When you sleep, you may not even realize how you are breathing. Do you breathe through your nose, or through your mouth? That is because your consciousness is not in motion when you are sleeping. You are not going to know unless you wake up with an exceptionally dry mouth which can mean that you may be breathing through your mouth. And if you can resonate with this, then there is evidence that mouth breathing at night can have a negative impact on your health. Let’s go over the reasons that mouth breathing at night is not good for you.
You Are Likely Snoring If You Are Mouth Breathing
Snoring is not only a bad thing for your roommate or spouse. If you are getting hit by them in the middle of the night, that is because you are snoring and preventing them from sleeping. What causes snoring in most cases is that it is disrupted airflow through the throat into the lungs which may be the sign of sleep apnea. But snoring does prevent you and your partner or roommate from getting good quality sleep. You may know that you are snoring if you struggle to stay awake during the day. If you make a habit of sleeping with your mouth closed, then you will not snore.
Nasal Or Sinus Congestion And A Sore Throat
If you have a cold or a sinus infection, you may end up sleeping with your mouth open which can cause your body to expel too much carbon dioxide at once. That is because you will end up creating more mucus when that happens which will make it harder to breathe. Therefore, that means you are going to end up waking up even more congested which is why, as counterintuitive as it sounds, it is best to breathe through your nose when you have a cold or a sinus infection. Additionally, when you have a sore throat, you will wake up with a throat that is even sorer when you breathe with your mouth open.
Mouth Breathing At Night Is Bad For Your Teeth And Gums
You already know that breathing through your mouth at night will hurt your quality of sleep because that is what leads to snoring. And it will also cause you to struggle to kick the cold or sinus infection that you have. It is also causing your dental hygiene to deteriorate. You will end up developing cavities and halitosis if you keep breathing through your mouth at night. That is because when the mouth is open, your saliva will evaporate. That will attract bacteria and fungi, and that causes not only halitosis, but it will cause you to develop gum disease and cavities. Your saliva glands end up slowing down when you sleep regardless. However, if you breathe through your nose, you are likely to restore some saliva. The remaining saliva you have will not evaporate.
Additionally, you will also end up struggling with structural issues in your mouth such as overbites, underbites, and teeth grinding. That is the problem with mouth breathing.
The way you can prevent yourself from breathing through your mouth at night when you sleep is through a method known as somnific strips. As you fall asleep, keep your lips together and start breathing through your nose, and with your mouth closed, you will stick to sleeping through your nose. That way, you will end up having a much better quality of sleep. You need proper sleep to help stave off ailments such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Therefore, a good night’s sleep will go a long way each night.
