Best bedtime routine for deep sleep

How to reset circadian rhythm without melatonin?
You can use breathing techniques before going to bed to help you enter a deep sleep

Natural cure for sleepless nights-Meditation to help you sleep

In daily life, we must learn to mobilize our vitality in various ways, balance our own energy, and achieve harmonious unity of essence, energy and spirit.

We breathe every moment, yet we often fail to realize that breathing itself is a way to maintain health. We must believe that no step in life’s evolution is in vain.
Broadly speaking, breathwork is a form of meditation. While meditation requires a fixed breathing pattern, breathing meditation itself exists within the category of meditation itself (“watching” your breath, observing the entire process of air entering your nose, throat, lungs, and finally exiting, minimizing distraction as the air flows through the process). This demonstrates the profound positive impact of breathwork on mental relaxation.

Breathing, originating from ancient Chinese Taoist and Buddhist practices, emphasizes regulating breathing to balance yin and yang, the five elements, and the concept of “qi” as the foundation of life. Its effectiveness as a health-preserving method is rooted in over two thousand years of practice. Its core principle is to achieve harmony of qi and blood, balance of internal organs, and synergy of body and mind through conscious breathing.

The principles of breathing techniques

Breathing techniques regulate breathing rate and depth, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lower heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce tension, thereby relieving stress. Their core mechanisms include:

1. Increase Blood Oxygen: Deep breathing elevates blood oxygen levels, boosts metabolism, regulates nerve centers and organ function, and relieves fatigue.
2. Balances the Autonomic Nervous System: By inhibiting sympathetic nervous system excitation (the stress response), it lowers heart rate and blood pressure, inhibits cortisol secretion, and reduces anxiety and tension.
3. Shifts Attention: Focusing on breathing can reduce distracting thoughts and overthinking, interrupting the cycle of anxiety and achieving emotional desensitization.
4. Regulates Brain Activity: Exhaling can inhibit overactivity of the amygdala and solitary nucleus, aiding in calming the mind, similar to the effects of meditation or chanting.
5. Enhances a Sense of Control: The symmetry of breathing provides a psychological anchor and enhances a sense of order.

By scientifically regulating breathing rhythm and combining physiological and psychological mechanisms, relaxation breathing can become an effective tool for daily stress relief.

Anxiety/Depression: Breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety levels by regulating autonomic nervous system function.
Sleep Improvement: The 478 Breathing Technique can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.
Pain Management: Abdominal breathing can help relieve headaches and postoperative pain.

Breathing method classification

There are many types of breathing methods, including basic abdominal breathing, professional breathing methods for exercise and yoga, and the 4 7 8 breathing method that is specifically suitable for sleep aid. Here we focus on introducing several breathing methods that are easy to learn and practice for sleep aid and mental relaxation.

1. Abdominal Breathing     How to: Inhale, expand the abdomen (the diaphragm descends), and exhale, contracting it (the diaphragm ascends). Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, using a deep, slow rhythm (e.g., inhale for 3 seconds, hold for 1-2 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds). Suitable for beginners, daily stress relief, and sleep aid.
2. Counted Breathing     How to: Focus on silently counting each breath (e.g., “inhale 1, exhale 1”), gradually increasing the practice time (starting with 5 minutes). Suitable for those who are distracted or have a restless mind.
3. Schön Breathing     How to: Inhale through the nose → hold for 1-2 seconds → exhale slowly in three breaths (with 1-2 seconds between each breath), feeling a sense of lightness in the body. Suitable for those with insomnia, especially before bed.
4. 4-7-8 Breathing Method: Inhale for 4 seconds → Hold for 7 seconds → Exhale for 8 seconds, repeat 4 times. Suitable for those who have trouble falling asleep. The ratio can be shortened (e.g., 3-5-6 seconds) to adapt to initial practice.

Operation details

Choose a comfortable position (sitting or lying down), avoiding bending over to affect your breathing. Close your eyes and focus on the air flow through your nostrils.  
Inhale primarily through your nose and exhale through your mouth, slowly extending your breath and feeling the rise and fall of your abdomen.  
As you exhale, imagine your body relaxing and feeling the support of the bed or floor.  
Avoid exerting excessive force. Breathe naturally and smoothly, and don’t hold your breath for too long. Beginners can shorten their breath-holding time (e.g., adjusting the 4-7-8 method to 3-5-6 seconds).  
Exhalation should be longer than inhalation to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.  
Initial practice should be performed in a quiet environment, ideally for 5-10 minutes at a time.

Do this twice daily for 6 weeks to achieve long-term benefits.

If your insomnia lasts for more than a month, please combine it with traditional natural herbal therapy – herbal supplements for insomnia.It can solve your insomnia problem from the root.