Breathing through your nose has many advantages over breathing through your mouth. Nasal breathing allows air to be filtered, humidified, and warmed as it enters your body. It also promotes healthy blood vessels by the supply of clean air filled with nitrous oxide, prevents bad breath, filters out germs that cause disease, helps prevent nighttime snoring and keeps your sense of smell strong. Everyone can and should breathe through the nose; it's just more difficult for some people to retrain their bodies.
Instructions
1. Check to make sure that you can breathe through your nose comfortably. A good way to do this is simply to cover your mouth with your hand, or with someone else's hand. If normal breathing continues through your nose, then there is no physical abnormality or condition preventing nose breathing. If you're unable to breathe normally through your nose, you may have some form of nasal congestion or blockage.
2. Eliminate any problems that may be contributing to mouth breathing. For example, nasal congestion can be caused by a number of things including colds, respiratory infections, allergies, air pollution and a hot or dry climate. For colds and respiratory infections, use a nasal decongestant to clear the sinuses, treat sinus problems with appropriate prescription and/or over-the-counter medications and consider filtering and humidifying the air in your house if air pollution or dryness in the air is a problem.
3. Train yourself to breathe through your nose while you're awake. Consciously think about keeping your mouth shut and forcing yourself to breathe in through your nose. Eventually it will become a habit, and you'll be able to breathe through your nose as you sleep. Taking long, deep breaths through your nose can be beneficial, allowing the alveoli in your lungs to relax and absorb more oxygen. According to nosebreath.com, the Nose Breathe Mouthpiece website, the need for medication for asthmatic patients is reduced because of the greater efficiency of the naturally relaxed alveoli.
4. Practice lip exercises. You can practice breathing in and out through your nose by pursing your lips, according to the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease International Library. Do this naturally and without pushing air out forcefully. You can also stick your tongue out as far as it can reach several times a day (maybe while brushing your teeth). This will help train your tongue to stay at the front of your mouth and prevent airway blockage-induced snoring as you sleep.
5. Try one of the various products designed to help control airflow in and out of your nose. Nasal strips work by freeing and opening the nasal cavity, simply making it easier to breathe through your nose. A chin-up strap, similar to a football helmet strap without the helmet, or a chin-up strip can help as well. Both of these products make it more difficult for you to open your mouth, thereby promoting nose breathing in the process.
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