Benefits of Nasal Breathing for Sleep, Concentration and Dental Health

Wearing Mouth Tape Significantly Reduces Snoring

Snoring is a common problem that can lead to broken sleep for both the snorer and their partner. Breathing through an open mouth worsens snoring as it dries out and narrows the airways, causing turbulence in the nose, mouth and throat. This creates an unpleasant and disruptive noise that can make bedtime a nightmare.

In a preliminary study investigating wearing of mouth tape during sleep, snoring reduced by 47%.

Lee, Y.-C.; Lu, C.-T.; Cheng, W.-N.; Li, H.-Y. The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study. Healthcare 2022, 10, 1755. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9498537/

Breathing Re-Education and Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Patrick McKeown

A significant body of evidence supports the role of breathing re-education in improving sleep-disordered breathing. A scientific peer reviewed article coauthored by Patrick McKeown and Ear, Nose and Throat Dr’s Carlos O Connor and Guillermo Plaza reviewed breathing re-education and obstructive sleep apnea. MyoTape was included as a support for persons with sleep disordered breathing who mouth breathe during sleep.

The basics of breathing re-education encompass:

Using breath-hold time to measure chemosensitivity to carbon dioxide,
Restoring full-time nasal breathing,
Correcting the resting position of the tongue,
Reducing the rate of respiration towards normal,
Learning to properly engage the diaphragm, and
Achieving normal minute ventilation.

Supported by 160 references, the article can be viewed here: 10.3390/jcm10030471

McKeown P, O’Connor-Reina C, Plaza G. Breathing Re-Education and Phenotypes of Sleep Apnea: A Review. J Clin Med. 2021 Jan 26;10(3):471. doi: 10.3390/jcm10030471. PMID: 33530621; PMCID: PMC7865730.

Help Focus, Improve Sleep Quality, and Reduce Fatigue

MyoTape Allows Mouth Puffing in Moderate to Severe Sleep Apnea

For persons with moderate to severe sleep apnea, it is important that tape used to support breathing through the nose during sleep also allows mouth puffing. Mouth puffing is when the person breathes out through the mouth.

If mouth puffing is prevented by wearing adhesive mouth tape to cover the lips, obstructive sleep apnea can worsen.

In a study of 71 participants aged from 35 to 60 years, taping across the mouth improved oxygen levels in 30 persons (51.72%), while the other 28 participants did not (48.28%).

MyoTape allows mouth puffing to take place if necessary as it is worn surrounding the lips and does not cover the mouth. The elastic tension from the tape helps bring the lips together to ensure nasal breathing.

Jau JY, Kuo TBJ, Li LPH, Chen TY, Hsu YS, Lai CT, Yue WC, Huang PH, Yang CCH. Mouth Puffing Phenomenon and Upper Airway Features May Be Used to Predict the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Nat Sci Sleep. 2023 Apr 3;15:165-174. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37032816/

Wearing Mouth Tape Improves Effectiveness of Mandibular Advancement Devices

Mandibular advancement devices (MAD) are commonly worn by persons with obstructive sleep apnea. The purpose of the device is to increase the total volume of the upper airway. Wearing a mandibular advancement device may increase mouth breathing during sleep. This study investigated the wearing of an adhesive mouth strip alongside MAD, to help prevent mouth breathing during sleep.

Results showed that 76% of individuals using both MAD and adhesive mouth strips achieved an Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) of less than 10 events per hour, versus 43% when the device was not accompanied by mouth taping. Furthermore, the effect was similar in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. (greater than 15 events per/h) The conclusion is that wearing an adhesive mouth strip and MAD, is more effective therapy than MAD alone.

Labarca G, Sands SA, Cohn V, Demk o G, Vena D, Messineo L, Gell L, Hess L, White DP, Wellman A, Azarbarzin A. Mouth Closing to Improve the Efficacy of Mandibular Advancement Devices in Sleep Apnea. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2022 Jul;19(7):1185-1192. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35254967/

Pilot Study of Oral Patch (mouth tape) for Mild Sleep Apnea

30 patients with mild sleep apnea were enrolled in a study to evaluate the use of an adhesive patch (mouth tape) who were breathing through the mouth during sleep.

The Epworth Sleep Scale reduced from 8.1 to 5.2 while wearing the tape, and visual analog scale of snoring reduced from 7.5 to 2.4.

Snoring intensity reduced from 49.1 to 41.1, and median snoring index reduced from 146.7 to 40 per hour while wearing the adhesive porous patch.

Furthermore, the apnea hypopnea index reduced from 12 per hour to 7.8 per hour.

The researchers concluded that the wearing of a porous oral patch is a useful device to help patients with mild sleep apnea and habitual oral mouth breathing.

Huang, T.-W., & Young, T.-H. (2015). Novel porous oral patches for patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and mouth breathing: A pilot study. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery: Official Journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 152(2), 369–373. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25450408/

Breathing Through the Mouth Associated with Significant Worse Oxygen Desaturation

In a study published in Laryngoscope, the Apnea Hypopnea Index scores (representing the number of apneic events per hour) during mouth breathing were 52.15, compared with 27.4 during nose breathing. The authors of the paper wrote that; “Mouth breathing was significantly associated with worse oxygen desaturation and increased degree of upper airway collapse.”

Hsu YB, Lan MY, Huang YC, Kao MC, Lan MC. Association Between Breathing Route, Oxygen Desaturation, and Upper Airway Morphology. Laryngoscope. 2021 Feb;131(2):E659-E664. doi: 10.1002/lary.28774. Epub 2020 May 30. PMID: 32473063.

Discover how nasal breathing boosts diaphragm efficiency for optimal health. Improve your breathing pattern with MyoTape. Shop now for better health!

Breathing Through The Mouth Increases with Age

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/

Mouth Breathing Causes Drying of the Throat

The amount of saliva in the mouth and throat plays an important role in keeping the upper airway open. Mouth breathing will cause saliva to become thicker and stickier. The increased stickiness of the upper airway contributes to collapse and makes it more difficult for the airway to reopen when breathing resumes. It is important that the areas of the throat and mouth remain moist during sleep for the muscles to function properly.

Lam JC, Kairaitis K, Verma M, Wheatley JR, Amis TC. Saliva production and surface tension: influences on patency of the passive upper airway. J Physiol. 2008 Nov 15;586(22):5537-47.

Manisha Verma, Margaret Seto-Poon, John R Wheatley, Terence C Amis, Jason P Kirkness. Influence of breathing route on upper airway lining liquid surface tension in humans. J Physiol. 2006 Aug 1; 574(Pt 3): 859–866.

Mouth Breathing causes drying of the throat

Mouth Breathing and Increased Risk of Sleep Apnea

There is also much documented evidence showing that it results in poor development of the face and airways, thereby increasing the risk of lifelong sleep apnea. A mouth-breather carries the tongue in a low downward position, creating an airspace which allows the person to breathe more freely. This low resting posture of the tongue not only creates an abnormal swallow, but will also contribute to many unrelated ailments along with underdeveloped jaws, a collapsed palate (also known as a high vaulted palate), and increased facial vertical dimension (characterized as ‘long face syndrome’) which restricts the upper nasal airways.

Kim EJ, Choi JH, Kim KW, Kim TH, Lee SH, Lee HM, Shin C, Lee KY, Lee SH.
The impacts of open-mouth breathing on upper airway space in obstructive sleep apnea: 3-D MDCT analysis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2010 Oct 19.

Ohki M, Usui N, Kanazawa H, Hara I, Kawano K. Relationship between oral breathing and nasal obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1996;523:228-30.

Lee SH, Choi JH, Shin C, Lee HM, Kwon SY, Lee SH. How does open-mouth breathing influence upper airway anatomy? Laryngoscope. 2007 Jun;117(6):1102-6.

Scharf MB, Cohen AP Diagnostic and treatment implications of nasal obstruction in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1998 Oct;81(4):279-87; quiz 287-90.

Wasilewska J, Kaczmarski M Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in children [Article in Polish] Wiad Lek. 2010;63(3):201-12.

Rappai M, Collop N, Kemp S, deShazo R. The nose and sleep-disordered breathing: what we know and what we do not know. Chest. 2003 Dec;124(6):2309-23.

Antonio culebras. Long- face syndrome and upper airways obstruction. Sleep disorders and neurological disease. 2005 : 242-243.

Breathing Through the Nose During Sleep Improves Adherence to CPAP

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, Fewer than 50% of patients tolerate (CPAP).

Mouth-breathing while wearing CPAP is one reason for poor adherence. In a study of 51 patients with sleep apnea, 30 patients breathed through their mouths for at least 70% of total sleep time.

The study found that most nasal breathers (71%) used their CPAP for at least 4 hours per day at one year follow up. This is in contrast to only 30% of mouth breathing patients using their CPAP at one year follow up.

MyoTape provides a simple and safe solution to restore nasal breathing and ensure optimal CPAP function throughout the night. By using MyoTape, you will experience fewer awakenings and wake up feeling refreshed, allowing you to manage your sleep apnea symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life.

Bachour A, Maasilta P. Mouth breathing compromises adherence to nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Chest. 2004 Oct;126(4):1248-54. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15486389/

A Stuffy Nose Causes Poor Concentration

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common condition affecting 12% of people in the USA and 10.9% of people in Europe.

Symptoms include blocked or stuffy nose, postnasal drip and reduced sense of smell. The condition causes a significant decline in quality of life and is linked to poor sleep quality, difficulty in concentration, impaired attention and cognitive function. 90% of persons with a stuffy nose (nasal congestion) have difficulty in concentrating.

Following three months practise of breathing exercises as taught by Patrick McKeown, results of a preliminary study showed a 70% reduction of symptoms including nasal stuffiness, poor sense of smell, snoring, trouble breathing through the nose, trouble sleeping, and having to breathe through the mouth. It is important to breathe through the nose both during wakefulness and sleep. The breathing exercises as taught during the study are available free from OxygenAdvantage app.

Arslan F, Tasdemir S, Durmaz A, Tosun F. The effect of nasal polyposis related nasal obstruction on cognitive functions. Cogn Neurodyn. 2018 Aug;12(4):385-390. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048009/

Adelola O.A., Oosthuiven J.C., Fenton J.E. Role of Buteyko breathing technique in asthmatics with nasal symptoms. Clinical Otolaryngology.2013, April;38(2):190-191. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23577891/

Nasal Congestion Reduces Cognitive Function

Persons with normal function of the nose have improved cognitive function and energy levels in comparison to persons with chronic nasal issues. In a study of 100 persons to investigate cognitive function (50 with chronic rhinosinusitis) persons with nasal congestion were found to have significantly more cognitive dysfunction and fatigue on validated instruments and had worse reaction times on computerized testing.

Soler ZM, Eckert MA, Storck K, Schlosser RJ (2015) Cognitive function in chronic rhinosinusitis: a controlled clinical study. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 5(11):1010–1017

Nasal Congestion Reduces Cognitive Function

Continuous Mouth Breathing Can Affect Learning

Breathing continually through an open mouth can affect learning outcomes. Twenty subjects were studied to monitor brain wave changes during nose and mouth breathing.

Breathing through the mouth showed different brain activity patterns, compared to nose breathing, and these changes are related to cognitive regions.

The reason for this change seems to relate to the decreased oxygen saturation during mouth breathing, suggesting that when cognitive abilities are required, mouth breathing can act as one of the variables that cause different outcomes in brain activities.

Lee KJ, Park CA, Lee YB, Kim HK, Kang CK. EEG signals during mouth breathing in a working memory task. Int J Neurosci. 2020 May;130(5):425-434. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31518511/

Breathing through the Nose Increases Oxygen Uptake in the Blood

Nose breathing is more effective at increasing oxygen uptake than breathing through the mouth. When our nose is blocked, the oxygen uptake in the blood reduces. In a study of individuals who continuously breathe through their noses, arterial pressure of oxygen increased by nearly 10%.

Swift AC, Campbell IT, McKown TM. Oronasal obstruction, lung volumes, and arterial oxygenation. Lancet. 1988 Jan 16;1(8577):73-5. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)90282-6. PMID: 2891980.

Bartley, James, and Conroy Wong. “Nasal Pulmonary Interactions.” In Nasal Physiology and Pathophysiology of Nasal Disorders, pp. 559-566. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013.

Breathing Through the Mouth Can Affect Growth of the Face

47 children had breathing mode (whether nose or mouth) assessed along with measurements of facial development. The researchers attempted to correlate the effects of nasal obstruction on development of the face. Mouth breathing children, in comparison to nose breathing were more likely to have a longer facial structure.

Children with mouth breathing have shown a correlation with abnormal orofacial growth.

Avail of Patrick McKeown’s free online breathing training for children https://myotape.com/free-online-children-course/.

Baumann I, Plinkert PK. Der Einfluss von Atemmodus und Nasenventilation auf das Gesichtsschädelwachstum [Effect of breathing mode and nose ventilation on growth of the facial bones]. HNO. 1996 May;44(5):229-34. German. PMID: 8707626. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8707626/

Torre C, Guilleminault C. Establishment of nasal breathing should be the ultimate goal to secure adequate craniofacial and airway development in children. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2018;94:101—3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28859912/

Harari D, Redlich M, Miri S, Hamud T, Gross M.The effect of mouth breathing versus nasal breathing on dentofacial and craniofacial development in orthodontic patients.Laryngoscope 2010;120:2089–2093. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20824738/

Association between Mouth Breathing and Crooked Teeth in Italian Preschool children

Of a sample of 1,616 children aged 3-6 years, 38% required orthodontic treatment and 46% had signs of crooked teeth.

The prevalence of mouth breathing and poor sucking habits were closely related to anterior open bite, posterior crossbite and increased overjet (abnormal alignment of the teeth/crooked teeth).

Children can practise simple breathing exercises to help decongest their nose, and change to nose breathing. See Patrick McKeown’s free online training for children.

Paolantonio EG, Ludovici N, Saccomanno S, La Torre G, Grippaudo C. Association between oral habits, mouth breathing and malocclusion in Italian preschoolers. Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2019 Sep;20(3):204-208. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31489819/

Mouth Breathing and Increased Plaque

Mouth breathing subjects show a significant 4 times higher risk to develop Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and an increased level of plaque index (PI). Plaque is a sticky substance from leftover food particles. A build up of plaque is not good for dental health and can cause gum disease.

The group of mouth breathers may retain a greater amount of bacteria in their mouth, possibly due to the evaporation of water from the saliva of constant mouth breathers.

Mummolo S, Nota A, Caruso S, Quinzi V, Marchetti E, Marzo G. Salivary Markers and Microbial Flora in Mouth Breathing Late Adolescents. Biomed Res Int. 2018 Mar 5;2018:8687608. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29693018/

Mouth Breathing Predisposes Increased Risk of Periodontal Disease

A study to evaluate the changes in the mouth of mouth breathing persons compared to nose breathing persons (control group). A total of 40 people were involved in this study, of which 20 persons were mouth breathers.

Reduced saliva in the mouth which occurs during mouth breathing may increase the risk of tooth decay. The researchers concluded that mouth breathing predisposes persons to an increase risk of periodontal disease susceptibility.

Mummolo S, Quinzi V, Dedola A, Albani F, Marzo G, Campanella V (2020) Oral Microbiota in Mouth-Breathing Patients. J Oral Hyg Health 8: 259. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29693018/

Mouth Breathing Predisposes Increased Risk of Periodontal Disease

Nasal Breathing Importance for Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing

Dr. Christian Guilleminault was a physician and researcher in the field of sleep medicine, and considered a founding father of sleep medicine. Credited with coining the phrase obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and developing the apnea hypopnea index (AHI). Dr. Guilleminault had a special interest in restoring nasal breathing both during the day and sleep.

According to the late Dr Christian Guilleminault, “treatment of pediatric obstructive-sleep-apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered-breathing (SBD) means restoration of continuous nasal breathing during wakefulness and sleep.”

If nasal breathing is not restored, despite short-term improvements after removal of the adenoids or tonsils, continued breathing through the mouth may be associated with abnormal impacts on airway growth.

“In fact restoration of nasal breathing during wake and sleep may be the only valid complete correction of pediatric sleep disordered breathing.”

You can teach your child simple breathing exercises from Patrick McKeown’s online course for children. During the course, Patrick demonstrates each exercise to his daughter. Your child can practice simple exercises alongside Lauren aged 8 years.

Guilleminault et al. Towards Restoration of Continuous Nasal Breathing as the Ultimate Treatment. Goal in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Enliven: Pediatrics and Neonatal Biology. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28859912/

Lee SY, Guilleminault C, Chiu HY, Sullivan SS. Mouth breathing, “nasal disuse,” and pediatric sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep Breath. 2015 Dec;19(4):1257-64. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25877805/

Sleep Difficulties and Symptoms of ADHD in Children with Mouth Breathing

Researchers studied 100 children, 70 males and 30 females to determine the effects of persistent mouth breathing on academics and social life of children. Results showed that 73% of mouth breathing children failed to give close attention in school, and 66% had symptoms of hyperactivity- trouble waiting for his/her turn.

The conclusion reached was that children with sleep disturbance or ADHD should be assessed for the presence of mouth breathing, as easy identification and correction of mouth breathing may help to prevent unnecessary exposure to medication for treating ADHD.

Kalaskar R, Bhaje P, Kalaskar A, et al. Sleep Difficulties and Symptoms of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Mouth Breathing. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(5):604–609. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8645617/

Children, Mouth Breathing, Poor Sleep Quality and Learning Difficulties

Children who breathe through an open mouth have a strong tendency to experience cognitive disorders and problems with memory, concentration, attention, and learning ability.

In a 2013 study in which 48 children had complete ear, nose, and throat examinations, results showed that children with enlarged adenoids experienced greater learning difficulties than those with normal adenoids. Likewise, a 2015 study from the Faculties of Dentistry at Havana and Aden Universities found that children with excessive daytime sleepiness were almost 10 times more likely to have learning difficulties.

Triana, Bárbara Elena García, Ahlam Hibatulla Ali, and Ileana Bárbara Grau León. “Mouth breathing and its relationship to some oral and medical conditions: physiopathological mechanisms involved.” Revista Habanera de Ciencias Médicas 15, no. 2 (2016): 200-212.
http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/rhcm/v15n2/rhcm08215.pdf

Fensterseifer, Giovana Serrão, Oswaldo Carpes, Luc Louis Maurice Weckx, and Viviane Feller Martha. “Mouth breathing in children with learning disorders.” Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology 79, no. 5 (2013): 620-624.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24141679/

Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics, and behavior. Gen Dent 2010;58:18–25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20129889/

UK study: Snoring, Apnea and Mouth Breathing If Untreated at 5 years of age Increases the Risk of Special Education Needs by 40%

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, also known as Children of the 90s, is a detailed and ongoing birth cohort study of children born in the UK between April 1991 and December 1992. The Avon research has shown substantial correlations between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and cognitive impairment in children. Parents enrolled in the study reported on their children’s snoring, witnessed apnea, and mouth breathing at 6, 18, 30, 42 and 57 months. SDB symptom trajectories, or clusters, were derived from the resultant data. By the time the children reached 8 years old, parental reports for 11,049 children with SDB indicated that children with sleep-disordered breathing were 40% more likely to have special educational needs.

Bonuck, Karen, Katherine Freeman, Ronald D. Chervin, and Linzhi Xu. “Sleep-disordered breathing in a population-based cohort: behavioral outcomes at 4 and 7 years.” Pediatrics 129, no. 4 (2012): e857-e865. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3313633/

Mouth Breathing and Asthma

The nose and lungs form a single, unified airway. This means that where inflammation is present, it can travel from the nose to the lungs and from the lungs to the nose. This is one reason people with asthma experience high levels of nasal congestion. The normal response to a stuffy nose is to begin breathing through the mouth. This, however, increases breathing volume, draws cold, unfiltered, dry air into the airways, and makes the symptoms of asthma worse. Habitual mouth breathing also affects sleep and causes or contributes to stress.

A substantial 2016 study in Allergy demonstrated that mouth breathing was associated with the worsening of asthma. Even participants who did not have asthma experienced poorer lower lung function and more sensitivity to house dust mites when they mouth-breathed. Researchers examined questionnaires completed by 9,804 people from Nagahama City in Japan and found that mouth breathing causes asthma to become more severe, possibly by increasing vulnerability to inhaled allergens. Scientists concluded, “The risk of mouth breathing should be well recognized in subjects with allergic rhinitis and in the general population.” A separate study found that habitual mouth breathing reduced lung function in people with mild asthma and exacerbated the symptoms of acute asthma.

Bartley, James, and Conroy Wong. “Nasal Pulmonary Interactions.” In Nasal Physiology and Pathophysiology of Nasal Disorders, pp. 559-566. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013.

Izuhara, Y., Hisako Matsumoto, T. Nagasaki, Y. Kanemitsu, K. Murase, I. Ito, T. Oguma et al. “Mouth breathing, another risk factor for asthma: the Nagahama Study.” Allergy 71, no. 7 (2016): 1031-1036. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/all.12885

Hallani, M., J. R. Wheatley, and T. C. Amis. “Initiating oral breathing in response to nasal loading: asthmatics versus healthy subjects.” European Respiratory Journal 31, no. 4 (2008): 800-806. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18032447/

Nasal Important in the Control of Asthma

Asthma is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which can lead to breathing difficulties and other symptoms. Nasal breathing can help reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, mainly if triggered during exercise. When sleeping with a nasal dilator which helps to open the nose for easier breathing, the patients woke up with asthma on 17 of 75 nights as compared with 32 of 75 when sleeping without the device. Reduced nocturnal asthma was observed by 12 patients and less need for asthma medication at night by 7.

Peterson B, Theman K. Reduced nocturnal asthma by improved nasal breathing. Acta Otolaryngol. 1996 May;116(3):490-2. doi: 10.3109/00016489609137878. PMID: 8790753.

Breathing Through the Mouth may Play a role in Acute Asthma Exacerbations

Breathing through the nose has a protective influence against exercise induced asthma. In a study of a small group of people, subjects when wearing a nose clip to force breathing through the mouth perceived more difficulty breathing in.

Enforced oral breathing causes a decrease in lung function in mild asthmatic subjects at rest, initiating asthma symptoms in some. Oral breathing may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute asthma exacerbations.

Hallani M, Wheatley JR, Amis TC. Enforced mouth breathing decreases lung function in mild asthmatics. Respirology. 2008 Jun;13(4):553-8. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-1843.2008.01300.x

Breathing Non conditioned Inhaled air Through the Mouth affects asthma

Enhanced perception of nasal loading may trigger increased oral breathing in asthmatics, potentially enhancing exposure to nonconditioned inhaled gas and contributing to the occurrence and/ or severity of bronchoconstrictive exacerbations.

Hallani M, Wheatley JR, Amis TC. Initiating oral breathing in response to nasal loading: asthmatics versus healthy subjects. Eur Respir J. 2008 Apr;31(4):800-6.

Improve blood flow in the lungs

Breathing through the nose helps dilate blood vessels in the lungs and improves arterial oxygenation compared with oral breathing without lung disease.

Lundberg JO,Settergren G,Gelinder S,Lundberg JM,Alving K,Weitzberg E. 1996d. Inhalation of nasally derived nitric oxide modulates pulmonary function in humans. Acta Physiol Scand 158: 343–347.