Why mouth breathing while sleeping is unhealthy 2023
We’ve spent months studying how sleep affects our health, including diabetes, hypertension, weight loss, and memory. Today, we’ll discuss another common practice that might harm your health: mouth breathing while sleeping. Many sleeper’s mouths breathe. This simple behavior can really hurt your health.
Let’s first comprehend mouth breathing during sleep before discussing its health dangers. Sleep difficulties, nasal congestion, and structural anomalies can cause mouth breathing.
Dr. Rajneesh Srivastava, Consultant Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Medanta, Lucknow, stated, “Nasal congestion from allergies, colds, or sinusitis can make it hard to breathe through the nose, forcing people to mouth breathe during sleep.”
Sleep difficulties, nasal congestion, and structural anomalies can cause mouth breathing.
He said that small nasal passageways or a deviated septum might block airflow via the nose, causing mouth breathing. Dr. Srivastava said that mouth breathing may help those with sleep problems like sleep apnea, which causes airway obstructions or collapses, get enough oxygen.
Dr. Sowjanya, Senior Pulmonologist, Kamineni Hospitals, Hyderabad, agreed that two main variables induce mouth breathing during sleep. The first is nasal airway issues such a deviated septum or congestion. The second reason is bad habits.”
Experts say breathing via your mouth can harm your brain, hormones, and mood, while breathing through your nose helps them.
Dr. Sowjanya stated mouth breathing can cause facial defects, crooked teeth, and growth concerns in children, as well as foul breath, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Adenoid or tonsillar growth can block nasal airflow, producing persistent mouth breathing in youngsters, according to Dr. Srivastava. He added chronic mouth breathing during sleep can cause long-term facial and dental changes such a higher arched palate, crowded teeth, and an elongated face.
A 2018 study, Sleep-disordered breathing and oral health in children, found that children with SDB were more likely to have dental caries and gingivitis, suggesting a link between mouth breathing during sleep and oral health issues.
How does sleep effect memory?
But wait! Dr. Ravi Chandra M R K, Consultant Pulmonology, Internal Medicine, Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center (Narayana Health City, Bangalore), said that mouth breathing during sleep might cause dry mouth and throat, pain, and dental issues.
He stated mouth breathing bypasses the nose’s natural filtering and humidification processes, reducing oxygen intake, sleep quality, and respiratory infection risk.
According to Cleveland Clinic, mouth-breathing increases the risk of sleep problems like sleep apnea.
How do we manage mouth breathing?
Keep your lips together to train your nose to breathe.Pressing your tongue on your palate can also improve mouth posture.
*Oropharyngeal exercises strengthen your tongue, opening your airway.Saline sprays or rinses can relieve congestion and improve nasal airflow.
Sleeping on your side might prevent mouth breathing.Early identification may avoid irreparable airway abnormalities in youngsters with persistent symptoms.
