There are lots of different breathing techniques. Search online you’ll find several. Some say breathe in slow and steady, hold, then breathe out slowly (slower than you breathed in). The amount of time for each step is determined by what works for you but always exhale slower than inhale. I do a fairly simple one where I breathe in for about 6-7 seconds, then exhale for about 8-9 seconds. I don’t hold my breath in the middle. Repeat this for about 5 minutes, often less you’ll feel it working sooner. I learned this in cardiac rehab. The number of seconds you inhale and exhale is less important that the ratio of exhaling slower than you inhale. This is shown to reduce blood pressure in a few minutes. (And conversely if you exhale faster than you inhale your blood pressure will rise).
In through the nose, out through the mouth.
When I was young my grandmother taught me a totally different technique for sleep, sort of more meditative. Lay in bed and recite in your mind “toes, relax and go to sleep”. It’s a command (but say it slowly and calmly in your head) that you repeat many times until you feel your toes relaxed. Then move to your feet and do the same. “Feet relax and go to sleep” over and over. Then the ankles. Then the calves, then the knees, then the thighs etc It’s sort of meditative, like a mantra that helps you get into a trance. You focus your mind on sleep. And it’s more intentional than counting sheep. If you do this right you can start to fall asleep before you get much father up the body. I did that as a kid, it worked for me then, but when I became a teen and then in my 20s I didn’t want to sleep 😂 so I stopped doing it.
Thank you both! You each explained your technique clearly and explained the important part 😊 I am going to do these and see if they help. I am feeling a little desperate because it’s gotten worse lately.
Thanks again!