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Changing How I Sleep to End a Lifetime of Chronic Mouth Breathing
Because I cannot live like this forever
“Give me a kiss goodnight,” I tell him. “I’m putting on my tape.”
I snip a small section from the medical round of tape and place the scissors and it back in the bowl on my nightstand where they belong.
The tape is for sealing my lips together, which humors and confuses most people. But if you’ve spent your life a chronic mouth breather like I have, it makes all the sense in the world.
If I want to live a long and healthy life, then I must learn how to breathe in and out of my nose.
Nasal breathing, it’s said, improves the absorption of oxygen in our cells, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress. On average, those who breathe through their nose have stronger immune systems, experience higher-quality sleep, and take fewer breaths.
Breathing through our nose is the ultimate key to unlocking more healthy years free of illness and disease, but the physiological benefits are only half of it. Nasal breathing also makes for a sharper jawline, a straighter nose and teeth, and fewer fine lines related to aging.
The book Breath by James Nestor taught me all this and more. I started reading it after consistently sleeping…
