Mouth Breathing Might be Ruining Your Sleep. Here’s How to Fix It

CNN reports on the science of mouth breathing and how it can ruin a good night’s sleep.

Breathing through your mouth at night puts you at higher risk for sleep disorders including snoring, sleep apnea and hypopnea, the partial blockage of air, scientists have found. Each of those, in turn, can lead to daytime fatigue.That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to wake up in a daze because you’re prone to mouth breathing when you sleep. Experts have a long list of strategies designed to turn you into a nasal breather — including a low-cost breathing hack you can pick up at the corner store.

Breathing problems are so widespread that they’ve spurred a whole industry dedicated to opening your nose. Dr. Steven Park, a surgeon with a specialty in sleep medicine, and the host of the podcast, “Breathe Better, Sleep Better, Live Better,” says that some people find relief from nasal strips, which open up the nose from the outside, or nasal dilators that expand air passages from within.

But even if you get your nose to clear, nighttime mouth breathing can be a hard habit to break. That’s led some to seek out products that secure their lips closed at night, such as Somnifix or Snorless strips. YouTube videos about taping your mouth closed with specialized adhesive tape have racked up tens of thousands of views.

Get the full story at CNN.com.

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