Self-Regulation of Breathing as an Adjunctive Treatment of Insomnia

Abstract

Sleep is a quiescent behavioral state during which complex homeostatic functions essential to health and well-being occur. Insomnia is a very common psychiatric disorder leading to a myriad of detrimental effects including loss of concentration, memory, and performance as well as disease. Current pharmaceutical treatments can be expensive, impairing, unhealthy, and habit-forming. Relaxation techniques, such as meditation target the brain and body in contrast to pharmaceutical interventions which solely target neurotransmitter systems in the brain. In this article we present a viewpoint on the treatment of insomnia that techniques of slow, deep breathing (0.1 Hz) in adjunct to sleep hygiene and relaxation therapies may be highly effective in initiating sleep as well as facilitating falling back asleep. The autonomic nervous system is integral to sleep initiation, maintenance, and disruption. Understanding the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and sleep physiology along with the nature of sleep itself remains a challenge to modern science. We present this perspective in light of a prevailing “dysevolution” theory on the pathology of insomnia that proposes hyper-arousal characterized in part by chronic sympathetic hyperactivation and/or parasympathetic hypoactivation disrupts normal sleep onset latency, sleep quality, and sleep duration. We additionally discuss physiological mechanisms responsible for the effectiveness of the breathing treatment we describe. A better understanding of these mechanisms and autonomic pathologies of insomnia may provide support for the effectiveness of such techniques and provide relief to sufferers of this health epidemic.

The Effectiveness of Using Breathing Exercise on Sleep Quality Among Hospitalized Patients

“…Yang, Y., S., et al, [28] examined the effect of exercise on sleep quality in pregnant woman, they reported that relaxation exercise as youga or breathing exercise and aerobic exercise is one of the non-pharmacological nursing intervention that will reduce insomnia and anxiety. On the other hand, Jerath, R., et al [29] reported that breathing exercise result in stronger sympatho-inhibition that lead to reduction in pain intensity, dyspnea among asthmatic patient, improves cardiorespiratory synchronization and improves mood disorders which intern improves sleep quality.…”

Respiratory Rhythm, Autonomic Modulation, and the Spectrum of Emotions: The Future of Emotion Recognition and Modulation

“…These body rhythms are always present with us, slowly provoking certain mental states, and so they deserve attention from not only those in health care but also the average person who would benefit from the ability to regulate emotional state. We and others have suggested that long-term "negative" body rhythms can keep us trapped in a vicious cycle of poor emotional health, which also leads to physical health declines (Jerath et al, 2019).…”

Effect of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) on daytime and situational sleep propensity in novice practitioners: a prospective cohort study

“…Jereth et al present an interesting perspective on the influences of autonomic nervous system (ANS) on sleep onset latency, duration, and quality [20]. Their dysevolution theory proposes that the chronic sympathetic hyperactivation and/or parasympathetic hypoactivation disrupts sleep [20][21][22]. Monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is the current standard for studying the role and impact of ANS on sleep architecture.…”