4-7-8 breathing timer

How to do 4-7-8 breathing

1. Exhale fully through your mouth to begin.
2. Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
3. Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
4. Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Traditionally you do this with a soft "whoosh", the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth.
5. Repeat for four breaths to begin with. Build up to a few minutes as it gets comfortable.

What happens in your body

The 4-7-8 pattern was popularised by Dr. Andrew Weil, who adapted it from pranayama (yogic breath control) and called it the "relaxing breath". The exact counts matter less than the ratio: an inhale, a longer hold, and the longest phase on the exhale. Your heart slows a little on every out-breath, so an exhale twice as long as the inhale leans the whole cycle towards calm.

The same study measured systolic blood pressure about 3 to 4 mmHg lower straight after. In the rested group, the vagal ("rest-and-digest") part of heart-rate variability rose.

Keep it in proportion: this was a small study with no comparison breathing pattern. The popular claim that 4-7-8 makes you "fall asleep in 60 seconds" has no peer-reviewed support. What is well established is broader: slow breathing with a longer exhale tends to calm the body. In another small trial, 15 minutes of slow breathing before bed for a month improved self-reported sleep compared with scrolling social media.

Want the bigger picture? Read how breathing affects your body and mind: the heart, the nervous system, blood pressure and mood, with illustrations and 20+ studies.

Make it yours in Breathcharge

If a 7-second hold feels too long, turn on Keep the ratio in the pattern settings and lower the inhale to 2. The whole pattern scales to 2-3.5-4. For bedtime, choose the Nocturne look, an open-ended session and Dim the screen once I've started.

Breathing safely

The slow patterns here are gentle, but holds and deep inhales can make you light-headed. Stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy. Never practise breath holds in or near water, or while driving. If you are pregnant, or have a heart, lung or seizure condition or panic disorder, check with a clinician first. Breathing exercises can complement medical care but don't replace it.