Mindful Life Changes: Weekly Affirmations For Midlife

49. When You Can’t Fall Asleep: Breathing Exercises for Night & Bedtime

• Valerie Mekki • Episode 49

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Ever have those nights when you just can’t go to sleep? No matter what you do you can’t catch those precious “Z’s”, until now. In this enlightening episode of the Mindful Life Changes podcast, host Valerie Mekki delves into the transformative power of breathing exercises as a natural remedy for improving sleep quality and managing stress. With an in-depth exploration of diaphragmatic and 4-7-8 breathing techniques, Valerie offers practical guidance on how to incorporate these exercises into your nightly routine. Whether you're struggling with sleep due to the stresses of midlife or simply seeking ways to enhance your relaxation practices, this episode provides valuable insights and methods to help you achieve a deeper, more restful night's sleep.

Join Valerie as she provides a soothing walkthrough of each technique, designed to calm the mind and body, and shares personal insights on how embracing these practices can lead to significant improvements in both sleep and overall well-being. Perfect for anyone looking to enhance their sleep quality and reduce stress in a natural, accessible way.

Time Stamps:
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[00:00:00] Start
[00:00:59] Intro
[00:02:00] Why you can’t go to sleep
[00:03:15] Breathing exercises for sleep
[00:04:54] Belly Breathing Exercise
[00:08:54] Breathing Exercise “4, 7, 8 “ method
[00:11:52] If you want to continue your sleep journey
[00:13:14] End

Formerly known as the "Mindful Career Change Podcast," I decided to broaden our conversation to cover all life transitions, not just our careers.

Follow the show @mindfullifechanges and DM a question or comment about the life transitions you're going through too. I might answer your question in one of the episodes to help you and other midlifers navigate this everchanging and beautiful season of life.

OR

Connect with me on LinkedIn @valeriemekki

Speaker 1:

Have you ever found yourself awake at night, just lying in bed, unable to fall asleep? You just can't seem to quiet the thoughts racing through your head. Stresses from home, work and family are keeping you up. Or perhaps you used to be a sound sleeper but now you find yourself waking up at odd hours, or you've unexpectedly become a lighter sleeper. Whether it's due to stresses in your life or a change in your sleep habits as you've entered midlife, there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to fall asleep. In today's episode, I'll share a little secret with you A natural and free sleep aid breathing breath is your nightly companion that can help calm the mind and body with a rhythmic cadence enabling you to drift off to sleep.

Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to the Mindful Life Changes podcast, where we dive deep into the challenges and transformations shaping our lives, from the shifts in our roles at home and work to the transitions we navigate physically and mentally as we gracefully age. I'm your host, valerie Mechie, a career change guide and mindfulness enthusiast. In today's episode, it's all about sleep, or rather falling asleep peacefully. In the last episode, we explored how to craft a nightly routine using the REM method, transforming your bedroom into the perfect sleep sanctuary, disconnecting from all distractions and adopting a practice of mindfulness with the body scan meditation. If you've started to adopt this method, I applaud you.

Speaker 1:

If you haven't yet, you're still in the right place, because there are times when you might set yourself up for a good night's rest, yet find yourself waking up in the middle of the night. Or, no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to catch those precious seas. I know the feeling, and it's the worst. You don't want to reach for your phone because you know it will only keep you awake longer. But then you've been lying there, unable to fall asleep, in what feels like hours, which might not really be realistically, but it certainly feels like it. You may be wondering why can't I fall asleep? I'm exhausted from the day, but still I'm awake.

Speaker 1:

Well, the increase of stress levels, often occurred in midlife, could be the culprit. Between the stresses of managing your home, caring for your family and maybe an aging parent, and with the pressures of work, there could be a significant amount of energy buzzing through your body, elevating your cortisol levels. If your stress levels are constantly triggered throughout the day, your body might never return to baseline. Even when you're exhausted and ready for bed. The stress can keep you up, or perhaps you used to be a sound sleeper, but as you've entered midlife, you've noticed a change in your sleep patterns. Well, you're not alone. A 2004 meta-analysis study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine Reviews highlights the changes in sleep patterns that are common with aging. The study revealed that as we age, our sleep structure weaken as we enter into the deep stages of REM, and noted an increase of nighttime awakenings. Such changes can contribute to not getting enough sleep and an overall decrease of sleep quality. However, there is hope. Learning effective breathing techniques can significantly improve sleep quality by promoting relaxation and making it easier to both fall asleep and stay asleep.

Speaker 1:

Breathing exercises serve as a practical tool for managing stress, helping to calm both the mind and the body. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing explored the effects of diaphragmatic breathing on insomnia. It found that practicing diaphragmatic breathing at bedtime significantly improved sleep and the quality among the participants. Diaphragmatic breathing effectively reduces the heart rate and blood pressure, fostering a state of calm that makes it easier to fall asleep. So what is diaphragmatic breathing, which is also known as belly breathing? This technique focuses on deep, slow breaths from the diaphragm rather than a shallow breath from the chest. Slow breaths from the diaphragm rather than a shallow breath from the chest. To practice diaphragmatic breathing, you can be lying down or sitting comfortably on a cushion. You're going to place your hand on your belly, breathing slowly through the nose so the belly rises, holding the breath briefly and exhaling slowly through the mouth, releasing all the air out, feeling the belly fall. This process is repeated several times until you've reached the full state of body and mind relaxation. So let's take a moment to practice this basic belly breathing method. You could be lying down or sitting on a soft cushion, slowly close your eyes, place one of your hands on your belly and the other hand place it on your chest.

Speaker 1:

We're going to take a cleansing breath in through your nose for a count of one, two, three. Hold for one moment and exhale all the air out One, two, three, four and feel your belly fall. Four and feel your belly fall, letting go of any negative energy or tension from the day. Let's try it again. Take a cleansing breath through the nose for a count of one, two, three. Hold for a moment and release all the air out One, two, three, four, feeling your belly fall. If your mind wandered off. It's okay. Slowly come back to your breath Once again. Take a cleansing breath in through the nose for one, 2, 3. Hold for one moment, exhale all the air out 1, 2, 3, 4. Feel your belly slowly fall. Let go of any unhelpful thoughts or conversations from the day. Once again, let's take a cleansing breath through the nose for a count of one, two, three. Hold for one moment, release all the air out One, two, three, four, letting your belly fall. One last time. Take a cleansing breath through the nose One, two, three. Hold for one moment Two, three. Hold for one moment, exhale all the air out One, two, three, four, letting your belly fall. You can gently open your eyes or keep them closed. Feel free to replay this basic belly breathing exercise again or until you feel fully relaxed and calm.

Speaker 1:

Now, for those who may need a more intense breathing exercise or more advanced breathing techniques, let's try the 478 breathing method developed by Dr Andrew Weil, a notably recognized pioneer of integrative medicine. This technique involves breathing in through the nose for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds and exhaling through the mouth for eight seconds. This method is believed to act as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. This method is believed to act as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety and preparing the body for sleep. The rhythm and the counting help focus the mind away from stressful thoughts and allowing the body to relax. So let's take a moment to practice the 4-7-8 breathing method. You could be lying down or sitting on a soft cushion, Slowly close your eyes, relax the shoulders and release anywhere where you feel a little tension.

Speaker 1:

We're going to take a cleansing breath through the nose for a count of 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Exhale all the air out 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Let's try this again. Take a cleansing breath through the nose in for 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Three, four. Hold one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Exhale one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Release all the air out, letting go of any negative energy or tension from today. Once again, let's take a cleanly breath in through the nose for a count of one, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Exhale all the air out through the mouth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. If your mind wandered, slowly bring it back to your breath One last time. Take a cleansing breath in through your nose for a count of 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Exhale all the air out through the mouth. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This concludes your nightly breathing exercises of the 4-7-8 method. Feel free to play this exercise again until or until you feel fully relaxed and calm.

Speaker 1:

If you want to continue your sleep journey with another mindfulness practice, I encourage you to listen to a calming affirmation. Next, consider listening to episode number 18. I release all limiting beliefs. Affirmations to help you show up at your best for the following day, or episode 33,. I visualize my success and feel its reality taking shape. An affirmation designed for visualization, to help you see and believe your future goals are within reach.

Speaker 1:

I'll add the link to these episodes in the show notes. Please make sure to subscribe and bookmark this episode so you'll have it handy whenever you need a quick guide of these breathing exercises for sleep. If you found it challenging to even wind down before you get to bed, check out the previous episode, number 48, where I walk you through the simple three-step sleep preparation routine I shared earlier, named REM, designed to help prime your environment, mind and body for a good night's sleep. If you found this episode helpful, share it with a family member or a friend who could be having difficulty sleeping at night and in need of these breathing techniques for a peaceful night's sleep, or show your appreciation by giving us a rating of this podcast, wherever you're listening. Your support will help others discover this podcast so it can grow and blossom.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for sharing this time and space with me. Every moment you dedicate to being mindful is a step towards a more fulfilled and vibrant life. Keep embracing your midlife journey with an open heart and remember you are not alone in this. I look forward to our next mindful gathering. I'll talk to you soon.