There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning in bed, not being able to get to sleep. It happens to all of us.

Luckily, there’s a technique that might just sort us out…

It’s a ‘natural tranquiliser for the nervous system’

Dr Andrew Weil from Arizona, USA thinks he might have worked out the best technique to get to sleep – and it’s all based on breathing.

It’s called the 4-7-8 technique. Dr Weil claims that in under a minute you will be asleep because works as a  “natural tranquiliser for the nervous system”, reducing tension in the body.

So, how does it work?

1. Before you start, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just above your teeth, and keep it there throughout the exercise.

2. Exhale completely through your mouth quite forcefully, so you make a ‘whoosh’ sound.

3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly and softly through your nose for a mental count of four.

4. Hold your breath and count to seven.

5. Next, exhale completely through your mouth, making another whoosh sound for eight seconds in one large breath.

6. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three times.

P.S. All inhaling breaths must be quiet and through your nose, and all exhaling breaths must be loud and through your mouth.

Did it work for you? Let us know in the comment box below.