Is it normal to sleep with your mouth open
The short answer to this question is no, it's not acceptable
to sleep with your mouth open. Unfortunately, sleeping with your mouth open is
actually bad for your health. We apologize for the bad news. According to The
Breathe Institute, it hinders the body from naturally absorbing oxygen for the
brain and muscles, which can cause a variety of problems.
Causes
of Mouth Breathing
When a person's nasal route is blocked, mouth breathing
happens. When this occurs, the body's natural reaction is to take in oxygen
through the mouth, the body's second conduit. This could occur as a result of:
- blocked nasal passages brought on by a cold or allergies.
- defective cartilage divider or a deviated septum in the nose.
- nasal tissue inflammation.
- sleeping apnea.
Effects
of Mouth Breathing
This activity interferes with restorative sleep, which is
crucial for your physical and mental health. As you age, mouth breathing can
also lead to major health problems, such as:
- Breathing Disorders During Sleep
- a bad bite alignment
- respiratory and oral infections
- Mouth Dry (i.e., bad breath)
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Snoring Apnea
- Crowding or misalignment of teeth
- Dental decay
- Gum Illness
- Gummy Laughs (smiles that highlight too much of the gum line)
- reduced immune response
Your teeth, sleep, and general health may all be affected by
these consequences! We don't want you to experience that.
Mouth
breathing as opposed to nose breathing
In addition to giving your body the oxygen it needs to
survive, correct breathing (i.e., nasal breathing) permits the escape of waste
and carbon dioxide.
Nitric oxide, which is created by breathing through the
nose, enhances the lungs' capacity to take in oxygen and their capacity to
transport it throughout the body. While allowing blood arteries to widen, it
relaxes vascular smooth muscle cells. Your immune system benefits from this process
in its ability to prevent infections.
Additional benefits of nasal breathing include:
- Small airborne particles are retained by the nose, which serves as a filter.
- The air stream is made more difficult by nose breathing, increasing the amount of oxygen taken in.
- In order to keep the bronchial tubes and lungs from drying out, noses add moisture to the air.
- Before it reaches the lungs, chilly air is brought to body temperature through the nose.
- Regenerative sleep is brought on by nose breathing.
According to The Breathe Institute, mouth breathing is bad
breathing because it has no benefits for delivering nitric oxide, warming the
air, or humidifying it. The body actually uses mouth breathing as a survival
mechanism when inhaling through the nose is not possible.
How to
Prevent Mouth Breathing While You Sleep
Due to some behavioral tendencies we develop as youngsters,
mouth breathing can become more pronounced as we age (e.g., bottle feeding,
early diet of soft foods, etc.) Our muscle tone and orofacial development are
affected by these practices. It's critical to identify your child's mouth
breathing as soon as possible.
For healthy nasal breathing, Dakota Dental can work with you
to restore the ideal jaw proportions and tongue position. There are particular
steps adult mouth breathers can take to prevent this activity from disrupting
their sleep patterns and resulting in major health problems in the future, such
as:
- Elevate your head while sleeping on your back.
- Keep your house spotless and allergen-free.
- Attempt allergy medication if your doctor advises it.
- In your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, use air filters.
While awake, practice breathing via your nose. (Meditation
is a useful technique for practicing this new ability!)
The best course of action is to speak with a specialist in
airway-focused dentistry and myofunctional therapy because these prophylactic
measures are not a guarantee. The suitable mouth breathing therapy can correct
bad muscle and tongue habits as well as airway size and tone.
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