The Integral Connection:
Mouth Breathing, Sleep, and Overall Health & Happiness
Embracing Healthy Habits for Holistic Well-being
In the quest for health we often focus on diet and exercise, overlooking two critical aspects of our well-being: our breathing habits, particularly through the mouth, and our sleep patterns. These elements are deeply interconnected and play a pivotal role in our overall health.
Let’s dive into how adopting healthy habits in these areas can lead to a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Mouth Breathing: More Than Just a Habit
Mouth breathing might seem like a trivial concern, but it can have far-reaching effects on our health. When we breathe through our mouth, particularly during sleep, it can lead to a host of problems, including:
- Reduced Oxygen Absorption: Mouth breathing can bypass the nasal filtration system, leading to lower levels of oxygen in the bloodstream.
- Dental Health Issues: This habit can dry out the gums and increase the risk of oral infections and bad breath.
- Sleep Disturbances: Mouth breathing is often linked with snoring and can be a symptom of sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder.
The Power of Sleep: A Cornerstone of Health
Sleep is not just a period of rest; it’s a state where our body undergoes repair and rejuvenation. Poor sleep quality, often exacerbated by mouth breathing, can lead to:
- Weakened Immune System: Lack of quality sleep can make us more susceptible to illnesses.
- Mental Health Struggles: Chronic sleep deprivation is linked with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Cognitive Impairment: Insufficient sleep can impair memory, judgment, and the ability to concentrate.
- Gut issues: When we breathe through our mouth it throws off the microbiome in the gut. Leading to reflux and irritable bowel.
Bridging the Gap: How Mouth Breathing Affects Sleep
Mouth breathing and poor sleep quality are often intertwined in a vicious cycle. Mouth breathing can disrupt the natural sleep cycle, leading to lighter, less restorative sleep. Putting our body into fight or flight. This disruption can affect our mood, energy levels, blood pressure, weight and overall health.
People who have very irregular sleep patterns may have a higher risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease than those who get more regular sleep.
Sleep health recommendations often focus on getting the recommended amount of sleep, which is seven to nine hours a night, but there is less emphasis on maintaining regular sleep schedules; findings suggest the regularity of a person’s sleep is an important factor when considering a person’s risk of illness.
As little as a 1% reduction in deep sleep per year for people over 60 years of age translates into a 27% increased risk of dementia.
Oxygen (O2) is a crucial element for physiological functioning in humans. In particular, brain function is critically dependent on a minimum amount of circulating blood levels of O2 and both immediate and lasting dysfunction can result following hypoxic episodes. Mouth Breathing creates a 18% reduction in oxygen to the brain when you sleep.
Exposure to high levels of oxygen encourages the brain to remain in deep, restorative sleep, according to a new study by University of Alberta neuroscientists.
The research highlights the potential for oxygen therapy in a clinical setting.
Effective sleep health education combined with different therapies can improve irregular sleep patterns.
Stress and mouth breathing activates brain cells out of turn, causing “microarousals,” that interrupt sleep cycles and decrease the duration of sleep episodes, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
While our bodies are at rest when we are asleep, our brains are still very active during four different stages of sleep. In each 90-minute sleep cycle, there are three stages of NREM sleep and one stage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During the first two stages of NREM sleep, brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing slow, and body temperature decreases. Stage two also includes unique brain activity, called spindles and K-complexes, which are short bursts of activity responsible for processing outside stimuli, as well as for consolidating memory.
Stage three of the NREM sleep cycle is when the body releases growth hormone, which is important for repairing the body, keeping the immune system healthy, and further improving memory. During phase three, brain waves are larger, called delta waves. REM sleep, which happens in this phase when dreaming normally occurs, is also critical for memory formation, emotional processing, and brain development.
When you have a bad night of sleep, you notice that your memory isn’t as good as it normally is, or your emotions are all over the place—but a bad night of sleep interrupts so many other processes throughout your body. This is even more heightened in individuals with stress-related sleep disorders. Having more restful sleep allows their brain to complete these important processes.
All humans trace their origin to Africa around 300,000 years ago, where environmental factors shaped many of their biological features. Our ancestors evolved under different environmental conditions. This resulted in the accumulation of lineage-specific genetic variation and phenotypes. Their diet, sleep and breathing were better than ours is today.
Changes in the sleep patterns and level of light exposure have biological and behavioral consequences that have led to evolutionary adaptations. Scientists have previously explored the evolution of circadian adaptation in insects, plants, and fishes extensively, but it is not as well studied in humans.
Cultivating Healthy Habits
To break this cycle and improve our health and happiness, we can adopt several strategies:
- Focus on Nasal Breathing: Practice conscious nasal breathing during the day and consider methods like mouth taping at night, under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
- Improve Sleep Hygiene: Establish a regular sleep schedule, create a comfortable sleep environment, and engage in relaxing activities before bed.
- Seek Professional Help: If you suspect a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, consult a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.
- Stay Hydrated: Adequate hydration can reduce mouth dryness and improve overall health.
- Mindful Lifestyle Choices: Incorporate stress-reduction techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises into your daily routine. Balanced diet.
The Road to Happiness
By addressing mouth breathing and prioritizing good sleep, we can significantly enhance our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. These habits are not just pathways to better health; they are stepping stones to a happier, more fulfilled life.
Remember, health is holistic. The way we breathe and sleep is as important as what we eat and how we move. Let’s embrace these aspects of our health and take strides towards a happier, healthier self!
Restore in 2024
Your body repairs and restores itself in your sleep. The body’s clock keeps your metabolism, blood pressure, and heart rate running on schedule. But when sleep patterns are disrupted what happens?
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00373.2018
https://sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/sleep-whole-body/brain/rats-oxygen-slow-wave-sleep/
