As we navigate the complexities of midlife, many of us grapple with a new challenge: sleep disruption. This September, The Sleep Charity’s Sleeptember campaign is focusing on workplace sleep. I’m seeing how breathwork can improve your sleep and help you fight fatigue at work.
The Midlife Sleep Challenge
For women in their late 40s and early 50s, sleep can become an elusive luxury. (Yes, I speak from experience.) But why? Menopause messes with our hormones, work piles on the stress, add life changes to the mix, and it all leads to broken sleep.
This lack of good quality sleep not only affects our personal well-being but can also impact our performance and safety in the workplace.
The Science Behind Breathwork and Sleep
New scientific research has shown that how we breathe affects how well we sleep. According to a 2022 study, practising deep breathing exercises before going to bed can enhance the quality of your sleep. (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine).
Researchers discovered that certain breathing exercises can relax the body and enhance sleep quality. How? Because specific breathing exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system. (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
If you’re a woman dealing with menopause symptoms like night sweats and anxiety, breathwork can offer relief.
Breathwork Techniques for Better Sleep
Here are three simple yet effective breathwork techniques you can incorporate into your nightly routine:
1. Box Breathing
- Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4
- Pause and hold your breath gently for a count of 4
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4
- Pause for a count of 4 before beginning the next cycle
- Repeat for 4-5 cycles or until you feel calm and relaxed
2. Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Close your right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through your left nostril
- Close your left nostril with your finger and exhale through your right nostril
- Inhale through your right nostril, then close it
- Exhale through your left nostril
- Repeat for 5-10 cycles
3. Belly Breathing
- Sit or lie on your back with one hand on your chest and the other on your tummy. (Why? Because I want you to feel how your body moves while you breathe.)
- Breathe in deeply through your nose, feeling your belly rise
- Exhale slowly through pursed lips, feeling your belly lower
- Repeat for 3-5 minutes
Integrating Breathwork into Your Sleep Routine
To maximise the benefits of breathwork for sleep:
1. Create a calming environment: Dim the lights and reduce noise in your bedroom.
2. Establish a routine: Practise your chosen breathwork technique at the same time each night.
3. Be consistent: Like any skill, breathwork becomes more effective with regular practice.
4. Listen to your body: If one technique doesn’t work for you, try another.
The Workplace Connection
When you sleep well, you do better at work. Adding breathwork to your nightly routine has lots of benefits. Not only can it enhance your sleep, but you may also see a boost to your focus, decision-making, and productivity at work.
Join me in supporting The Sleep Charity’s #SleepforSafety campaign this Sleeptember. Remember, getting enough sleep is crucial for a safer, more productive workplace.
Ready to breathe your way to better sleep and improved workplace vitality? Book a Quick Fix Breathwork Session. Discover how personalised breathwork can improve your sleep and revitalise your professional life.
Sweet dreams and deep breaths!
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Kim Brockway is a certified Influential Breathwork™ Coach and the founder of Wessex Wise Woman, dedicated to guiding women through midlife transitions with the power of breathwork and ancient wisdom.