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Take the sleep testSleep and breathing are something you just do right? - but with two-thirds of the UK reporting that they suffer from disrupted sleep, this isn't always true. Today I look at why breathing techniques could help you get a more restful nights sleep, and provide 3 techniques for you to try.
External factors, like stress, affect how we breathe. When we are stressed, several things are happening in our body at the same time. When our sympathetic nervous system is triggered it's as if someone has pressed heavily on the car accelerator. It gives us a burst of energy (increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate) to help us face the danger or stress in front of us.
After the threat is gone, the body returns to normal with the help of the nervous system. Unfortunately today, the threats we face are becoming more and more constant. In simpler times; a bear comes thundering towards me in the woods; it catches me or I escape. The threat is gone after a short while and my nervous system has a chance to regulate so I can de-stress.
The threats we face today are more ongoing, we get stuck in traffic, miss a call from our boss, run a red light and loose our parking space. That's all before entering the office or checking the daily news! Hence, chronic stress is becoming more and more of a problem for more and more people. We see this in the numbers of people with anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress related illnesses. Two thirds (67%) of UK adults suffer from disrupted sleep. While 1 in 6 English people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.
There are many ways that we can counter the effects stress has on our bodies and minds. Herbal remedies are one way of helping our nervous system regulate, breathing is another. It's one of the simplest things in the world, we barely give it a second thought but don't let the simplicity fool you. It is a powerful tool. Breathing more deeply allows for more carbon dioxide to enter your blood, which quiets down parts of the brain, like the amygdala, that handle your anxiety response. More carbon dioxide also helps synchronize your heartbeat and breathing. Deep breathing (sometimes called diaphragmatic breathing) can also help you improve your attention span and lower pain levels.
There are many breathing techniques that can calm you down and send you to sleep but don't wait until bed time to de-stress. Our daily life is full of stressful situations. The best way to deal with them is little by little throughout the day. So that, by the time you get to bed, stress is minimal and sleep comes easy. One way to do this is to make sure you are breathing correctly throughout the day.
When we get stressed our breath becomes shorter and shallower. Because we don't notice, we keep breathing this way and becoming more and more stressed. That's why it's a good idea to check if you are breathing properly at various points throughout the day.
Although breathing is a natural process, there is a right and a wrong way to breathe. The American Lung Association (ALA) provide the following advice on how to breathe correctly.
Checking in with your breath throughout the day is a simple way to make sure you are breathing properly. When you breathe properly you are better able to keep calm throughout the day, which helps you to sleep better at night. Watch my self-care video tip to learn how to easily check that you are breathing properly.
I recommend checking in with your breath at several intervals throughout the day. I tag this activity on to things I do daily so that I remember. When I sit at my desk to start work, as I wait for my laptop to load up I check in with my breath. I do it again, while I wait for the kettle to boil on my tea break. Identify 3 or 4 daily routines that you could tag this breath check on to.
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Once you are breathing properly you can begin to add some techniques to lengthen and deepen your breath. These work well at any time of day but they are really helpful if you are having trouble sleeping.
Remember, these techniques are just signposts to lead you to fuller, deeper breathing and relaxation. If any of them don't feel helpful or they make you more stressed, then you can just repeat the breath check in that I shared in my self-care video instead. The wonderful thing is, even if all you do is notice your breath and nothing else, it will naturally deepen and lengthen so there is no need to over think it.
It can take some time to become more aware of how you are breathing and use it as a tool to destress. If you need extra help while you develop this new skill, I recommend using a herbal remedy designed for calming you down. My favourites are:
"Has really helped me to sleep especially with the advice on the site as to how best to take it for the best results."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709795/
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"Has really helped me to sleep especially with the advice on the site as to how best to take it for the best results."
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Answer 5 simple questions in our sleep test for a brief evaluation and some advice.
Take the sleep testAs the A. Vogel Sleep advisor, I recommend Dormeasan®, a natural sleep remedy made from fresh extracts of Valerian root and Hops.
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