'Finger Breathing' Could Help Transform Your Sleep. Here's How

Hand in bedI’ve used the 4-7-8 breathing technique to help me get back to sleep after a 3am wakeup – it works by helping to “slow your heart rate and relax your nervous system,” Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, sleep expert and ambassador for And So To Bed, shared. But it’s not the only breathing technique that can improve your sleep. According to The Cleveland Clinic, the TikTok-famous “finger breathing” method might be more effective at helping you nod off than you think. The soothing technique is approved by Dr James Parker of the Everett Clinic, who describes it as a “technique to calm yourself if you’re feeling particularly anxious”.What is “finger breathing”?Also known as “five finger breathing”, the method involves sitting or lying down in a comfortable position.Once settled, choose one hand as a “base” hand and another as a “tracing” hand. Hold your “base” hand in front of you with your fingers spread apart and begin with the index finger of your “trace” hand at the start of your “base” thumb. “Trace up” with your finger, “breathe in through your nose... when you trace down, breathe out through your mouth,” Dr Parker said. Continue going until all the digits on your “base” hand have been traced. Speaking to the Cleveland Clinic, Dr Judith Scheman said: “Patients... report that [finger breathing] helps them sleep through the night, sometimes even in the hospital”.It can even promote healing and banish stress and anxiety, she added. What if “finger breathing” doesn’t work?If you’ve tried the technique and still can’t sleep,experts recommend not looking at the clock – this can get you even more stressed, keeping you awake longer.If you’ve been awake for more than 20 minutes, consider getting out of bed. Staying in it while stressing about sleeplessness can lead you to associate the area with poor sleep, Dr Luis F. Buenaver said.Once you’ve left your room, focus on relaxing tasks like reading. Paradoxically, distracting yourself from your sleep anxiety can help bring you back to the land of nod.Related...This Many Sleepless Nights A Week Could Raise Dementia Risk By 40%I Gave Up Sleep Tracking For A Week, And I've Never Felt More Rested4 Napping Mistakes A Sleep Doctor Would Never Make

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