[Good morning health / Yang Dingyi (M.D.)]Developing the habit of breathing through the nose can overcome the common overbreathing problem of mouth breathing, and can also improve the body’s immunity. But you may not think that even oral health is related to mouth breathing.
If mouth breathing is often used during sleep all night, it will naturally make a person slightly dehydrated, and the mouth will be particularly dry in the morning. Our saliva, in addition to having enzymes that can break down some food when chewing, can also provide ions to help the minerals in the mouth to properly mineralize and make the teeth stronger. If the mouth is always dry and there is not enough saliva, this mineralization is reduced, leaving the teeth vulnerable to acids formed by food and bacteria.
When people talk about tooth decay in children, they immediately think of it as the result of eating too much sugar and not brushing their teeth well, which leads to the proliferation of oral bacteria. Few people pay special attention to the impact of long-term mouth breathing on oral hygiene.
In one study, subjects wore devices that continuously monitor oral pH and had their noses clamped, meaning they were forced to breathe through their mouths at all times, including when they were asleep. It was found that the subjects who breathed through the mouth dropped the pH value of the mouth from 7.3 to 6.6 after a whole night, while the subjects who breathed through the nose did not change significantly. As mentioned earlier, a pH difference of 1 reflects a 10-fold change in acid concentration. Using the numbers here as an example, a pH drop of 0.7 raises the concentration of acid to the 0.7 power of 10, or 5 times.
Breathing with the mouth, the acidity of the oral environment will be 4 times higher, making it easier for the mineral component calcium phosphate in the teeth to dissolve, and also affecting the ecology of the oral colony. Compared with nose-breathers, mouth-breathers had more tooth decay and periodontal disease, as well as a higher rate of bad mouth taste.
Many cultures have a stereotype that people who open their mouths all the time are stupid. Dr. Ma Yian also shared with me that the protagonist of his favorite Japanese cartoon “Crayon Shin-chan” is like this. He often opens his mouth and is easily distracted, unable to listen to what others are saying. I saw Xiaoxin’s pictures and found that this kind of role setting is very reasonable.
Because there is no nose painted on Xiaoxin’s face, he can only breathe through his mouth, and breathing through his mouth for a long time will indeed affect a person’s concentration.
Just short bursts of mouth breathing can reduce blood flow and deprive the body of oxygen, which can make people feel dizzy and affect their ability to think. Scientists have observed that maintaining intense breathing that puts a person into hyperventilation for 3 minutes reduces the average person’s ability to solve problems and slow down their reactions.
Similar effects would be more pronounced if the hyperpnea was prolonged, with reduced blood flow to the brain and prolonged oxygen deprivation. If children use mouth breathing for a long time, they are prone to fatigue, psychological and cognitive effects are affected, and it is related to poor academic performance.
Hold your nose and breathe while sleeping
If you can hold your nose and breathe while falling asleep, not only will your quality of sleep be better, but you will also be more energetic throughout the day.
The question is: How do you make sure you breathe through your nose when you fall asleep?
One method is to use an “anti-snoring belt” that wraps around the head and face to fix the chin. But binding the head and face is actually very uncomfortable, and some people will wear the skin. If it is tied too tightly, it may affect the bite and prevent sleep, and if it is tied too loose, it may fall off.
Another method that’s gentler and doesn’t create extra stress is to tape your mouth shut before bed. As weird as it sounds, I’ve concluded from my own observations and experiments that sleep tape is actually safe.
You can choose the appropriate tape, so that the stickiness and strength are just enough to restrict the opening of the mouth.
4-7-8 sleep breathing
There’s a popular 4-7-8 breathing method to help you fall asleep that’s popular, and you’ve probably tried it, too, along with sleep tape.
Give yourself a few minutes before getting ready for bed. Put down the phone, put on the tape, let yourself get used to the tape, and get used to the quiet time.
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat this 4-7-8 breathing method several times, and you will soon be able to relax and let people feel naturally sleepy. At this time, let yourself go and go to sleep.
This article is excerpted from “Breathing for Healing” / Yang Dingyi (M.D.) / World Life
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The original text is quoted from: Breathing method improves insomnia and prevents bad breath and periodontal disease! 478 breathing methods let you relax and fall asleep in 60 seconds
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