As we get older, there is an increased likelihood of breathing through the mouth during sleep. Research highlights that persons over 40 years of age are six times more likely than younger people to spend more than 50% of their sleep time breathing through the mouth and nose combined. This is not good news as over-40s are already at an increased risk of sleep disorders including snoring and sleep apnea. Ideally, breathing should exclusively be through the nose during sleep.
Madronio MR1, Di Somma E, Stavrinou R, Kirkness JP, Goldfinch E, Wheatley JR, Amis TC. Older individuals have increased oro-nasal breathing during sleep. Eur Respir J. 2004 Jul;24(1):71-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15293607/
