Month: August 2022

Dr. Andrew Weil created the 4-7-8 breathing technique as a breathing pattern. It is based on the pranayama method of yoga, which aids practitioners in controlling their breathing. It’s likely that some people could fall asleep more quickly with this strategy if they routinely use it.

This breathing technique seeks to calm individuals down or aid in sleep. Some proponents assert that the technique speeds up the process of falling asleep.

Although there aren’t much scientific data to back up this technique, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests this kind of deep, rhythmic breathing is soothing and can aid in lulling individuals to sleep.

This article examines how to use this breathing method, its potential benefits, and helpful apps.

UNDERSTANDING THE 4-7-8 TECHNIQUE

The goal of breathing exercises is to put the body in a deeply relaxed condition. Your body can rehydrate its oxygen supply by performing specific patterns that entail holding your breath for an extended amount of time. Techniques like 4-7-8 can increase the amount of oxygen reaching your organs and tissues from the lungs outward.

The fight-or-flight response we experience when we are stressed can be controlled by relaxation techniques, which also assist in restoring equilibrium to the body. This is especially useful if anxiety or worries over today’s events or potential tomorrow’s events are keeping you up at night. We may be unable to get a good night’s sleep due to racing thoughts and worries.

The general idea of 4-7-8 breathing is comparable to techniques like:

• One nostril at a time while keeping the other closed is what is meant by alternate nostril breathing.
• Focused breathing is encouraged during mindfulness meditation, which also directs your attention to the present moment.
• By visualizing, you can direct your attention to the direction and rhythm of your natural breathing.
• With the help of guided imagery, you are urged to concentrate on a joyful experience or tale that will help you forget your troubles as you breathe.

People who have modest sleep difficulties, anxiety, or tension may find that 4-7-8 breathing helps them get over distractions and relax.

Advocates claim that 4-7-8 breathing gets stronger over time and with continuous practice. It is stated that initially, its effects are less noticeable. The first time you try it, you can experience a little dizziness. For some people, doing 4-7-8 breathing more than thrice a day may not produce the same results as practicing it twice a day.

METHOD TO PERFORM THE TECHNIQUE

There is some evidence to support the idea that deep breathing exercises reduce anxiety and stress levels in people. For instance, a review study published in 2011 in the Health Science Journal outlines some of the potential health advantages of deep breathing techniques, particularly for deep breathing through the diaphragm.

Locate a comfortable spot to sit or lie down so that you may practice 4-7-8 breathing. Make sure to take care of your posture, especially at first. The optimal position for employing this method to induce sleep is lying down.

Put your tongue tip on the roof of your mouth, directly behind your top front teeth, to warm up. Throughout the exercise, you must hold your tongue in place. It takes practice to control your tongue during exhalation. For some people, pursed lips during 4-7-8 breathing can make it simpler to exhale.

Each of the following actions needs to be completed during the cycle of a single breath:

• Let your lips separate first. With a whooshing motion, thoroughly exhale from your mouth.
• Next, seal your lips and take a silent breath via your nose while mentally counting to four.
• Then, hold your breath for seven seconds.
• Repeat the previous whooshing exhalation for eight seconds.

A new cycle of breath begins as you inhale once more. For four whole breaths, repeat this cycle.

The most important aspect of this practice is the held breath (held for seven seconds). Additionally, it is advised that when you initially begin, you only practice 4-7-8 breathing for four breaths. You can eventually increase your breathing to eight complete breaths.

You shouldn’t use this breathing exercise if you’re not ready to unwind completely. It can nevertheless induce deep relaxation in the practitioner even though it isn’t always used to induce sleep. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your breathing cycles, make sure you don’t need to be fully attentive right away.

BENEFITS

There is some evidence to support the idea that deep breathing exercises reduce anxiety and stress levels in people.

For instance, a review study published in 2011 in the Health Science Journal outlines some of the potential health advantages of deep breathing techniques, particularly for deep breathing through the diaphragm. These potential advantages include:

• lessened weariness
• decreased anxiety
• reduced asthma symptoms in kids and teenagers improved stress management
• decrease in hypertension
• reduced aggression in male adolescents
• reduction in migraine symptoms
• Studies indicate

According to a Reliable Source, practicing pranayama breathing for six weeks may enhance anxiety and cognition while also having a good impact on a person’s heart rate variability, which is linked to stress.

Certain breathing methods, including 4-7-8 breathing, and other relaxation techniques have a connection. Some people incorporate the following techniques with this breathing:

• directed imagery
• progressively relaxing the muscles
• repeatedly praying
• Tai chi, qigong, and yoga
• mindfulness practice
• The most typical applications of 4-7-8 breathing are to ease anxiety and stress. It is said to get better at helping a person control their stress levels with repeated use.

In contrast to this advancement, anti-anxiety medications tend to lose part of their potency over time as the body becomes accustomed to them.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 4-7-8 TECHNIQUE

People who want to practice breathing exercises but are unsure of their capacity for self-regulation may find it helpful to use an app. In the Apple and Google Play stores, people may find apps for a variety of devices.

For instance, the free Apple app Breathe encourages users to practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique. People who have installed the app have generally given it positive feedback. It has a function that lets you set reminders to utilize it frequently throughout the day.

The Google Play market offers the free app Prana Breath: Calm & Meditate. It assists users in practicing various breathing techniques for relaxation, including breathing cycles.

TAKEAWAY

The 4-7-8 breathing technique not only helps you to fall asleep quickly but also reduces the chances of anxiety. This technique can be performed daily few minutes before falling asleep. The assistance of internet-based applications can help in performing this technique more efficiently.

You are all set to perform your own technique. you can also check out the following for more informative articles. Setting a bedtime routine is also of utmost importance

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“Blues on a rainy day.” “Upbeat attitude.” “A thunderous face.” A little under the weather. The numerous ways weather can impact mood, vitality, and even mental functioning are frequently acknowledged in English.

The relationship between you and the environment is probably not as straightforward as “cold = bad” or “warm = nice.”

If you reside in a desert region, a fantastic, windy day might be a welcome change of scenery. Similar to how biking or walking to work could feel downright terrible during the summer’s hot, muggy days.

How the weather affects you also heavily depends on personal preference. People often fall into one of four types, according to earlier research from 2011, which included 497 teenagers and their mothers:

• Lover of the summer: Sunny, warm days make you feel better.
• Those of you who despise the summer: Sunny, warm days make you feel down.
• Rain haters: Rainy days make you feel less happy.
• Unaffected: Your mood isn’t greatly impacted by the weather.

Despite individual variances, there are a few key ways that climate and environment do impact people. Continue reading to find out who might be most vulnerable to weather changes, how the weather might affect your emotions, and how climate change may affect your mental health.

Energy

Your body typically responds to cold weather by slowing down and “hibernating,” which causes you to have less energy during the winter. Your energy and attitude can both be improved by warmer weather, but only up to a threshold of 70°F (21°C). You can then start to feel worn out and want to get out of the heat.

Sunlight has an effect on your energy levels as well. Light instructs your circadian clock to stay awake, while darkness instructs your brain to go to sleep. In other words, long, sunny days might make you feel energized. However, there is less light on short or overcast days to keep you awake, so you can feel sleepier than usual.

Stress

If you’ve ever felt jittery or nervous before a storm, it was probably just your body alerting you to a reduction in air pressure. According to a 2019 study on animals, changes in air pressure may cause your brain’s superior vestibular nucleus (SVN), which regulates balance and perception, to become active. Although mice were used in this investigation, SVNs also exist in people.

According to the study’s authors, SVN may agitate your body’s stress response prior to a storm, putting you on edge. Circulating stress hormones may also make your nerve endings more sensitive, which may be why some people have flare-ups of chronic pain during periods of low air pressure.

Stress levels may also rise as a result of high temperatures. Older studies indicate that during hotter months, people tend to become more irritable or even hostile.

Capacity to reason clearly and make wise conclusions

People also seem to be more accepting of financial risk when the weather is warm. The weather might be a factor if you tend to invest or buy things on impulse more frequently in the summer.

It’s important to note that these effects only manifest themselves when you step outside. On a sunny day, simply gazing out the window probably won’t have much of an effect. In warm, sunny weather, it’s possible that:

• improving memory.
• making you more receptive to fresh knowledge
• If you have ADHD, work on improving your inattention.

Who is most susceptible to weather changes?

Many people’s relationship between the weather and their physical and emotional well-being is negligible. However, weather changes can result in symptoms like these for the 30% of persons who have meteoropathy:

• irritation.
• migraine.
• insomnia.
• having difficulties focusing
• discomfort near previous wounds or scars.

Meteorology isn’t a disease in and of itself, but it can exacerbate mental health issues. The following conditions are also recognized to be affected by the weather:

Winter depression

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as major depressive disorder (MDD) with a seasonal pattern, describes depression symptoms that only manifest at specific seasons of the year.

During the fall and winter, most persons with this kind of depression have symptoms including melancholy, tiredness, and increased hunger, but not during the spring and summer.

But in some cases, the symptoms of seasonal depression take the reverse course: they are brought on by the bright, sunny spring and summer months and relieved by the cooler winter months. Symptoms of spring or summer depression can include anxiety, sleeplessness, poor appetite, and a depressed mood.

Bipolar disorder

About 1 in 4 bipolar patients claim that their mood disorders follow a seasonal pattern. The main connection between seasonality and bipolar symptoms appears to be temperature.

While research findings can vary, there is some broad agreement that periods of mania and depression are more common in the spring and summer and respectively.

Additionally, according to research from 2020, bipolar disorder sufferers who have made suicide attempts in the past tend to be more sensitive to the weather and experience more severe meteoropathy symptoms. On screening tests for meteoropathy, participants who had made more suicide attempts performed better.

Unusual weather conditions

Temperatures are simply one aspect of climate change. The frequency of extreme weather events (EWEs), such as floods, storms, and wildfires, has also grown. Events like these might greatly disturb your life and even result in mental health issues.

A 2020 review that included 17 studies with participants who had a EWE within the previous year found,

• 19.8% of the individuals reported having anxious symptoms.
• Indicators of depression were present in 21.4% of the subjects.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were seen in 30.4% of the subjects (PTSD).

Hearing about EWEs might cause anxiety in even those who are not directly exposed to them. Some people may experience eco-anxiety, a feeling of fear and helplessness brought on by the existential threat posed by climate change. Eco-anxiety has increased as climate change has speeded up, particularly among younger generations who will have to deal with the long-term implications.

How to tackle

Although you cannot control the weather, you may take measures to lessen its negative effects on your health. If you believe you may be weather-sensitive, take into account these suggestions:

• So that you can monitor how various weather patterns influence you, keep a mood journal.
• Keep an eye on the weather prediction so you can plan low-stress activities for challenging days.
• When it’s cold outside, stay indoors. You might wish to go to the closest emergency warming or cooling center if your house doesn’t have heating or air conditioning.

However, if the weather seems to be having a consistently negative effect on your mood, it never hurts to speak with a medical expert. They can aid in ruling out any underlying illnesses and provide additional direction on available treatments.

You might wish to get in touch with a professional for extra support if any mental health symptoms you have do persist for longer than a day or two or prevent you from doing the activities you normally would.

TAKEAWAY

While many people’s mood, energy, and cognition are only slightly impacted by the weather, about one-third of people are extremely sensitive to changes in the atmosphere.

In addition, as extreme weather events have become more frequent as a result of climate change, more people are now at risk for developing PTSD, depression, and anxiety as a result of natural disasters.

On a personal level, working with a therapist to address your symptoms can be beneficial, but widespread initiatives to battle climate change may be more effective at preventing weather-related traumas from occurring in the first place.

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Health is dependent on sleep. In actuality, much like food and water, sleep is a necessity for survival. So it seems sensible that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping.

Biological processes that occur while we sleep include:

• The brain eliminates harmful trash while storing fresh information.
• Nerve cells exchange information and rearrange themselves, supporting proper brain function.
• The body releases substances like hormones and proteins repairs cells and replenishes energy.
• These actions are essential for maintaining our general health. Our bodies cannot function properly without them.

Let’s examine the benefits of sleep in more detail, as well as what happens when we don’t get enough of it.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SLEEP?

There is still much to learn about the function of sleep. However, it is generally acknowledged that there is more than one reason why humans need to sleep. It’s probably required for a variety of biological factors.

Scientists have discovered that sleep benefits the body in a variety of ways. The following lists the most popular theories and explanations.

ENERGY PRESERVATION

According to the energy conservation theory, we need sleep to conserve energy. Sleeping allows us to reduce our caloric needs by spending part of our time functioning at a lower metabolism.

This concept is backed by the way our metabolic rate drops during sleep. Research suggests that 8 hours of sleep for human beings can produce a daily energy savings of over complete wakefulness.

The energy conservation theory of sleep suggests that the main purpose of sleep is to reduce a person’s energy use during times of the day and night when it’s inconvenient and less efficient to hunt for food.

CELL REGENERATION

The restorative idea claims that sleep is necessary for the body to heal itself.

Sleep, according to the theory, enables cell growth and repair. Numerous significant processes that take place while you sleep support this.

• muscle recovery
• protein synthesis
• the release of tissue growth hormone.

NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION

According to the brain plasticity idea, sleep is necessary for proper brain function. It specifically enables the reorganization of your neurons, or nerve cells.

The glymphatic system in your brain, which removes waste from the central nervous system, operates while you sleep. Your brain is cleansed of poisonous wastes that accumulate throughout the day. This enables your brain to function well when you awaken.

According to research, sleep improves memory by helping short-term memories become long-term memories and by deleting, or forgetting, unnecessary information that may otherwise congest the nervous system.

Numerous elements of brain activity are impacted by sleep, including:

• learning
• memory
• creativity
• problem-solving
• decision-making
• attention
• concentration.

EMOTIONAL WELL BEING

Similar to physical health, emotional health depends on sleep. Sleep promotes healthy brain function and emotional stability because it enhances activity in brain regions that control mood.

Sleep heightens activity in certain regions of the brain, such as:

• amygdala
• striatum
• hippocampus
• insula
• medial prefrontal cortex

The amygdala is one area where sleep might assist with emotion regulation. The fear response is controlled by this area of the brain, which is found in the temporal lobe. When you encounter a perceived threat, such as a stressful scenario, it is what regulates your response.

The amygdala can respond in a more adaptive manner when you receive enough sleep. However, the amygdala is more prone to overreact if you lack sleep.

According to research, sleep and mental health are related. On the one hand, mental health problems can contribute to sleep disturbances, which in turn can contribute to the development and deterioration of mental health problems.

BALANCED WEIGHT

Your weight is impacted by sleep via regulating hunger hormones. These hormones include ghrelin, which stimulates hunger, and leptin, which heightens the sensation of fullness following a meal.

Ghrelin levels drop while you sleep because you utilize less energy than you do when you’re awake.

But insufficient sleep raises ghrelin and lowers leptin. You feel more hungry as a result of this imbalance, which could lead to consuming more calories and putting on weight.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BODY WHEN YOU SLEEP?

Four stages of sleep are cycled through by your body. From 70 to 120 minutes

each, this cycle repeats several times throughout the course of the night. The stages typically repeat four to five times during the course of a 7 to 9-hour sleep cycle.

Non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep are the two main sleep phases included in the pattern. Three non-REM sleep stages and one REM state are included in the four stages of sleep.

Non-REM sleep, as its name implies, is marked by the absence of eye movements, whereas REM sleep, which is when dreams happen, is characterized by rapid eye movements.

Below is a list of the four phases of sleep.

NON-REM-SLEEP

When you first fall asleep, you are at stage 1. Your brain waves, heart rate, and eye movements slow down when your body enters light slumber.

This stage lasts around seven minutes.

NON-REM SLEEP 2

In this stage, light slumber occurs soon before deep sleep.

Your body temperature drops, your eyes stop moving, and your muscles continue to relax while your heart rate slows. Your brain waves briefly peak before settling.

You spend the majority of a night’s sleep in stage 2.

NON-REM SLEEP 3

Deep sleep starts in stages three and four. Your muscles and eyes remain still, and your brain waves become even more sluggish.

Restorative sleep is deep slumber. Your body heals cells, tissues, and muscles while replenishing its energy. This stage is necessary for you to feel alert and renewed the following day.

NON-REM SLEEP 4

This period begins roughly 90 minutes after you go to sleep. During REM sleep, your eyes rapidly flicker from side to side.

Your brain waves and eye movements speed up during REM sleep. Your breathing and heart rate both quicken.

During REM sleep, dreaming frequently occurs. This stage is crucial for learning and memory since it involves your brain processing information.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF LACK OF SLEEP?

Your body has a hard time operating normally if you don’t get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is associated with long-term health issues that affect the blood, brain, kidneys, heart, and mental state.

Adults and kids who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to suffer an injury. For instance, driving while fatigued might result in fatal car accidents.

Poor sleep is linked to a higher risk of fractures and falls in older persons.

The following are examples of specific sleep-related effects:

• mood shifts
• anxiety \sdepression
• bad memory
• the decreased immune system, limited attention and concentration, poor motor function, weariness, and weight gain
• blood pressure is high.
• insulin sensitivity
• chronic conditions include heart disease and diabetes
• higher chance of dying young

TAKEAWAY

We need sleep to maintain our health and productivity. It enables your body and brain to recover, revitalize, and heal.

Lack of sleep can have negative consequences on your immune system, mood, and ability to concentrate and remember things.

Adults typically require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Speak to your physician or a sleep specialist if you are having sleep issues. They can identify the underlying reason and enhance your sleep quality.

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