Try the 4-7-8 breath tonight
In through the nose for four, a gentle hold for seven, and a slow sigh out for eight. This Short counts it with you, twice, then lets your breath settle on its own.
Watch on YouTube · SleepBetter channel · Guided Meditations
Made with AI. Parts of this video are AI-generated (see “How this was made” below).
Headphones needed. The binaural part works only with headphones: a binaural beat only exists when each ear gets its own tone. On a speaker you will just hear a soft hum. Keep the volume low, and don’t listen while driving.
What it is
A counted round of 4-7-8 breathing, the pattern popularised by Dr Andrew Weil, with a second round at your own pace. The voice counts the first inhale aloud, leaves the seven-count hold as quiet space, then guides a long, soft exhale through the mouth.
How to use it for sleep
Sit or lie comfortably and breathe out fully first. If holding for seven feels like a strain, shorten every count by the same amount, for example 2-3.5-4: it’s the long exhale that matters most, not the exact numbers. Two to four rounds is plenty; stop if you feel light-headed. Our free 4-7-8 breathing pacer shows the rhythm on screen if you want to practise during the day.
Best for
Nights when your heart still feels quick from the day, and anyone who likes a clear, countable exercise rather than an open visualisation.
Sound design note
Under the voice is a soft 3.5 Hz binaural tone (200 Hz left, 203.5 Hz right) with warm brown noise, generated by SleepBetter. 3.5 Hz is in the delta range, but here it is simply a slow, low sound to relax to; research on binaural beats is mixed, and we don’t claim it changes your brain state. Our binaural beats guide explains what the studies found. Headphones needed for the binaural part: a binaural beat only exists when each ear gets its own tone. On a speaker you will just hear a soft hum. Keep the volume low, and don’t listen while driving.
Keep it going
Once the Short ends, you can keep the same calm going without a voice. The binaural beats guide explains how to play a binaural bed safely all night, and the brown noise page covers the warm noise layer on its own, which works on a speaker too. If you want a scene as well, our cabin window rain runs for eight hours with a dark screen.
Transcript
The full narration, as spoken. Pauses are left out.
Try this breath tonight. In through the nose for four.
One… two… three… four.
Hold gently for seven.
And out through the mouth, slowly, for eight.
A long, soft sigh… all the way out.
Once more, at your own pace. In… hold… and let it go.
Let your breath settle on its own. Full sleep sessions… on Sleep Better.
How this was made
The narration is an AI-generated voice (ElevenLabs, voice “Solomon” from the ElevenLabs voice library), reading an original script written by SleepBetter. The binaural tones and noise are generated by SleepBetter. Visual: “Nebula texture in space” by Mixkit (Mixkit Free License), slowed and colour-graded.
Keep watching
Video · 8 hoursRain on a cabin window, 8 hours with a dark screen
Close raindrops on glass and soft rain on the roof. No thunder, dark by 5:00.
ShortA 30-second body scan for when you can’t switch off
Soften each part of the body, forehead to feet, in about half a minute.
ShortRacing thoughts? Let them drift past
Set each thought on a leaf and let the water carry it away. You don’t push.
SoundBinaural beats for sleep
A real hearing effect with mixed evidence. How they work and how to try them.
Free tool4-7-8 breathing exercise
A calm, on-screen pacer for 4-7-8, box breathing, cyclic sighing and slow breathing before bed.
Sleep videos and guided relaxation are for general wellness, not medical advice. If poor sleep is affecting your days, talk to a doctor or a sleep specialist.