Stop Breathing Through Your Mouth!
As a science nerd since my childhood, I definitely should have known this beforehand…
But it was this TikTok video that really brought it to my attention in a comical way.
FYI: The part in the video about changes in facial structure has ample validity to it — There was even a pretty intense research study in the 1980s by orthodontists and researchers where they plugged the nostrils of rhesus monkeys. The end result: their teeth warped and other facial deformities developed compared to the control group).
I most certainly for much of my life adapted to breathe to a large extent out of my mouth rather than nose. It was easier. A lot less work. And my constant nasal congestion made it that much more of a default approach. But after seeing that video, I dove into the research, not knowing just how extensive and how important nasal breathing is for optimal health.
Breathing is almost so important that we forget about working to improve it. In a contradictory way, it so integral to our lives that we overlook it.
A quick overview of the benefits of breathing through your nose rather than your mouth:
Stress
Nose breathing triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces stress and anxiety. Through nasal breathing, your will inhale and exhale much slower, signaling to your brain that you are in a calm state.
Mouth breathing activates your sympathetic nervous system, used in more fight or flight scenarios. Chronic mouth breathing is thus putting your body in a constant state of high alert, taking in too much air which only stresses your body out.
Immunity
Your nose will filter out much of the allergens, dust, bacteria etc from entering into your airways while also providing direct antiviral and antimicrobial properties to any pollutants that do enter into the nose.
In addition, the nose adds humidity to the air you take in, warming or cooling it to match your body temperature, thus making absorption by the lungs less taxing. Mouth breathing does none of this. Particles are not filtered out and flow into your body freely. No humidity is added, making it harder on your lungs.
Heart Health and Blood Flow
Breathing through the nose transports more nitric oxide (NO) to the lungs and bloodstream. Nitric oxide is a vital vasodilator that allows for the widening and relaxation of blood vessels.
With expanded, more elastic blood vessels, oxygen transport within the body increases. For me, when I find myself stressed and breathing through my mouth, I tend to get lightheaded. Nasal breathing is a key mechanism to preventing this.
Oral Health
Mouth breathing leads to drying out of saliva in the mouth and leads to an overall decrease in saliva production. Mouth breathing thus increases the likelihood of cavities, tooth decay and gum disease.
It turns out saliva is essential for protecting tooth enamel from plaque. The outcome of dry mouth associated with mouth breathing also increases risks of mouth and throat infections.
Sleep Quality
Snoring comes from tissues in your airways from falling backward and vibrating together. If you breathe through your mouth, snoring and sleep apnea is far more likely.
Your mouth will also be more dry. Breathing through your nose also enables more relaxation. But if you breathe through your mouth during the day, you definitely breathe the same way during sleep.
I bought these mouth strips from Somnifix in Spring 2022. My partner first lovingly made fun of me, but she later said she noticed a considerable difference in my sleep quality, as did I. Like any muscle, it’s about training. The conscious training of deliberately closing my mouth and focusing on breathing in and out through the nose was challenging at first, both during the day and at night.
The mouth strips are easy to apply and don’t hurt when taking them off in the morning. There’s also a small breathing vent which allows a small amount of breathing through the mouth, if needed. *Using mouth strips or a piece of medical tape isn’t recommended for some, so be sure to consult a medical professional.
Over time, I became more accustomed to it, and for the sleep portion, the mouth strips definitely helped me retrain my body. And the cool thing is, practicing proper breathing during rest and sleep will positively impact athletic performance. So now, every time I’m on a walk, run, playing tennis or lifting weights, I work to really focus on maintaining a steady breath through my nose.
A simple way to practice this is, say if you’re on a treadmill, drink some water and let the water sit in your mouth for a bit. It will induce you to breathe through your nose. You might look like a monkey, but it’s a neat little trick.
You can improve your breathing. It just requires training.
It’s estimated that 25–50% of the population are habitual mouth breathers . But like most things, with the proper training and focus, drastic improvements can be made.
“If you take ten to 20 big breaths, you’re going to feel some lightness in your head. You’re going to feel some tingling in your fingers. If you keep breathing that way, your extremities will get a little cooler. That’s not from an increase of oxygen, but from a lack of circulation in those areas. So by breathing slowly, you actually can increase circulation and deliver more oxygen to these areas.”- James Nestor
How impactful is nose breathing on health?
A good question. It’s important, but are we talking tiny effects on the margin or something bigger?
~20% more oxygen can be extracted when breathing through the nose compared to breaths through the mouth.
So through nose breathing, you’re breathing less, relaxing the body, filtering external pollutants and lowering your heart rate, while at the same time extracting a lot more oxygen from each breath.
You’re making yourself less susceptible to respiratory ailments. You’re increasing oxygen to your brain.
This is efficiency.
Helpful Resources
1) 📚 For a comprehensive historical and scientific overview with practical strategies for implementing optimal nasal breathing, James Nestor’s book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is a great place to start.
* Just make sure to close your mouth and focus on breathing in and out through your nose as you read it!
2) 📝 A great chapter by chapter overview of James Nestor’s book if you want to get a quick glimpse: https://goodbooksummary.com/breath-by-james-nestor-book-summary-review/
3) 📝 Article: The Importance of Breathing Correctly by Andy Murphy on Medium
4) 📝 4 Simple Nose Breathing Exercises To Help You Breathe Better
5) 🎥 Video: 5 Ways To Improve Your Breathing with James Nestor
6) 📝 The Life Enriching Power of Effective Breathing by Hollie Petit, PhD on Medium
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