Guided Breathing Exercises for Sleep

Breathing is one of the few ways you can talk to your nervous system directly. Slow it down, make the exhale longer than the inhale, and your body reads that as a signal that it is safe to let go. That is the whole principle behind every session on this page.

There is something worth saying plainly here, because most people arrive at this page expecting the opposite. Classic Wim Hof breathing — the fast, deep rounds followed by a breath hold — is a stimulant. It raises adrenaline. It is a wonderful way to start a day and a poor way to end one. Practised too close to bedtime it can leave you alert exactly when you want to be drifting off.

So this page holds two kinds of sessions. The slow ones — long exhales, gentle pacing, no forceful breathing — are the ones to use in bed. They ask nothing of you except that you follow the voice and let your body get heavier. If you fall asleep halfway through, the session did its job.

The Wim Hof sessions listed here are for the evening rather than the night: early enough that the activation has passed by the time you lie down, usually a few hours before bed. Many people find that a morning practice improves their sleep that same night, not through anything they do in the evening, but by giving the day a clearer rhythm.

Set your phone down, lie on your back, and let the audio do the rest. Nothing here requires effort or good technique.

If you have persistent insomnia, breathing exercises are a support, not a treatment. It is worth speaking with a doctor.

Never practise in or near water, or while driving. Always sit or lie down. Not suitable during pregnancy, or if you have epilepsy, a heart condition, high blood pressure or a history of fainting — speak with your doctor first.