Wellness curious
With claims that it can boost your blood flow, calm your cortisol and support a sounder sleep, is there a health case for keeping your mouth shut?
As bodily functions go, good old breathing is one you probably don’t give much thought to outside a yoga class. And yet, the mechanism by which you take in oxygen matters. Take mouth breathing, which some people automatically default to. Mouth breathing can lead you to over-breathe, messing up your oxygen and carbon dioxide balance – and it’s even been linked to sleep apnoea. The alternative? Nose breathing. And doing it all through the nostrils is ideal, says pulmonologist – arespiratory specialist – Jamie Garfield. Here, experts settle the nose-vs-mouth debate – and share how to perfect the practice.
You get cleaner air through your nose
100%
The hairs in your nose strip out allergens and pollutants, making sure fewer undesirables end up in your lungs. But the mouth doesn’t have such a system. ‘It’s really for eating and talking, not breathing,’ says Dr Garfield. Need more motivation? Your lungs and throat thrive on warm, moist air, and the nasal cavity has built-in structures that heat up and humidify air in a way your mouth can’t. Nasal breathing also requires less energy; it relies on the diaphragm, the largest respiratory muscle in the body.
Nasal breathing helps you sleep more deeply
YES
Nitric oxide, which improves blood flow and makes it easier for your lungs to pick up oxygen, is produced via the sinuses. So when you take in air vi
