Your Mouth Is Ruining Your Sleep

You're exhausted. You get into bed. And your mind won't stop.
Most people think this is a mindset problem. It isn't. It's a breathing problem.
Up to half of adults breathe through their mouth while they sleep and have no idea. Mouth breathing makes you over-breathe, drops your CO2, keeps your nervous system in alert mode all night, and produces no nitric oxide at all.
That's why you wake at three in the morning with your heart going and nothing to be anxious about.
In this talk I explain what's actually happening and the simple nasal breathing changes that fix it.
I'm Ross Pollard, former paramedic with 24 years of service, 12 of them on the helicopter, and an Oxygen Advantage Advanced Instructor.
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Transcript

You're exhausted? You've been tired all day. He got into bed. You closed your eyes. Your mind won't stop. Or you fall asleep fine, Then you wide awake at three in the morning with your heart going. Most people think this is a mindset problem. That they need to think less, Worry less, Try harder to relax. It isn't. It's a breathing problem, And I want to explain why. Is what most people don't know. Somewhere between 40 and 50% of adults breathe through their mouth while they sleep. Most of them have no idea they're doing it. And mouth breathing at night does three things to you. First, It makes you over-breathe. Your mouth is a much bigger opening than your nose, So you take in far more air than your body actually needs. That drops your carbon dioxide levels, And low CO2 levels mean your blood holds onto oxygen instead of releasing it into your tissues. You're breathing more and getting less. Second, It keeps your nervous system switched on. Fast, Shallow, Upper chest breathing is the exact pattern your body uses when it's under threat. So even while you're lying there, Still in the dark, Your body is receiving the message that something is wrong. Stay alert, Stay ready. Third, You lose nitric oxide entirely. Your nose produces it, Your mouth doesn't. Nitric oxide opens your airways and improves oxygen uptake. And when you breathe through your mouth, You get none of it. So you wake up dry-mouthed, Foggy and unrested, Having technically slept for 8 hours. That three in the morning wake up is the same story. Your breathing shifts, Your CO2 drops, Your nervous system reads that as a threat and pushes out adrenaline and cortisol to wake you up and deal with it. There's nothing to deal with, You're in bed, But your body doesn't know that. So you lie wide awake, Wondering why you're anxious about nothing at three in the morning. You're not anxious about anything, You're over-breathing. This is where breathwork comes in, And it's simpler than people think. Nasal breathing only, Mouth closed, Day and night. Slow it down, Long, Quiet, Low breathing into the belly rather than fast and shallow into the chest. And extend the exhale. Longer out than in, The extended exhale activates the vagus nerve, Which is your body's off switch. Heart rate drops, Cortisol drops. The pattern I use most for sleep is in for four seconds through the nose and out for six or eight seconds through the nose. No effort, No forcing, Just quiet, Slow nasal breathing. Do that for a few minutes before you close your eyes. And you're not trying to fall asleep, You're creating the physiological conditions where sleep can actually arrive. Because you can't force sleep, But you can absolutely change the state your body is in when you go looking for it. So if you're lying awake tonight, Don't start with your thoughts, Start with your breath. Close your mouth, Slow it down, Make the exhale longer. Your nervous system is listening. Take care of yourself. And I'll see you next week.