4-6 Breathing

4-6 Breathing settles you quickly, eases tension, and helps you wind down before sleep. It's a simple pattern where the exhale is longer than the inhale: in for a count of four, out for a count of six.

A longer exhale than inhale is one of the most direct ways to engage the vagus nerve and the body's calming response, which slows the heart and quiets arousal. You may feel your body soften or even a little drowsy as you continue, which is the point. Studies on extended-exhale breathing have found it supports a calmer state and lower stress. It's a modern, simplified expression of slow-breathing patterns found across many contemplative traditions. If the practice feels a little awkward or hard to coordinate at first, that's completely normal, it becomes more natural the more you do it.