Sleep Onset / Wind-Down Protocol
A pre-sleep routine of avoiding stimulating media plus soft slow exhale breathing with light air hunger to signal safety to the brain and fall asleep faster.
Assembled by Cited from Patrick McKeown's recorded recommendations across multiple sources. It is not an ordered program and was not created or endorsed by them — it's our grouping of what they've said on the record.
Components
4-
In a protocol
Don't watch the news, true crime shows, or scroll phone before bed — stimulation and blue light prevent the brain from signaling safety needed for sleep onset.
“Don't watch the news... before you go to sleep
TR▶ 1:00:50CertaintyexplicitrecommendationAvoid news, true crime, phone scrolling before bed -
In a protocol
Take a soft breath in through nose and relaxed, slow, gentle exhale to stimulate vagus nerve, slow heart rate, and signal safety to the brain.
“a relaxed and a slow and a gentle breath out
TR▶ 1:01:40DosageSoft nasal inhale, slow gentle exhale; for sleep, add light air hunger (30% less air)CertaintyexplicitrecommendationSoft nasal inhale, slow gentle exhale to stimulate vagus nerve -
In a protocol
To fall asleep faster, soften breathing to ~30% less air with comfortable air hunger, mouth closed, breathing nasally.
“taking about 30% less air into your body
TR▶ 1:05:50DosageSoft nasal in, gentle out, ~30% less volume; mouth closedCertaintyexplicitrecommendationSoften further to ~30% less air with comfortable air hunger; mouth closed -
In a protocol
Use a guided audio (incorporating hypnosis/NLP) when waking at 3am or struggling to fall asleep — hand the rumination problem over to the recording.
“throw on my headphones... play the guided audio
TR▶ 1:06:40DosagePhone on flight mode, headphones, play guided audioCertaintypersonal onlypersonal useIf waking at 3am or rumination, throw on headphones with guided audio