{"id":267743,"date":"2020-12-18T06:37:18","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T11:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=267743"},"modified":"2020-12-18T07:16:38","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T12:16:38","slug":"evening-calmers-breathing-for-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/fr\/journal\/evening-calmers-breathing-for-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Breathing for Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

This journal article features an extract from the book \u00ab\u00a0Exhale\u00a0\u00bb by Richie Bostock published on September 10th, 2020 by Penguin Life. You can purchase a copy here<\/a> and put your learnings to practice with Rise Up with Breathwork classes led by Richie on Wanderlust TV<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In Dr Matthew Walker\u2019s book, Why We Sleep<\/em>, he states that, \u2018The leading causes of disease and death in developed nations \u2013 diseases that are crippling health-care systems, such as heart disease, obesity, dementia, diabetes, and cancer \u2013 all have recognized causal links to a lack of sleep.\u2019<\/p>\n

So, how can our breathing help us get some better shut-eye? The body is excellent at developing habits. If you\u2019re in action mode all day every day, your physical systems will be very good at staying in that mode. This means that, even once your head hits the pillow, your body isn\u2019t going to make it easy for you to switch off, no matter how comfortable your bed. However, you can use your breathing to calm your nervous system down, teaching it to shift from a state of high arousal to a state of rest and relaxation. Focusing on your breath will also help you to come into the present moment and slow down those racing thoughts.<\/p>\n

Here is a technique that has really helped my clients to catch more z\u2019s. So, next time you\u2019re tossing and turning in bed, I would suggest giving this a try.<\/p>\n

Breathe and Release<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Breathe and release is a variation of progressive muscle relaxation, a relaxation therapy in which you systematically contract and then relax each muscle group in your body. This technique combined with the breath provides a powerful formula for relaxing physical tension in the body and relaxing your mind at the same time.<\/p>\n