Thinking about stressful situations before going to sleep can trigger the stress response, which is the exact opposite of what the body requires in order to wind down and go to sleep. A breathing exercise can help people turn their attention from their racing thoughts to their hard-working body’s need for sleep.

The following breathing exercise may be done with soft music, nature sounds (e.g., ocean waves) or a relaxation tape playing in the background. It may also be done in conjunction with a relaxation exercise or meditation exercise.

Each step of this exercise can be done while lying in bed. The steps are as follows:

1. Close your eyes and take three deep, cleansing breaths. Focus on inhaling clean air and exhaling stale air. It may help to place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. When taking a breath, the hand on the abdomen should rise higher than the hand on the chest. This ensures that the lungs are being filled adequately. When you exhale, do so through the mouth and gently contract the abdominal muscles to completely empty the lungs. The exhalation should last approximately twice as long as the inhalation.
   
   
2. Continuing to breathe deeply, spend a few moments focusing your attention on your toes. You will have fully focused your attention on this part of your body when you can mentally visualize the position of each toe. This, in itself, can be quite relaxing as attention shifts from the mind to the body.
   
   
3. Breathe fresh air into the toes, fingertips, scalp and every other part of the body. Exhale stale air from all of those locations, feeling warm and cleansed.

If attention wanders, go back to the second step, re-focusing on the toes before beginning the process again. If necessary, keep your attention on the toes, skipping the third step of the exercise entirely. Different strategies will be more helpful for different people. It may take some time to find a strategy that works best for you.