You Are Breathing Wrong. Here is How To Fix It

Why Nose Breathing Matters for Health and Well-Being

Oct 04, 2025

It took me far too long to realize that something as basic as the way you breathe can radically impact your health, performance, and even how your face develops.

For most of my life, I thought breathing was… just breathing. Automatic. Not worth questioning. But there’s a world of difference between mouth breathing and nose breathing. And once you understand that difference, you’ll never look at it the same again.

Mouth breathing is tied to disease, poor sleep, stress, and low endurance. Nose breathing, on the other hand, is how your body is designed to function—filtering air, producing nitric oxide, balancing your nervous system, and improving oxygen efficiency.

Small shifts in your breathing habits can compound into massive improvements in health and longevity. That’s what this issue is about.

The Hidden Cost of Mouth Breathing

When I was younger, I often struggled with nasal congestion. I defaulted to mouth breathing, thinking it was normal. It wasn’t until years later that I learned how much damage this can do.

Mouth breathing isn’t just “less efficient”. It disrupts multiple systems in your body. It dries out the mouth, encourages over-breathing, and lowers CO₂ levels too much. That last part is crucial: without adequate CO₂, your body can’t release oxygen properly into your cells.

Ironically, breathing more through your mouth actually delivers less oxygen to where it’s needed most.

And the costs don’t stop there:

It triggers your sympathetic “fight or flight” nervous system, spiking stress hormones.
It worsens sleep apnea and snoring, destroying recovery at night.
It’s tied to poor dental health and increased risk of respiratory disease.
In children, chronic mouth breathing can literally reshape the face—narrow jaws, crooked teeth, and reduced airway development.

The longer you let it run, the harder it is to reverse. Fortunately, the opposite is also true: training yourself to nose-breathe rewires your body to default back to its natural, healthier state.

Why the Nose Is a Built-In Superpower

Biologically, your nose is more than two holes in your face—it’s a powerful filter, humidifier, and performance enhancer:

Filtration & Protection
The nose is equipped with tiny hairs hairs that trap dust, pathogens, and pollutants before they ever hit your lungs. Your nose is your first line of defense against disease.
Humidification & Temperature Control
The air you inhale is warmed and moistened, protecting lung tissue. Mouth breathing skips this process, leaving your airways dry and irritated.
Nitric Oxide Boost
Breathing through your nose releases nitric oxide, a gas that widens blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and even has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Better Oxygen Absorption
Slow, controlled nasal breathing builds CO₂ tolerance. This allows your hemoglobin to release oxygen more efficiently to cells, giving you more stamina and resilience.
Nervous System Balance
Nose breathing activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” system. It lowers heart rate, reduces stress, and primes your body for recovery. Mouth breathing does the opposite.

This isn’t just theory. Athletes who switch to nasal breathing consistently report lower heart rates, better endurance, and faster recovery.

Sleep, Snoring, and Silent Killers

One of the biggest areas nose breathing impacts is sleep.

Mouth breathing at night dries out your mouth, reduces oxygen intake, and worsens snoring. More seriously, it can lead to sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops during the night. Untreated sleep apnea is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cognitive decline.

Many people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it. They just wake up feeling exhausted, stressed, and foggy no matter how many hours they “slept.”

Nose breathing flips this script. It promotes deeper, restorative sleep by keeping airways stable, preventing the collapses that cause apnea, and maintaining balance in the nervous system.

If you’ve ever slept with a congested nose, you know the difference: dry mouth, constant wake-ups, restless tossing. That’s the nightly reality for mouth breathers, often without them realizing it.

Training Yourself to Nose Breathe

The good news? Nose breathing is a skill. And like any skill, it can be trained.

Here are the practices that helped me make the switch:

Awareness First
Notice your breathing throughout the day. If your mouth is open, close it. Most people don’t even realize how often they default to mouth breathing until they start paying attention.
Mouth Taping at Night
This sounds strange but is incredibly effective. A small strip of medical tape placed vertically across the lips is enough to keep your mouth closed while sleeping. It might be challenging at first, but it will train you to breath more through your nose.
If you regularly wake up with a dry mouth, try this.

CO₂ Tolerance Training
Practice slow breathing: inhale for ~5.5 seconds, exhale for ~5.5 seconds. You can also hold your breath after an exhale to gradually increase comfort with higher CO₂ levels. This trains your body to release oxygen more effectively.
Fix the Structural Issues
If you struggle with congestion, check for medical causes like enlarged turbinates or a deviated septum. In some cases, minor surgical procedures can be life-changing. I had my turbinates reduced, and it opened my breathing significantly. It should be noted here that while I and a few other people I know had big benefits following these procedures, they can in certain cases even worsen the condition. I recommend trying the other methods first.
Chewing to Strengthen Airways
Our modern diet is too soft. Hard chewing encourages proper jaw development and nasal breathing. One simple tool I use: Falim gum, a Turkish gum that’s tough enough to work your jaw muscles for hours.
Exercise with Nose Breathing
Train your cardio while consciously keeping your mouth closed. At first it feels harder, but over time your body adapts, your nasal passages widen and your efficiency skyrockets.
Posture Matters
Slouching compresses your airway. Standing tall with open chest and aligned spine supports nasal airflow.

The Long Game of Breath

Breathing is the most fundamental rhythm of life. You do it 20,000+ times per day. If you get that wrong, the consequences compound negatively. But if you get it right, the benefits compound positively.

Think about it: every breath is either pushing you toward stress, fatigue, and disease—or toward recovery, energy, and health.

The difference comes down to one simple choice: nose or mouth.

And once you experience the difference, you’ll never go back.

For a deeper dive into this topic, I highly recommend Breath by James Nestor, where I learned most of this information.

Resources

📖 Breath by James Nestor — a deep dive into ancient breathing practices and modern science
🎧 Andrew Huberman on Nasal Breathing — podcast episodes covering CO₂ tolerance and performance
💡 Falim Gum — for training jaw muscles and encouraging nose breathing
🩺 Sleep Apnea Tests — if you suspect apnea, consult a professional; it’s often underdiagnosed

Final Word

If you suspect you’re a mouth breather, pay attention to it and make the switch to nose breathing. It can significantly improve your life, sleep, focus, and overall health.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more insights in the coming weeks!

See you next Saturday 😉
— Tobi

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💡 Question: What’s been your biggest game-changer for improving sleep quality?