How do I do 4-7-8 breathing, and how many times should I do it?

Rest the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth and breathe out fully through your mouth first. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, then exhale through your mouth with a whoosh for 8 seconds. That is one cycle. For roughly the first month, up to 4 cycles per session and twice a day is recommended. In this tool, choosing 4-7-8 breathing sets it to end after 4 cycles.

What if holding my breath for 7 seconds is too hard?

With 4-7-8 breathing the 4:7:8 ratio matters more than the exact seconds, so you can set the tempo to 0.75× and start with about 3–5.25–6 seconds. If it is still hard, tick “Don't hold my breath”, or start with belly breathing (inhale 4 s, exhale 6 s) or resonance breathing, which have no holds.

How many seconds is each step of box breathing?

Usually 4-4-4-4: inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4 — 16 seconds per cycle (3.75 breaths per minute). If 4 seconds feels long, use 3 seconds each (tempo 0.75×), and once you are used to it, 5 seconds each (1.25×). About 4–5 minutes per session is a good guide.

How many breaths per minute is resonance breathing?

It is slow breathing at 5–6 breaths per minute, with each breath lasting 10–12 seconds. The most common settings are inhale 5.5 s and exhale 5.5 s (5.45 breaths per minute) or 5 seconds each (6 breaths per minute). The pace that maximises heart rate variability differs slightly from person to person, so try values between 5 and 6 seconds with the custom setting.

What is the physiological sigh?

It is a big inhale through the nose, a short second inhale through the nose once your lungs feel full, and a slow, long exhale through the mouth. People do it naturally after crying or before falling asleep; it is said to reinflate collapsed alveoli and offload more carbon dioxide. You can do just 1–3 of them or continue for 5 minutes.

Can I use it without looking at the screen?

Yes. Set “Cue sound” to “Guide with pitch” and a soft tone rises while you inhale and falls while you exhale. “Chime on each change” plays a bell at a different pitch for each step. Turn on voice prompts as well and you will hear “breathe in”, “hold” and “breathe out”, so you can continue with your eyes closed or in bed. The screen is kept on while the timer runs.

What is a normal resting respiratory rate?

For adults, 12–20 breaths per minute is typical. Children breathe faster: about 18–30 for school-age children, 24–40 for toddlers and 30–60 for infants. To measure, sit and rest for 1–2 minutes, then count the rise and fall of the chest or belly for one minute (or count for 30 seconds and double it). Being aware of your breathing tends to change it, so it is more accurate to have someone else count.

Breathing Timer | Guided 4-7-8 Breathing, Box Breathing, Resonance Breathing (5.5 Breaths per Minute) and the Physiological Sigh with an Animated Circle, Sound, Voice and Vibration — Plus a Resting Respiratory Rate Counter

The Breathing Timer is a free guide that keeps you on a set breathing rhythm: breathe in while the circle on screen grows and breathe out while it shrinks. It includes five patterns — 4-7-8 breathing for bedtime (inhale 4 seconds, hold 7, exhale 8), box breathing for pre-exam or pre-interview nerves (4-4-4-4, also called tactical breathing), slow resonance breathing (coherent breathing) at about 5.5 breaths per minute, the physiological sigh (cyclic sighing: two inhales and a long exhale) and belly breathing with a longer exhale — plus a custom rhythm in 0.5-second steps. Box breathing is shown as a dot tracing the sides of a square; the others use the size of the circle and a countdown. Choose your cue: a chime at each change, a sustained tone that rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale, spoken “breathe in / hold / breathe out” prompts, or phone vibration. End by cycles or by time (1–20 minutes), change the tempo from 0.75× to 1.5×, or switch off breath holds. It also shows breaths per minute, the exhale-to-inhale ratio and the total time. A second tab measures your resting respiratory rate (breaths per minute) by tapping each exhale and compares it with typical ranges by age, and a log tracks your streak and the last 7 days.

4-7-8 breathing4-7-8

4 cycles · about 1:16

Inhale 4s

Hold 7s

Exhale 8s

You can also start and pause with the space bar. The screen is kept on while the timer runs.

Choose a breathing pattern

Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale through the mouth with a whoosh for 8. Keep the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Up to 4 cycles per session for the first month.

Tempo (length of one count)

Speeds up or slows down the whole rhythm while keeping the ratio. If you run out of breath, start at 0.75×.

Don't hold my breath (set hold steps to 0 s)

How to end

Cycles

Cue sound

A bell at a different pitch rings each time you switch between inhale, hold and exhale.

Voice and vibrationSpeak “breathe in”, “hold” and “breathe out” aloudVibrate the phone on each change

What's in this rhythm

One cycle

19 s

Breaths per minute

3.2

A resting adult takes 12–20

Exhale ÷ inhale

2.00×

Longer exhale (calming)

Total

1:16

4 cycles

Step	Seconds	What to do
Inhale	4 s	Breathe in through the nose, letting your belly expand
Hold	7 s	Hold your breath with relaxed shoulders
Exhale	8 s	Breathe out slowly and fully through the mouth (or nose)

This is very slow breathing, fewer than 4 breaths per minute. If you feel short of breath, increase the tempo.

Breathing patterns compared

Pattern	Seconds	Per minute	Good for
4-7-8 breathing	4-7-8	3.2	Before bed, when you can't fall asleep, or when you feel tense
Box breathing	4-4-4-4	3.8	Right before an exam, interview or presentation, or to reset your mind at work
Resonance breathing (coherent breathing)	5.5-5.5	5.5	As a daily habit, or to increase heart rate variability (HRV)
Physiological sigh (cyclic sighing)	2+1-6	6.7	To quickly calm irritation or anxiety — even just 1–3 breaths
Belly breathing (longer exhale)	4-6	6.0	For beginners and anyone who finds breath holds hard

Seconds are listed as inhale-hold-exhale-hold after exhale. “2+1” means a 1-second top-up inhale after inhaling.

If you feel dizzy, tingly or short of breath, stop immediately and return to normal breathing. Do not use this while driving or in water.

If you are pregnant or have heart or lung disease, high blood pressure or panic attacks, talk to a doctor before breath-hold techniques, or use the “Don't hold my breath” setting.

On iPhone and iPad, no sound plays while the device is on silent. Settings and logs are saved only in this device's browser and are never sent to a server.

ABOUT

About Breathing Timer | Guided 4-7-8 Breathing, Box Breathing, Resonance Breathing (5.5 Breaths per Minute) and the Physiological Sigh with an Animated Circle, Sound, Voice and Vibration — Plus a Resting Respiratory Rate Counter

The Breathing Timer is a free guide that keeps you on a set breathing rhythm: breathe in while the circle on screen grows and breathe out while it shrinks. It supports 4-7-8 breathing (inhale 4 s, hold 7 s, exhale 8 s), box breathing (4-4-4-4), resonance breathing (inhale 5.5 s, exhale 5.5 s — about 5.5 breaths per minute), the physiological sigh (inhale 2 s, top up 1 s, exhale 6 s) and belly breathing (inhale 4 s, exhale 6 s), plus a custom rhythm in 0.5-second steps. A chime at each change, a tone that rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale, spoken “breathe in / hold / breathe out” prompts and vibration let you keep going with your eyes closed. End by cycles or by time, and see breaths per minute and the exhale-to-inhale ratio. It also has a tab for measuring your resting respiratory rate by tapping each exhale, and a log of your streak.

How to use Breathing Timer | Guided 4-7-8 Breathing, Box Breathing, Resonance Breathing (5.5 Breaths per Minute) and the Physiological Sigh with an Animated Circle, Sound, Voice and Vibration — Plus a Resting Respiratory Rate Counter

1Under “Choose a breathing pattern”, pick 4-7-8 breathing, box breathing, resonance breathing, physiological sigh, belly breathing or Set my own
2Under “How to end”, choose a number of cycles (4 cycles is the usual guide for 4-7-8 breathing) or a time (1–20 minutes)
3Under “Cue sound”, choose a chime, a guiding tone or no sound, and turn on voice prompts and vibration if you like
4Sit comfortably and press “Start”. After a 3-second countdown, breathe in while the circle grows, hold while it stays still, and breathe out while it shrinks
5When it ends, stay seated and breathe normally for about 30 seconds. Your session is saved in the “Log” tab
6In the “Measure breathing rate” tab, choose 30 or 60 seconds and tap each time you breathe out to get your breaths per minute and the typical range for your age

Great for

Do just 4 cycles of 4-7-8 breathing in bed before sleep, guided by sound and voice without looking at the screen
Calm your nerves with box breathing (4-4-4-4) right before an interview, exam or presentation
Make 5 minutes of resonance breathing (5.5 breaths per minute) a morning habit and track your streak
Do a few physiological sighs (two inhales and a long exhale) when you feel irritated
Practise belly breathing with no holds, or use the no-hold setting, if holding your breath is uncomfortable
Set your own inhale, hold and exhale seconds with cues for yoga, meditation, swimming or wind-instrument practice
Count a family member's resting breathing rate for one minute and compare it with the typical range for their age

Good to know

4-7-8 breathing was popularised by the American physician Dr Andrew Weil. Inhale through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, and exhale through the mouth with a whoosh for 8. The 4:7:8 ratio is what matters, so you can speed up the tempo if you run out of breath. Up to 4 cycles at a time is recommended until you get used to it.
Box breathing repeats inhale, hold, exhale and hold for the same number of seconds (often 4). It is the same pattern as the “tactical breathing” used by groups such as US Navy special forces in stressful moments. On screen it is shown as a dot tracing the sides of a square.
Resonance breathing (coherent breathing) is slow breathing at 5–6 breaths per minute (10–12 seconds per breath), a pace said to make heart rate variability (HRV) larger. The default here is inhale 5.5 s and exhale 5.5 s (5.45 breaths per minute).
The physiological sigh (cyclic sighing) is a big inhale through the nose, a short second inhale to top up, and a long exhale through the mouth. A Stanford University group reported in 2023 that 5 minutes a day produced the largest improvement in mood.
Rhythms where “exhale ÷ inhale” is greater than 1 (a longer exhale) are said to suit calming down. Breaths per minute are calculated as 60 ÷ the seconds in one cycle.
When ending by time, the number of cycles is decided from the cycle length, and the last cycle runs until you finish exhaling. The timer runs on the time elapsed since you started, so it stays accurate even if you look at another tab (the sustained tone stops while the tab is hidden).
The typical resting respiratory rates are 12–20 breaths/min for adults, 18–30 for school-age children, 24–40 for toddlers and 30–60 for infants — ranges commonly used in nursing and paediatrics. They cannot be used to diagnose illness.
Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, tingly or short of breath. If you are pregnant or have heart or lung disease, high blood pressure or panic attacks, talk to a doctor before breath-hold techniques, or use the “Don't hold my breath” setting.
Settings and logs are saved only in this device's browser and are never sent to a server.

Questions this tool answers

Use Breathing Timer | Guided 4-7-8 Breathing, Box Breathing, Resonance Breathing (5.5 Breaths per Minute) and the Physiological Sigh with an Animated Circle, Sound, Voice and Vibration — Plus a Resting Respiratory Rate Counter for searches like these:

I want to do 4-7-8 breathing with a timer that guides me with sound
How many times should I do the inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8 breathing?
I want to practise box breathing (4-4-4-4) with a circle or square guide
What is the pace for resonance or coherent breathing at about 6 breaths per minute?
How do I do the physiological sigh (two inhales and a long exhale)?
I want to keep doing a breathing exercise on a sleepless night without looking at the screen
I want to practise breathing without breath holds, with the seconds I choose
I want to measure my resting breathing rate and compare it with normal values

FAQ

How do I do 4-7-8 breathing, and how many times should I do it?: Rest the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth and breathe out fully through your mouth first. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, then exhale through your mouth with a whoosh for 8 seconds. That is one cycle. For roughly the first month, up to 4 cycles per session and twice a day is recommended. In this tool, choosing 4-7-8 breathing sets it to end after 4 cycles.
What if holding my breath for 7 seconds is too hard?: With 4-7-8 breathing the 4:7:8 ratio matters more than the exact seconds, so you can set the tempo to 0.75× and start with about 3–5.25–6 seconds. If it is still hard, tick “Don't hold my breath”, or start with belly breathing (inhale 4 s, exhale 6 s) or resonance breathing, which have no holds.
How many seconds is each step of box breathing?: Usually 4-4-4-4: inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4 — 16 seconds per cycle (3.75 breaths per minute). If 4 seconds feels long, use 3 seconds each (tempo 0.75×), and once you are used to it, 5 seconds each (1.25×). About 4–5 minutes per session is a good guide.
How many breaths per minute is resonance breathing?: It is slow breathing at 5–6 breaths per minute, with each breath lasting 10–12 seconds. The most common settings are inhale 5.5 s and exhale 5.5 s (5.45 breaths per minute) or 5 seconds each (6 breaths per minute). The pace that maximises heart rate variability differs slightly from person to person, so try values between 5 and 6 seconds with the custom setting.
What is the physiological sigh?: It is a big inhale through the nose, a short second inhale through the nose once your lungs feel full, and a slow, long exhale through the mouth. People do it naturally after crying or before falling asleep; it is said to reinflate collapsed alveoli and offload more carbon dioxide. You can do just 1–3 of them or continue for 5 minutes.
Can I use it without looking at the screen?: Yes. Set “Cue sound” to “Guide with pitch” and a soft tone rises while you inhale and falls while you exhale. “Chime on each change” plays a bell at a different pitch for each step. Turn on voice prompts as well and you will hear “breathe in”, “hold” and “breathe out”, so you can continue with your eyes closed or in bed. The screen is kept on while the timer runs.
What is a normal resting respiratory rate?: For adults, 12–20 breaths per minute is typical. Children breathe faster: about 18–30 for school-age children, 24–40 for toddlers and 30–60 for infants. To measure, sit and rest for 1–2 minutes, then count the rise and fall of the chest or belly for one minute (or count for 30 seconds and double it). Being aware of your breathing tends to change it, so it is more accurate to have someone else count.

Special Thanks

SOLO GUILD | サービス作るAIエンジニア

Back to all tools