14/11/2021
Nasal breathing benefits:
= almost 20% more oxygen reaches our blood (muscles, organs, cells, brainā¦)
= optimises Nitric Oxide levels in the airways and the blood, this is because NO is produced in the paranasal sinuses
= enhances quality of sleep = more energy during the day
= filters air = anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral = improves immunity and oral health
The nasal cavities are smaller than the oral airways :
= provide 50% more resistance to breathing (which is good), this resistance slows the rate of our breath down, breathing less is better than breathing too much.
How mouth breathing is to our disadvantage:
= underdeveloped jaw, mouth and facial bones (narrowing), often leading to having to wear braces to correct teeth and jaw alignment
= periodontal disease and bad breath, and is the number one cause of cavities (sugar is second)
= decreased gas exchange= leading to fatigue, often affecting organs function
= at night: sleep apnea, snoring, teeth grinding, waking up with dry mouth
= chronic anxiety, high blood pressure, which can then impact on function of other systems too
Advice:
Use your nose to breath during the day
- as often as you can to create a good habit
Use your nose to breath when exercising
- as often and as much as you cam and gradually it will become more comfortable
Use taping when sleeping at night
- I know this may sound odd, but check out the work of James Nestor and Patrick Mackewan for extra info about how good it is
Focus on:
-Extend and soften your breaths
-Breath through the nose = minimise mouth breathing
-Move the diaphragm up and down a bit more, move the ribs and the whole body more often
According to science the perfect breath is this:
Breathe in for about 5.5 seconds, then exhale for 5.5 seconds.
That's 5.5 breaths a minute for a total of about 5.5 liters of air
I would love to hear if you have perhaps already tried taping for sleep and what were the results you've experienced.
Thank you all for reading and being curious :)
