Breathing through your nose and breathing through your mouth are two very different things, and it matters to know the difference. We're seeing more and more how nasal breathing is changing people's lives, and we're happy you're here to talk about why. Yes, really: nasal breathing. We even do a little breath session together.
In this episode, Kathy and Mike explain how your nose and your mouth each nudge your nervous system in a different direction, why mouth breathing at night can cost you deeper sleep, and what happens in your diaphragm, your oxygen and your carbon dioxide when you breathe through your nose. You'll also practice a simple 4-6 nasal breath, and you can pair it with the Exhale Reset recordings through the day.
What's the difference between nose breathing and mouth breathing for your nervous system?
Mike's short version: breathing in and out of your nose is calmer, and breathing in and out of your mouth is more energized and on alert. Your nose triggers more of your parasympathetic nervous system, the calming part. Your mouth triggers more of your sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight part. Both are useful at different times. The trouble comes with chronic mouth breathing, which keeps you in that alert state all day, even at your desk or on the phone, with more adrenaline, cortisol, inflammation and fatigue. Kathy has seen it at her kickboxing gym: friends who breathe through their mouths have a harder time getting their heart rate back down.
Does mouth breathing at night hurt your sleep?
Mike says breathing through your mouth all night keeps you in a low state of stress, with more inflammation than you want, and you don't get to the deeper levels of sleep like REM and deep sleep. Signs you might be a mouth breather include snoring, drooling, a dry mouth when you wake up, feeling fuzzy, or a spouse who tells you. A few things to try: mouth tape such as Myotape, a small elastic piece of tape that gently keeps your mouth closed; Breathe Right strips, which help open your nasal passages; or the old DIY version Mike used years ago. Kathy never used tape. She simply started breathing through her nose during the day while she was awake and aware, and it carried over to her nights.
Why is nasal breathing better for your diaphragm, oxygen and carbon dioxide?
Your nose is smaller than your mouth, so it creates a little resistance, and that triggers your diaphragm, your main breathing muscle, to take a lower breath. Your nose also filters the air and warms it before it reaches your lungs, which matters most in winter. Mike explains the Bohr effect: oxygen is released from your red blood cells in the presence of carbon dioxide, so if you breathe out too much carbon dioxide through your mouth, less oxygen gets released into your blood. Nose breathing also produces more nitric oxide, which Mike describes as antimicrobial. Kathy's takeaway: even when mouth breathing feels like you're getting more air, the oxygen exchange is better through your nose.
How do you do 4-6 nasal breathing?
Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds and out through your nose for 6 seconds. That makes a 10-second breath, or 6 breaths per minute, which is the baseline for how Mike and Kathy want to breathe throughout the day and a gentle way into a calmer, rest and digest state. Put your hands on your belly or low ribs: they should push into your hands as you inhale, and your belly should soften like a balloon deflating as you exhale. If you find the exhale hard, add a hum. It lengthens the exhale naturally, and Mike says humming produces nitric oxide in your nasal passage. Kathy loves this kind of practice in moments of transition, like in the car between work and home.
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Don't let it take your exhale. Noses are for breathing, mouths are for eating. Reset anytime with the Exhale Reset: three short guided recordings for your morning, your afternoon and your evening.
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