9 Reasons to Stop Breathing Through Your Mouth

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor should be your next read. It will show you why you need to stop breathing through your mouth.

Add this book to your reading list right now. It’s my favorite for 2022, and might just belong in my favorite reads of all time.

Why?

It expands upon one simple truth; breathing through your nose is everything.

With one change, you can improve your life dramatically. All it takes is a focus on breathing through the two little holes above your mouth.

Breathing through your nose is not only more efficient, but it’s also healthier for you in a myriad of ways.

Reading the book and applying the principles improved my athletic performance, lessened the pains of terrible allergies, and has aided my meditative sessions.

It might do the same for you, but your experience may differ.

Oops, Mouth Breathing Is Bad?

So first, let’s start with the not-so-fun list of why you should refrain from always mouth breathing:

• It can cause headaches and jaw pain.
• It might make you feel anxious and stressed.
• It can cause or worsen sleep apnea.
• It can cause bad breath.
• Teeth problems might worsen because you’re breathing in bad bacteria and changing acidity levels in your mouth.

Mouth breathing certainly isn’t as safe as we once thought it was. In fact, it’s really something we should generally avoid.

The best way to prevent many chronic health problems, improve athletic performance, and extend longevity was to focus on how we breathed, specifically to balance oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body. To do this, we’d need to learn how to inhale and exhale slowly.
― James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

9 Reasons to Breathe Through Your Nose

1. Nose breathing leads to better sleep. I sleep pretty well overall already. I don’t snore (according to my wife) and I sleep through the night on most occasions. Should my nose-breathing get the credit for this? Possibly. I’d like to put off snoring for as long as possible.
2. It helps with allergies. For me, sinus problems have always been a thorn in my side. I wasn’t called Snuffles in middle school for nothing. A full round of allergy shots in my twenties helped a bit, but I’ve always struggled. Turns out, focusing (read: forcing) myself to breathe through my nose has improved my allergies. This added to the occasional humming as recommended in the book has helped to open up my sinuses.
3. Cleaner air: The nose filters and warms the air you breathe, so it’s easier on your lungs.
4. Healthier body: Nose breathing can lead to better blood pressure control.
5. Improved cognitive function: It increases your cognitive function and makes you feel more alert. Nose breathing helps me focus and concentrate.
6. Prevents snoring: Nose breathing can help prevent snoring. In fact, in the insane study the author of the book put himself through, one night of blocked sinuses lead to a sudden boost of snoring episodes throughout the night.
7. Nose breathing helps reduce stress and anxiety: There’s a reason taking a deep breath from the nose serves to calm. Try it yourself. Does a deep mouth breath do anything other than to make you feel like you’re dying?
8. Breathing from my nose increased physical performance: Forcing myself to breathe through my runny nose during a run increased my speed and feeling of success after a run.
9. Last but not least, nose breathing simply feels better!

Breathing through your nose is a lost art, but one that’s worth rediscovering. Trust me, your nose knows best.

The perfect breath is this: Breathe in for about 5.5 seconds, then exhale for 5.5 seconds. That’s 5.5 breaths a minute for a total of about 5.5 liters of air.
― James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

I implemented what I learned from the book in several ways that might work for you too:

• When I run, I breathe through my nose no matter what.
• I don’t let allergies stop me from breathing through my nose. I push through, and I’ve found that my nostrils open up and bend to my will!
• I practice deep breathing, as recommended in the book, by exhaling for longer than I am breathing in. It’s incredibly relaxing and I can feel my entire body pausing in acceptance.
• I hum regularly to increase nitrous oxide in my sinuses.

Do you have any other reasons to add to the list? What breathing methods work best for you? Share them with me in the comments. I’d love to learn from you.

And if you want to learn more about the benefits of nose breathing, be sure to check out Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.

Happy (and healthy) reading!

-Jordan

PS: Looking for more great reads? My wife and I gave our recommendations for what to read (and what to skip) so far in 2022: