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4-7-8 breathing timer

In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. Start with four rounds, which is exactly what the 1 minute setting gives you.

What is 4-7-8 breathing?

4-7-8 breathing means breathing in quietly through your nose for a count of 4, holding for 7, and breathing out through your mouth for 8. It was popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, who adapted it from yogic breathing. The long exhale makes it a favorite for winding down before sleep. Start with four rounds.

Weil sometimes calls it the Relaxing Breath. Each round takes 19 seconds here, so four rounds take just over a minute. The exhale is twice as long as the inhale, and many people find that rhythm calming.

Weil's own guidance is that the ratio of 4 to 7 to 8 matters more than the exact speed. If seven seconds of holding feels like a lot, it is fine to count faster, as long as the proportions stay roughly the same.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Get comfortable. Sit with your back straight while you learn it. Rest the tip of your tongue on the ridge just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there throughout.
  2. Empty your lungs. Breathe out fully through your mouth, around your tongue, with a soft whoosh.
  3. Breathe in for 4. Close your mouth and breathe in quietly through your nose as the circle grows.
  4. Hold for 7. Hold your breath gently. Keep your shoulders and jaw relaxed.
  5. Breathe out for 8. Breathe out completely through your mouth with a whoosh as the circle shrinks. That is one round.
  6. Repeat three more times. Four rounds is the usual starting point. Weil suggests sticking to four at a time for the first month, then building up to eight if you like.

If the hold is too long, try our custom timer with a faster count such as 2 in, 4 hold, 4 out, which keeps a similar shape.

When to use it

  • In bed: the most common use. A few rounds as you settle in can help you let go of the day.
  • After something rattles you: a tense message, a near miss in traffic, a long scroll that left you wired.
  • As a twice daily habit: Weil recommends practising at least twice a day so it feels familiar when you actually need it.

Because of the long hold, skip it while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention.

What the research says

4-7-8 is hugely popular, but direct research on it is limited. The most specific study we found tested it in 43 healthy adults aged 19 to 25, about half of whom had been kept awake for a night. After three sets of six 4-7-8 cycles, heart rate and systolic blood pressure dropped in both groups. Changes in heart rate variability were mixed: they shifted in a relaxed direction in the rested group, but not clearly in the sleep deprived group (Vierra et al., 2022). It was a small study in young, healthy people, and it did not measure how quickly anyone fell asleep.

The wider evidence for slow breathing is more developed. A 2018 systematic review found that breathing slower than 10 breaths a minute was associated with higher heart rate variability and with people reporting more relaxation and less anxiety (Zaccaro et al., 2018). At about three breaths a minute, 4-7-8 sits well inside that range.

The fair summary: it is an easy way to slow your breathing, many people find it relaxing, and claims that it puts you to sleep in 60 seconds go beyond the evidence.

Who should go gently

The seven second hold and long exhale make lightheadedness fairly common at first. Weil notes this usually passes with practice, but if you feel dizzy, faint or uncomfortable, stop and breathe normally. Practice sitting or lying down.

Go gently, or check with your doctor first, if you are pregnant, have a heart or lung condition, or have a history of panic attacks. A shorter count or a pattern without holds, like calm breathing 4-6, may suit you better. This is a general wellbeing tool, not medical advice or treatment. If you have a health condition or concerns, check with your doctor before starting a new breathing practice.

Frequently asked questions

Does 4-7-8 breathing help you fall asleep?

Many people use it at bedtime and find it relaxing, and slow breathing in general is linked with feeling calmer. There is not yet solid research showing that 4-7-8 itself helps people fall asleep faster, so treat it as a wind-down ritual rather than a guaranteed fix.

How many rounds of 4-7-8 should I do?

Start with four rounds, which is what the 1 minute setting on this timer gives you. Dr. Weil suggests keeping to four rounds at a time for the first month, then building up to eight if you want to.

What if I cannot hold my breath for 7 seconds?

Count faster. The ratio of 4 to 7 to 8 matters more than the exact seconds. A custom pattern such as 2 in, 4 hold, 4 out keeps a similar shape with a much shorter hold.

Why do I feel dizzy doing 4-7-8?

Lightheadedness is common when you first try it, usually from breathing in too deeply or holding too long. Take a smaller breath in, shorten the count, or stop and breathe normally until it passes.

From the makers of this timer

Want this to show up mid-scroll?

DeRot pauses your scroll and walks you through a breath like this one. Sixty seconds later your shoulders have dropped, your head feels clearer, and you carry on, calmer. No willpower needed, just a breather.

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Sources