How to do 4-7-8 Breathing
- Sit upright or lie on your back in bed. Rest the tip of your tongue on the ridge just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there throughout.
- Breathe out completely through your mouth, around your tongue, with a soft "whoosh" sound.
- Close your mouth. When the ring starts to grow, breathe in quietly through your nose for a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 7 while the ring stays full. Keep your face and shoulders soft.
- Breathe out through your mouth with a "whoosh" for a count of 8 as the ring shrinks. The exhale is twice as long as the inhale.
- That is one breath. The timer repeats it 4 times, which takes a little over a minute. Then breathe normally.
Benefits
- The long exhale and slow pace (about three breaths a minute) help the body switch toward rest
- Many people use it to fall asleep faster or to get back to sleep at night
- Gives an anxious mind a clear counting task and a way to ride out a wave of worry
- May help lower stress-related spikes in heart rate; research on the exact 4-7-8 pattern is still small
- Takes about a minute, needs no equipment and can be done lying in bed
Precautions
- Start with only 4 breaths; it often makes people light-headed at first. Sit or lie down while you practise
- Shorten the hold (for example 4-4-8) if you feel air hunger, panic or dizziness
- In pregnancy, with heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or a lung condition, skip the hold or ask your doctor first
- Never practise while driving, in water or anywhere a moment of dizziness could be dangerous
4-7-8 breathing is a relaxing breathing technique: you breathe in through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 7 and breathe out through the mouth for 8. This 4-7-8 breathing exercise is short, easy to remember and especially popular as a way to fall asleep. This page covers what the method is, where it comes from, how to use the timer above, how many times a day to do it, what the evidence says and how it compares with box breathing.
What is the 4-7-8 breathing method?
The 4-7-8 breathing meaning is simply the count: 4 in, 7 hold, 8 out. 4-7-8 breathing was popularised by Dr Andrew Weil, an American physician, who calls it "the relaxing breath" and based it on yogic pranayama. The ratio matters more than the speed: if 4-7-8 seconds is too slow for you, count faster, as long as you keep the same proportions.
Two details make Dr Weil's relaxing breath technique different from other breathing exercises. The tip of the tongue rests behind the upper front teeth the whole time, and you breathe out through the mouth with an audible "whoosh". In yoga terms it is a slow breath with a held inhale (kumbhaka) and a long exhale.
How to use the 4-7-8 breathing timer
This page works as a free 4-7-8 breathing counter in your browser, so you do not need a timer app. The timer above is set to the 4-7-8 breathing pattern for 4 rounds:
- "Breathe in" — the ring grows for 4 seconds. Nose, mouth closed.
- "Hold" — the ring stays full for 7 seconds.
- "Breathe out" — the ring shrinks for 8 seconds. Mouth, with a whoosh.
The soft chime marks each change, so you can close your eyes in bed. Turn off the voice if someone is sleeping next to you. When you are ready for more, change the rounds from 4 to 8. Your minutes are saved on your device in My Practice.
How many times a day, and how long?
Dr Weil's 4-7-8 breathing instructions are to do 4 breaths at least twice a day, and not more than 4 breaths at a time for the first month. After that you can build up to 8 breaths. So how long should you do 4-7-8 breathing? About one to two minutes per session is plenty. This is not a practice to stretch to 10 minutes; its strength is regular, short repetition, which makes it easier to use when you really need it.
Counts from beginner to advanced
| Stage | Pattern | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Very first try | 4-4-8 (shorter hold), counted yourself | 4 |
| Standard | 4-7-8 with the timer | 4, twice a day |
| After a month | 4-7-8 | Up to 8 |
If the hold is uncomfortable, try 4-4-8 or 4-6-8 breathing: 4 in, a shorter hold, 8 out. The benefits of this 4-6-8 breathing technique are close to the full version, because most of the calming effect comes from the long exhale. What is 4-6 breathing? A different, even gentler pattern: 4 seconds in, 6 out, no hold, as in our Sheetali timer. At the other extreme, classical pranayama uses a 1:4:2 ratio such as 4-16-8 breathing; its benefits are not proven to be greater, and those long holds are for experienced students with a teacher.
4-7-8 breathing benefits and evidence
Why does 4-7-8 breathing work?
For many people it does help them relax, and there is a clear reason. The long exhale and the pause slow your breathing to about three breaths a minute. The slow pace and long exhale of 4-7-8 breathing are linked to higher heart-rate variability, a sign of stronger activity in the vagus nerve and the calming "rest and digest" system, one of its likely benefits. That is why 4-7-8 breathing is effective for many people.
Be realistic about the 4-7-8 breathing research. Studies of the exact 4-7-8 pattern are few and small, and they measure short-term effects such as heart rate, blood pressure and how relaxed people feel. There is good evidence that slow, deep breathing in general has health benefits; the long-term benefits of the 4-7-8 pattern of breathing specifically are not proven.
- Sleep. The 4-7-8 breathing method for sleep is the most common use and its best-known benefit: four rounds in bed as a relaxing breath to prepare for bed, or when you wake at 3 a.m. See also our yoga for sleep plan and guided Yoga Nidra.
- Anxiety. Is 4-7-8 breathing a good exercise for anxiety? It can help you ride out a wave of worry. If holding the breath makes you feel panicky, drop the hold. Our yoga for anxiety plan adds gentle poses.
- Blood pressure. Slow breathing may help lower blood pressure a little over time. With high blood pressure, keep the hold short, keep your medicine, and ask your doctor.
- Weight. 4-7-8 breathing does not cause weight loss or burn fat. It may help indirectly by improving sleep and reducing stress-eating.
4-7-8 breathing side effects and safety
4-7-8 breathing is safe for most healthy adults and is not dangerous in itself. The usual side effect is light-headedness in the first few sessions, which is why you should start with four breaths and sit or lie down. Anyone with heart or lung disease, or who is pregnant, should skip the long hold and breathe 4 in, 8 out instead. If holds do not suit you, the simplest way to relax your breathing is to make each exhale longer than the inhale.
4-7-8 breathing vs box breathing
| 4-7-8 | Box breathing | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | 4 in, 7 hold, 8 out | 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold |
| Feels | Sedating, heavy | Steady, alert |
| Best for | Bedtime, anxiety | Focus before a task |
The 4-7-8 and box patterns are both good relaxing breathing exercises. If you want three relaxing breathing techniques to rotate, try 4-7-8 at night, box breathing during the day and humming Bhramari when your mind is busy. The full list is on the pranayama page.
Relaxing breathing exercises for kids: children can do 4-7-8 as "smell the flower, hold, blow out the candle", counting quickly and holding for only a moment. Two or three rounds is enough.
4-7-8 breathing in Hindi — benefits and method (4-7-8 श्वास विधि): जीभ की नोक ऊपर के दाँतों के पीछे रखें। नाक से 4 गिनती तक साँस लें, 7 गिनती तक साँस रोकें और मुँह से 8 गिनती तक "हूश" की आवाज़ के साथ साँस छोड़ें। इसे 4 बार, दिन में दो बार करें। इसके फायदे: नींद जल्दी आती है, चिंता और तनाव कम होता है और मन शांत होता है। चक्कर आए तो साँस रोकने का समय कम करें।
Where this practice is used
Yoga for: Anxiety · Sleep and Insomnia · Shift Work and Night-Shift Sleep · Burnout and Exhaustion
More breathing techniques
Frequently asked questions
How do you do the 4-7-8 breathing method?
Rest your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Breathe out through your mouth, then breathe in through your nose for 4, hold for 7 and breathe out through your mouth with a whoosh for 8. Repeat 4 times.
How many times a day should I do 4-7-8 breathing?
A simple 4-7-8 breathing routine is twice a day, 4 breaths each time, for the first month. After that you can do up to 8 breaths per session, and use it whenever you feel stressed or cannot sleep.
Does 4-7-8 breathing help you fall asleep?
Many people find it helps. The long exhale and slow pace relax the body, and counting distracts a racing mind. It works best when practised regularly, not only on bad nights.
Why does 4-7-8 breathing make me dizzy?
Holding the breath and exhaling for a long time change your blood gases slightly, and many beginners feel light-headed. Sit or lie down, do only 4 rounds and shorten the hold if needed.
Is 4-7-8 breathing better than box breathing?
Neither is better; they do different jobs. 4-7-8 is more relaxing and suits bedtime; box breathing is steadier and suits focus during the day.
Can 4-7-8 breathing lower blood pressure?
Slow breathing may lower blood pressure a little over time, but it is not a treatment. Keep the hold short if you have high blood pressure and keep taking your medicine.
Who created 4-7-8 breathing?
It was made popular by Dr Andrew Weil, an American physician, who based it on the counted breathing of yoga pranayama.
Breathing practices are safe for most people when done gently. Stop if you feel dizzy, anxious or short of breath, and ask your doctor first if you have heart or lung disease, high blood pressure, epilepsy or are pregnant.