan of this article as I do find it very hard to fall asleep and have found that practices like yoga and shiatsu are extremely beneficial in relaxing the body as well the mind. Its amazing how simple solutions can be if you just take the time to think about it!
Thanks for the 2:1 Ratio, I am going to go test it out!

Darilynn T.

11:44PM PST on Feb 23, 2011

The breathing would be great if you are already in bed!

Elizabeth B.

4:15AM PST on Feb 22, 2011

Worth trying

OnVacation N.

6:53AM PST on Jan 12, 2011

I'll try this, thanks.

LindaOccupy G.

7:11PM PST on Jan 11, 2011

Thank you.