Shut your mouth: The benefits of nasal breathing

By Jonathan Carson

It seems crazy to have to say this, but… we need to learn how to breathe.

Yes, the thing that we instinctively do when we emerge from the womb… many of us are:

a) doing it wrong

b) doing it too much

Humans are meant to breathe through the nose, the wonderful appendage smack bang in the middle of the face that’s responsible for up to 30 important bodily functions.

But today, many of us have abandoned the nose in favour of breathing through the mouth.

Mouth breathing causes us to breathe too much and can contribute to a host of health issues, including anxiety, asthma, fatigue, insomnia and sleep apnea, heart problems and even obesity.

The good news for mouth breathers is it’s relatively easy to re-learn how to breathe.

It starts with shutting your mouth.

Overview 

How I got here: Gasping for air

One of the reasons I’m so interested in nasal breathing is that I’ve had intermittent breathing issues for many years.

It started with feeling short of breath and I would find myself desperately trying to yawn (through my mouth, obviously) so that I could get enough air into my lungs.

Gasping for air because your body’s telling you that it’s not getting enough is a horrible feeling.

I went to see a doctor and after a range of tests he simply told me to try and have a relaxing summer. He thought it was stress related.

He was probably partly right. Shortness of breath does tend to happen when I’m under increased stress.

But since coming across the concept of nasal breathing, I’ve been thinking my condition could be a symptom of how I breathe.

At the very least, it’s an idea worth exploring.

Breathing is something that we all do all of the time. It’s one of the signs of life.

And yet… compared to diet and exercise, very little attention is given to breathing as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

I had to know more.

What causes mouth breathing

There are several common causes of mouth breathing, including:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Stress
  • Blocked nose/chronic colds
  • Overbreathing
  • Deviated nasal septum
  • History of thumb sucking
  • Birth abnormalities

Most of these can be overcome by using the nasal breathing exercises below that will help to unblock your nose and become more aware of your breath and something called “air hunger” (yes, you need to go on an air diet).

Some people are born with conditions that block their nasal passage and make it extremely difficult to avoid mouth breathing.

But don’t count yourself out yet. You’re about to discover why fixing your breathing can be a powerful investment in your health and wellbeing.

The problems with mouth breathing

You only have to think of how mouth breathers are portrayed in popular culture to understand that it’s not desirable.

“Mouth breather” was once a common insult for someone who was considered unintelligent.

While stereotypes have obvious shortcomings, this one holds some truth.

Science is starting to discover that mouth breathing has wide-ranging negative consequences, from learning difficulties in children to sleep issues, high blood pressure, and even tenuous links to weight gain.

Let’s look at a few of them.

Sleep

Mouth breathers are more likely to experience obstructive sleep apnea, which is when you repeatedly stop and start breathing during sleep.

Sleep apnea is linked to a host of other health issues, including anxiety, depression and obesity, and can also affect concentration and academic performance in children.

“… mouth breathers are more likely to have learning difficulties than nasal breathers.” – Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 

In a study published in 2010, Dr Yosh Jefferson said:

“Children who mouth breathe typically do not sleep well, causing them to be tired during the day and possibly unable to concentrate on academics. If the child becomes frustrated in school, he or she may exhibit behavioral problems.”

Oxygen uptake

Mouth breathing can also result in overbreathing (chronic hyperventilation). Breathing in and out more air than necessary reduces carbon dioxide in the blood.

Carbon dioxide is important because it tells our red blood cells to release oxygen so it can be used by the body.

This is why people are advised to breathe into a paper bag when they’re panicking and hyperventilating – to directly inhale the carbon dioxide they’re exhaling.

“The next health revolution is to breathe less.” – Patrick McKeown

Blood pressure

Breathing through the nose releases large amounts of a gas called nitric oxide into the nasal passage. We’ll get into the incredible benefits of nitric oxide below.

But as a mouth breather, you miss out on these benefits. You’re just getting oxygen.

Without this nitric oxide, blood flow is restricted. This has been linked to hypertension (high blood pressure), which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and much more.

Facial structure

Mouth breathing in children also affects the development of the face, which can cause problems later in life.

In the 2010 study mentioned above, Dr Jefferson found that:

“Children whose mouth breathing is untreated may develop long, narrow faces, narrow mouths, high palatal vaults, dental malocclusion, gummy smiles, and many other unattractive facial features.”

Asthma

Mouth breathing has been found to decrease lung function in mild asthmatics.

Anxiety

Mouth breathing typically results in taking fast, shallow breaths, which can trigger the sympathetic nervous system, also known as the stress response.

This can lead to anxiety, which results in more fast, shallow breathing. And so the cycle continues.

Bad breath

Mouth breathing is also linked to bad breath.

I was blown away when I learned this stuff. I had always assumed that the mouth and nose were on equal footing when it came to breathing.

But the health benefits of nasal breathing are even more astounding than the problems with mouth breathing.

The benefits of nasal breathing

The nose might look like a strangely-shaped and inconsequential appendage. But the fact that it’s positioned in the middle of the face should provide a clue as to its importance.

But the real magic happens behind the scenes in the intricate nasal passage, which is said to be responsible for up to 30 important bodily functions.

These are just a few of the benefits of nasal breathing.

Oxygen uptake

When you inhale through the nose, it triggers the release of a gas called nitric oxide in the nasal passage.

Oxygen mixes with nitric oxide which increases the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen.

We need oxygen to stay alive.

Air purification

The nose and nasal passage purifies the air, helping to remove harmful germs and bacteria.

That’s what the little hairs inside the nose are for, and there’s also a thin mucus layer that helps with the purification process.

Stress relief

Nasal breathing helps to slow the breath, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system and switches off the stress response (fight or flight).

This is probably why practices like yoga and meditation recommend breathing through the nose.

Improved sleep

Nasal breathing counteracts the negative effects of mouth breathing. Therefore, it reduces instances of sleep apnea and snoring which leads to better sleep.

Blood pressure

That incredible gas, nitric oxide, also helps to regulate blood pressure. It helps to maintain a “non-stick surface” inside the blood vessels to allow blood to flow freely and to help prevent a build-up of cholesterol and fatty plaque deposits. It also helps to relax the smooth muscles that allow blood vessels to dilate.

“The presence of nitric oxide acts as a highly effective defence against the constriction of blood vessels, and yet breathing correctly to produce this simple and naturally-produced gas is rarely – if ever – cited as a method for lowering high blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular disease.” – Patrick McKeown, Shut Your Mouth

Temperature regulation

The lungs don’t enjoy air that’s too hot or too cold. Ever notice the feeling when you inhale deeply in a sauna?

Having air pass through the nasal passage regulates the air so that it’s close to body temperature before it reaches the lungs.

Improved athletic performance 

Nasal breathing improves breathing efficiency and the delivery of oxygen to the muscles and organs. A 2018 study of recreational runners found that nasal breathing slowed the breath rate, which allows extra time for oxygen to diffuse into the bloodstream.

Elite sports teams are catching onto this and some, including the Australian national rugby side, are integrating training with players’ mouths taped shut.

Asthma management 

Nasal breathing exercises, such as the Butekyo Method which is based around nasal breathing, have been found to reduce asthma symptoms in several clinical trials.

Improve sleep

A 1987 review concluded that “to ensure a good night’s sleep it’s as essential to shut the mouth as it is to turn off the lights”.

Upper airway resistance during sleep is significantly lower during nasal breathing. Nasal breathing is also said to reduce instances of sleep apnea, insomnia and snoring.

The benefits of improved sleep naturally include having more energy, focus and concentration throughout the day.

“There is no perfect sleep for a man or brute with the mouth open, it’s unnatural and a strain upon the lungs.” – George Catlin, Shut Your Mouth and Change Your Life, 1869

Do you need any more convincing?

How to restore nasal breathing

Ok, so by now you’re probably thinking, “Please tell me how to shut my mouth and become a devoted nose breather!”

This is where world-renowned breathing practitioner, Patrick McKeown, comes in, author of the book The Oxygen Advantage.

I won’t cover his entire backstory, but he was a chronic mouthbreather who largely cured his own asthma and sleep issues with nasal breathing. You can check out his TED Talk Shut Your Mouth and Change Your Life here, and an excellent podcast he was on here.

McKeown teaches elite athletes and navy seals how to breathe and has been endorsed by Tim Ferriss and Ben Greenfield.

If you’re breathing through your mouth because your nose is congested, McKeown recommends the following exercise.

Decongesting your nasal passage

  1. Breathe in deeply and exhale fully out the nose
  2. Pinch your nose closed
  3. Walk around the room until you feel medium-strong air hunger (desire to breathe)
  4. Release your nose and inhale
  5. Repeat five times

You can substitute step 3 with simply nodding your head up and down until you feel the need to breathe.

McKeown says this exercise will decongest your nose and allow you to breathe freely.

If your nasal passage is restricted because of a structural problem or birth defect, you may want to consider getting surgery.

How to start nasal breathing

Nasal breathing is something that has to be developed as a habit.

You have to train your body and mind to override your preference for mouth breathing and default to nose breathing.

The first thing you need to do is slowly adapt yourself to “air hunger”.

When you first start with nasal breathing, your mind will try and tell you that you’re not getting enough oxygen. You’ll want to open your mouth and suck more in.

But if you can become comfortable with low-moderate air hunger, your body will adjust in time.

McKeown recommends the following exercise to teach yourself nasal breathing.

Nasal breathing exercise

  1. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach
  2. Breathe slowly in and out your nose
  3. Focus your attention on the breath (feel the cool air coming in and slightly warmer air going out)
  4. Breathe into your lungs so that you feel your stomach expand, but your chest remains still
  5. Start to slow down and soften the breath so that the fine hairs in your nostrils do not move
  6. Your exhale should be about 1.5x as long as your inhale (eg. Four second inhale, six second exhale)
  7. You want to feel slightly breathless as if you’re going for a brisk walk (this is air hunger)
  8. Relax your body and be at ease with the air hunger
  9. Do this for 3-4 minutes.

This exercise is a simple tool that helps you to be mindful of how you’re breathing and get used to feeling a “tolerable need for air”.

You will only become a nose breather if you practice. In a matter of days, it should become easier and more natural to favour your nose over your mouth.

If you want to explore other nasal breathing exercises, as recommended by McKeown, you can start with his short ebook, Shut Your Mouth.

Re-learning how to breathe

I’ve been trying to purposefully practice nasal breathing ever since I discovered its many benefits (about a month prior to writing this).

I initially struggled a lot with the air hunger and would find myself yawning a lot to inhale more oxygen, but it only took a few days to start seeing progress.

I’m not mindful of it all the time, but I’m getting better. I try to focus on nasal breathing when I’m working on my laptop, going for a walk or jog, and relaxing watching Netflix in the evening.

It helps to imagine my nose as my nitric oxide dispenser. I need to filter my oxygen through the nasal passage to get the many benefits of this magical gas.

I can’t say that my life or health has transformed, but I’ve definitely noticed that my breathing feels more efficient.

Also, my nose had been quite congested for months and, since practicing nasal breathing, it has cleared up considerably.

Finally, my snoring at night has gotten much less. I still do it a little when I’m on my back, but that’s about it.

I don’t know what else nasal breathing is doing inside my body, but I’m convinced that it’s worth persisting with.

The nose is designed to be our primary breathing apparatus and we should treat is as such.

Further learning

If you want to go deeper into the science and health benefits of nasal breathing, I recommend grabbing a copy of Patrick McKeown’s book, The Oxygen Advantage. 

McKeown’s appearance on London Real is also packed full of helpful information.

 

Want to get The Now in your inbox? Sign up here.

Why join the now?