How focusing on your breathing can affect your quality of sleep and stress levels
When I can’t fall asleep at night, I try everything. I count sheep, count backwards from one thousand, read a few pages from a book. One thing I recently discovered to help me clear my mind and relax, is to focus on my breathing.
Have you ever tried to breathe your way to sleep? As it turns out, incorporating some mindful breathing exercises into your nighttime routine can have larger effects on our overall well-being than we even knew! Proper breathing actually has calming benefits that can help us to feel deep sensations of relaxation.
Studies have shown how paying more attention to the way we breathe can impact everything we do - including how we sleep and manage stress levels. A few ways we can focus more on our breathing to impact our quality of sleep and restfulness include:
1. Breathe deeper
Taking longer, deeper breaths helps to soothe us, whereas shallow breaths cause additional stress. Practicing deep breathing before bed can help us to relax our entire body, fall asleep quicker, and stay asleep longer!
2. Exhaling helps us to relax
There is a reason deep slow exhales are encouraged in relaxing activities such as yoga and meditation! “If you take a very slow inhale in, you're going to feel your heart speed up. As you exhale, you should be feeling your heart slow down. So exhaling relaxes the body,” experts say.
3. Slow down
The faster we breathe, the more stress and anxiety our body experiences. Taking a minute to slow down and practice slow inhalation and exhalation, will cause entire body relaxation. Take time to slow down at the end of your day to calm down and reflect, then spend a few minutes focusing on slow, deep breaths. The ultimate de-stressor after a long day!
Additionally, many people suffer from various breathing challenges while sleeping. Whether it is snoring, breathing through your mouth, or even sleep apnea, one way to make it easier to breathe properly while you sleep is to start by eliminating any dust or allergens in your sleep environment! I recommend the Cotton Pillow Protector from Sleep Number as an easy way to eliminate allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, skin or hair from your sacred sleep space. Made with the breathable comfort 100% Cotton yarns, this protector was specially designed with allergy and asthma sufferers in mind! An easy on, easy offer pillow protector, due to its extra long zipper closure that creates an extra wide opening to slide over your pillow. Durable fabric is machine washable. Hotel quality construction will help you create the comfort you’ve found in your favorite hotel pillow!
So, what is your nighttime routine? Whatever it is, try incorporating some mindful breathing exercises into it each night, so that you can Sleep better Tonight, and Create Tomorrow!
About Inventive Sleep® by Tracy Miller
Tracy Miller is a trusted inventor and innovator of dynamic, technology driven, and comfortable products for the home, and founder of Inventive Sleep™. Her engaging brands are found in millions of homes and hotels across the country. As a Sleep Products Innovator, Tracy is dedicated to helping people realize their dreams and goals starting with a great night’s sleep. Her reputation for combining proven and modern materials in everyday products including sheets, pillows, comforters, blankets and mattress pads, adds exciting new comfort and performance qualities consumers love to incorporate into their homes. Tracy is also the author of the weekly sleep blog Sleep Secrets and Inspirations. In it, she shares her expertise on materials research and design, and demystifies the sleep experience with an informative and fun-filled conversation on how sleep helps people with daily living, as well as some of her tips and tricks on picking your favorite products. For more information, visit www.inventivesleep.com. Sleep Tonight. Create Tomorrow.™
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