Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t always as simple as closing your eyes. For many people, waking up exhausted, even after a full night's sleep, has become all too common. It’s frustrating to do everything “right,” such as avoiding screens, sticking to a bedtime routine, trying to relax, and yet still miss out on quality sleep.
What many people don’t realize is that something as simple as how you breathe while sleeping could be the missing piece. The way you breathe while sleeping can make a surprising difference in your sleep quality and how refreshed you feel in the morning.
Nasal or nose breathing, in particular, has been shown to help promote deeper sleep and is more restorative. If you’re tired of restless nights and groggy mornings, understanding the difference nose breathing makes might be exactly what you need.
This article will show you how nose breathing can improve sleep and offer practical tips to help you breathe better at night so you can finally wake up feeling your best.
The Connection Between Breathing and Sleep Quality
The quality of your sleep depends on more than just how long you’re in bed; it’s also deeply influenced by how you breathe both during the day and at night.
Studies show that your breathing patterns can decide whether you slip into a deep, restful sleep or wake up feeling tired and still sleepy.
During healthy sleep, your breathing should naturally slow down and deepen. This relaxed breathing helps your body move through all the essential sleep stages, allowing you to rest and recover fully.
Smooth, steady breaths keep your nervous system calm and help your body repair itself overnight.
But if your breathing is shallow, irregular, or often interrupted, it can wake you up throughout the night. Problems like sleep apnea, where breathing stops and starts, can keep your body in a state of stress and stop you from getting the deep sleep you need.
Over time, these breathing problems can raise your risk for health issues like heart disease and mood disorders.
Breathing patterns also play a role in insomnia. Shallow or erratic breaths can activate your body’s stress response, increase your heart rate, and keep your brain alert, making it harder to fall or stay asleep.
On the other hand, smooth, steady breathing helps calm the mind and body, setting the stage for restful sleep.
Your breathing rate also matters. Most adults should take about 12 to 20 breaths per minute while sleeping. Breathing too quickly or too little can disturb your sleep and affect how rested you feel in the morning.
Clearly, breathing patterns play a big role in sleep quality. But does it matter if you breathe through your nose or your mouth while you sleep? The answer is also important. Let’s look at how nose breathing and mouth breathing compare during sleep.
Nose Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing During Sleep: Which is Better?
Many people overlook the distinction between nose breathing and mouth breathing during sleep. Breathing through your nose and breathing through your mouth are not the same. In fact, this small detail can change the quality of your rest in powerful ways.
Let’s look at why nose breathing is better when sleeping and how it compares to mouth breathing.
What Are the Effects of Mouth Breathing During Sleep?
Mouth breathing while you sleep often occurs when your nose is blocked due to allergies, infections, or structural problems. Habitual mouth breathing can lead to several problems:
- Over-breathing: Mouth breathing can cause you to take in more air than your body needs, increasing your breathing rate and upsetting the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This can make sleep issues like insomnia and sleep apnea worse.
- Dry mouth and dental problems: Breathing through your mouth dries out saliva, which can lead to tooth decay, bad breath, and more bacteria in your mouth.
- More effort needed: It actually takes about 2.5 times more effort to breathe through your mouth than your nose, making your body work harder at night.
- Higher risk of snoring and blocked airways: When you mouth breathe, your tongue and jaw drop, narrowing your airway. This raises the risk of snoring, sleep apnea, and restless sleep.
- Worsening congestion: Mouth breathing can dry out your nasal passages, making congestion worse and creating a cycle where it becomes even harder to breathe through your nose.
Now, how does this compare with nasal breathing during sleep?
Why Is Nose Breathing Better When Sleeping?
Nose breathing is the way your body is meant to work, especially during sleep. The nose does much more than just let air in and out; it helps protect and support your entire breathing system.
When you breathe through your nose, the air is filtered, humidified, and warmed before it reaches your lungs. This natural process makes breathing easier on your body and helps you get better rest.
What are the benefits of nose breathing during sleep?
Nose breathing during sleep comes with several key advantages:
- Filtration: Your nose traps dust, allergens, and other particles, keeping them out of your lungs.
- Humidification: As air moves through your nose, it becomes moist, which helps prevent dryness in your throat and airways.
- Warming: The nose warms the air to match your body temperature, making it gentler on your lungs.
- Nitric oxide production: Breathing through your nose produces nitric oxide, which helps improve oxygen delivery and supports healthy blood flow.
- Slower breathing: Nose breathing naturally slows down your breathing compared to mouth breathing, helping your body relax and making it easier to reach deep sleep.
- Supports airway stability: Nose breathing helps keep your throat muscles active, making airway collapse less likely and reducing the risk of snoring and sleep apnea.
- Higher oxygen uptake: Breathing through your nose allows your body to absorb oxygen more efficiently.
Choosing to breathe through your nose while sleeping gives you better sleep quality and can also improve your overall health. But how can you promote nose breathing while sleeping?
7 Ways to Improve Nose Breathing When Sleeping
If you’re wondering how to improve nose breathing when sleeping or if you can train yourself to breathe through your nose while sleeping, here are some simple tips to help you get started:
1. Clear nasal passages before bed
A stuffy nose is one of the main reasons people mouth breathe at night. Try a gentle saline rinse or nasal spray before bedtime to keep your nose clear.
Managing allergies and avoiding irritants can also make it much easier to breathe with your nose while sleeping.
You can also try this nose-unblocking exercise that clears a stuffy nose in seconds.
2. Practice daytime nose breathing exercises
Training your body to prefer nose breathing starts during the day. The Buteyko breathing method is a simple, science-backed technique that encourages gentle, slow breathing through the nose.
Just a few minutes of Buteyko exercises each day can help you retrain your breathing patterns and make nose breathing feel more natural at night.
3. Use nasal dilators
If nasal congestion is a recurring problem, nasal dilators can provide relief. These small devices gently open your nostrils, making nose breathing easier and more comfortable during sleep.
You can use them at night, while resting, or even during exercise. With steady practice and the right tools, nose breathing can become your new normal. You can purchase a nasal dilator online.
4. Adjust your sleeping position
The way you sleep can affect whether you breathe through your nose or mouth. Sleeping on your back often causes your mouth to fall open and your airway to narrow, leading to more mouth breathing, snoring, and disrupted sleep.
Try sleeping on your side to help keep your airway open and support nose breathing. A 2022 study revealed that subjects who slept on their side had a lower frequency of turning and experienced better sleep quality compared to those who slept on their backs.
5. Maintain bedroom humidity
Dry air can irritate your nasal passages and make it harder to breathe through your nose. Using a humidifier in your bedroom can keep the air moist, making nose breathing more comfortable and reducing nighttime congestion.
6. Seek medical advice for persistent issues
Sometimes, structural issues or chronic congestion require professional treatment. Getting the right help can make a big difference in your ability to train yourself to breathe through your nose while sleeping.
7. Use MyoTape
MyoTape is a specially designed breathing aid that gently encourages nose breathing during sleep. It surrounds your lips rather than covering them, providing just enough tension to keep your mouth closed naturally.
This support ensures proper lip closure throughout the night, allowing you to breathe through your nose even when you cannot consciously control your breathing.
MyoTape offers a simple solution that works to stop mouth breathing at night. In fact, regular use of MyoTape can help you develop healthier breathing habits and enjoy more restful, rejuvenating sleep.
Get MyoTape to Breathe Nasally While Sleeping
It is clear that the way you breathe at night affects nearly every aspect of your sleep and health. Making the switch to nose breathing can help you enjoy greater sleep quality and wake up feeling truly refreshed.
If you’re ready to experience the difference that nose breathing can make, MyoTape offers a gentle and effective solution to support your journey. MyoTape gently encourages you to breathe through your nose at night.
This mouth taping solution is the invention of Patrick McKeown, a world-recognized breathing expert and author. MyoTape is safe, effective, and guaranteed to give you better breathing and quality sleep.
Feel free to check out our range of effective mouth taping products, designed for everyone, including mouth tape for kids, adults, those with sensitive skin, and even those with facial hair.
