The Nose Knows – Breathe the Way Nature Intended and Improve Your Sleep and Life
by Susan D'Addario,
Certified Sleep Science Coach
Certified Mind Body Eating Coach
Licensed HeartMath Certified Coach
Intro
Trying to get a good night sleep but are having a challenging time? Maybe you’re already engaged in better sleep habits like maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, sleeping in a dark room, blocking blue light, etc., but the going is still rough? I have a simple suggestion – start breathing through your nose at night, and always.
How do you know if you’re breathing through your nose or not? First things first, try a simple experiment. Close one nostril and breathe through the other. Can you do it easily? Now switch and try the other. How did it go? If you found it difficult to breathe through either or both sides, you very well may be a nighttime – (and daytime )– mouth breather. Other clues that indicate you may be a mouth breather include waking up with a dry mouth, as well as snoring.
What difference does it make whether you breathe through your mouth vs. your nose?
According to James Nestor in his book, Breath, The New Science of a Lost Art, keeping the nose in constant use – day and night - trains the tissues inside the nasal cavity and throat to flex and stay open. This is true even for blocked nasal passages . As a result of breathing through your nose:
• Nasal bacterial infections drop
• Snoring decreases
• Sleep apnea may reverse
• Blood pressure may decrease
• Increase in the activation of the Vagus Nerve – (linked to our parasympathetic nervous system or relaxation response)
• Sports performance shown to improve
In short, nasal breathing, which also warms the air before entering your lungs, bodes very well for healthier and more relaxing sleep, and overall well-being.
How to Switch from mouth to nose breathing, even while sleeping
I know some will argue that there is simply no way they can breathe through their nose. The passages are completely blocked, and, apart from surgery, there are no other options out there to change things up. Okay, but here’s a slightly different concept – Use It or Lose It. Truly! The nose responds to the stimuli it receives. If you are a chronic mouth breather, your nasal cavity will atrophy. Instead, when you engage in nose breathing, things start to come back to life.
Let’s not argue, though. Instead, I recommend you try the following, and see if things don’t start to shift towards proper nose breathing.
• Mouth or sleep taping - Somnifix is a mouth tape product I use that is easy to wear, has a slit in the middle for air access if necessary, and can be removed without pain. It fully covers both lips. If you want something smaller, consider 3M Nexcare Durapore “durable cloth” tape. You can cut a postage stamp size piece and wear it in the middle of your lips, leaving the sides of your mouth exposed. This will also allow air to enter should you cough or feel you need to take air in through your mouth.
• Nose Opening – If you are unsure about mouth taping, especially during the night, consider trying a nasal strip, together with mouth taping. This can be very helpful, especially until your nasal passages start to gain flexibility, and your confidence rises. I’ve used good old fashioned Breathe Right Extra Strength Nasal Strips. They pull the exterior of your nose up and out and absolutely help with nasal air intake. They can be difficult to remove, so make sure when doing so, to get some water and soap under the strip and gently ease off.
Some may wonder about using nasal strips exclusively to encourage nose breathing. While you’re absolutely welcomed to give it a try, I’m honestly not convinced that a nasal strip alone, (especially while asleep), will do the trick. If you do try this, remember: if snoring occurs, or your mouth feels dry, and/or you’re not seeing improvements in your daytime breathing, (as per the above mentioned close the nostril experiment), you most likely need the added support of mouth taping.
Conclusion
I think most of us can agree that getting a good night of sleep is of utmost importance to becoming our optimal selves. While there are many ways to support restorative sleep, one of the most important, which is only now becoming apparent, is to improve the quality of our air intake. The more we breathe through our nose, (throughout the days and nights), the healthier our nasal passages become, and, consequently, the better off we will be in many areas of life, including our much needed ZZZ’s.
Good night, sleep tight, lights out, and close your mouth!