Breathe Well
Mouth breathing is a consequence of many factors including a deviated septum, allergies, a narrow palate and others but there are ways to clear your passages to make it easier to breathe through your nose. Scroll down for ways to reduce allergies if you haven't already looked at the cause for your mouth breathing. (Note: I am not a medical professional so take all of these suggestions as that, based on what has worked for me and those I care about.)
Samantha’s Protocol for Optimal Sleep
Here is a process to do right before bed to train your body to breathe through your nose.
Step 1
Spray hypertonic saline into your nose, sniff and blow. Repeat without blowing to coat passages. (Make sure you get a hypertonic solution, something that says Extra Strength, as the extra salt pulls out more fluid from swollen nasal passages and shrinks the vessels so that air can flow more easily. Here is a deal on the three pack.)
If you get dry, use Xlear nasal spray for final sprays to add moisture. If child can only do one spray, consider starting with Xlear since it contains xylitol that has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.* It also tastes sweet.
Step 2
Make sure nose is free of oil and moisture before placing Breathe Right strip. (To remove in morning, use oil under the seam as to not damage skin.) Here is a link to a small/medium version good for kids over 5 years old. Anyone with a severe latex allergy should avoid since their packaging contains latex. For more information on how to wear, here are Breathe Right FAQs.)
Step 3
Spray NasalCrom in each nostril and sniff deeply. (This mast cell stabilizer that is better than an anti-histamine; highly safe, non-addictive and good for pediatric use. Here is a link to a generic version of this cromolyn sodium nasal spray that is usually half the price.)
Step 4
Carefully, dab a tiny bit of Tiger Balm white ointment under each nostril. You can also use a Vicks or similar chest rub under the nose but I find Tiger Balm has more staying power, less messy. Breathe through nose deeply. (Note which finger you used and avoid rubbing eyes or sensitive parts.)
Consciously close your mouth and breathe through your nose
as you drift towards sleep!
* Effects of short-term xylitol chewing gum on pro-inflammatory cytokines and Streptococcus mutans: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Akgül Ö, Topaloğlu Ak A, Zorlu S, Öner Özdaş D, Uslu M, Çayirgan D. Int J Clin Pract. 2020;74:0.
Reducing Allergies & Other Interventions
Allergies
Look around your space for potential allergies. Consider:
-If you are allergic to your pet, consider not having them in your room or on your bed.
-You may be allergic to feathers and down; get some hypoallergenic pillows.
-You may be allergic to dust mites. If so, reduce clutter, especially carpets (vacuum with hepa vaccum regularly) and filled fabric items where dust mites breed and get some dust mite proof covers for your pillows, at a minimum. Consider washing all of your bedding more regularly with hot water and hot dryer and encasing your mattress.
-Getting an air purifier. I just ordered the Intellipure, ask me for a coupon code! Costco also has good deals on Hepa filters.
-Good old anti-histamines can also work wonders! But better to knock down the sources of allergens as a first line of defense.
Mold
I could write pages and pages on this. However, it can make people crazy. First, look at obvious sources of water intrusion and smells. Does the bedroom of the impacted person connect to a kitchen or bathroom, is the roof leaking or are you on slab and it could be coming up from a drainage issue.
If you see nothing, you could hire a certified mold inspector to come out. Some perform an inspection free of charge, complete with a report. Those who do for free will be trying to get your business to remediate the mold (set up containment, remove the materials, sanitize and sterilize and some may re-install dry wall and paint as well.)
Air sampling is key. Air samples cost around $100 each but are well worth it. They will get at least one 'control' sample of outdoor air to compare the samples against. You can still have mold that certain people are sensitive to even if sampling comes back within normal ranges, in that case you may want them to do a more serious investigation beyond thermal imaging and moisture meters and do some exploration. There are also leak experts out there if you look at roofers, they will come up.
If you still have no idea, get a heavy duty air filter. But ask the experts. I am not an expert. I've just dealt with this several times to varying degrees.
Facial Musculature Interventions
Consider going to a doctor/dentist for who specializes in myofunctional therapy as they can create maxillary expanders and dentofacial orthopedics that can help with a range of issues from snoring, mouth breathing and overall wellness caused by evolutionary changes in the way our faces grow and develop. If you have a high arch in your palate and narrow face, pay attention this is for you. If you want to learn more, check out this podcast by one of my favorite functional medicine educators, Chris Kresser.
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