The short answer

In 4-7-8 breathing you breathe in through your nose for 4, hold for 7, then breathe out through your mouth for 8, with a whoosh. Do 4 breaths to start. It slows your breathing to about three breaths a minute and many people use it to fall asleep, but no trial has yet tested it for sleep.

On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Breathe along
  3. How to do it
  4. What is 4-7-8 breathing?
  5. When should you use it?
  6. What the research shows
  7. Common mistakes
  8. Make it easier or harder
  9. Common questions
  10. References

At a glance

Rhythm
In through your nose for 4, hold for 7, out through your mouth for 8
How long
4 breaths to start, building up to 8
Position
Sitting upright, or lying in bed
Evidence
Weak evidence
Take care
Keep to 4 breaths at first. Leave out the hold if you are pregnant or have a heart or lung condition, and never do it while driving.

Breathe along

4-7-8 breathing

Press start and follow the circle

  1. Breathe in4s
  2. Hold7s
  3. Breathe out, whoosh8s

3.2 breaths a minute, 19 seconds a breath

3:00 left

Breathe at a size that feels comfortable: slower is not the same as deeper. Stop if you feel dizzy or tingly, and breathe normally until it passes. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.

How to do it

  1. Sit upright or lie down. Rest the tip of your tongue on the ridge just behind your top front teeth, and keep it there.
  2. Breathe out completely through your mouth, with a gentle whoosh.
  3. Close your mouth and breathe in quietly through your nose for a count of 4.
  4. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
  5. Breathe out through your mouth for a count of 8, making the whoosh sound again.
  6. That is one breath. Do 4 to start. Over a few weeks you can build up to 8.

How it should feel

The counts are a ratio, not a stopwatch: if 4-7-8 seconds is too long, count faster and keep the same ratio. A little light-headedness in the first few sessions is common.

Stop if

You feel dizzy, light-headed or tingly, or your chest feels tight. Stop, breathe normally and let it pass.

From breathingexercises.uk/exercises/4-7-8-breathing/. Free to print and share for personal and clinical use. Information only, not medical advice: if you have a health condition, check with your GP, nurse or physiotherapist before starting.

What is 4-7-8 breathing?

A slow breathing pattern with a long hold and an even longer out-breath. One breath takes 19 seconds, so you breathe about three times a minute. The long out-breath and the counting are what make it calming. The counts are a ratio rather than a stopwatch: if 4, 7 and 8 seconds feel too long, count faster and keep the same proportions. The “Faster” setting on the guide above does this for you.

When should you use it?

Most people use it in bed to wind down, or to settle a wave of stress during the day. Keep to 4 breaths at first, and never do it while driving: the hold and long out-breath can make you light-headed.

What the research shows

The research on 4-7-8 breathing itself is thin. In one study of 43 healthy young adults, three short sets of 4-7-8 breathing changed heart rate variability straight away, in a direction that suggests more activity of the calming, parasympathetic side of the nervous system. That fits the wider evidence: a review of 223 studies found slow breathing of many kinds reliably raises this kind of heart rate variability.

For sleep, there is no trial of 4-7-8 breathing. The nearest evidence is a small study of 14 people with insomnia, in which 20 minutes of slow breathing at six breaths a minute before bed was followed by falling asleep faster and waking less, measured in a sleep lab. That was a different pattern, a small group and not a controlled trial. So 4-7-8 breathing is reasonable to try, but treat claims that it “knocks you out in 60 seconds” as marketing. For long-term insomnia, the treatment with the best evidence is CBT for insomnia, which the NHS offers.

Common mistakes

  • Doing too many breaths. Four is plenty at first.
  • Forcing the 7-second hold. If it is a struggle, count faster or shorten the hold.
  • Whooshing too hard. The out-breath through the mouth should be slow and steady, not a blast.

Make it easier or harder

  • Easier: count quickly, or use 2-3.5-4 (the same ratio, half the time). You can also leave the hold out for a while.
  • Harder: build up to 8 breaths, twice a day, over a month.

Keep reading

Common questions

Does 4-7-8 breathing really help you fall asleep in 60 seconds?

There is no evidence for that claim. 4-7-8 breathing can help you relax, which may help you drift off, but no sleep trial has tested it. Slow breathing before bed improved sleep in one small study of a different pattern.

Who invented 4-7-8 breathing?

It was popularised by the American doctor Andrew Weil, who adapted it from yoga breathing (pranayama).

Why only 4 breaths at first?

The long hold and long out-breath can make you light-headed at first. Starting with 4 breaths, and building up to 8 over a few weeks, keeps it comfortable.

Can I do 4-7-8 breathing lying down?

Yes. Lying in bed is fine. Keep the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth, and keep the ratio of 4 to 7 to 8 even if you count faster.

References

  1. Vierra J et al. Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults. Physiological Reports, 2022.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Tsai HJ et al. Efficacy of paced breathing for insomnia: enhances vagal activity and improves sleep quality. Psychophysiology, 2015.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Laborde S et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2022.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. NHS. Insomnia.nhs.uk

First published 4 November 2026. Next review due November 2027. Spotted an error? Tell us and we'll correct it. Read our editorial policy.