# 4-7-8 breathing: how to do it, and does it help you sleep?

Source: https://breathingexercises.uk/exercises/4-7-8-breathing/
Author: Nell Avery · Updated 2026-11-04

**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.

**Evidence grade:** Weak evidence. Small or short studies, surveys, or results that are mixed.

## 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.

## Frequently asked 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.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35822447/)
2. [Tsai HJ et al. Efficacy of paced breathing for insomnia: enhances vagal activity and improves sleep quality. Psychophysiology, 2015.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25234581/)
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.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35623448/)
4. [NHS. Insomnia.](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/)