Right now I'm interested in this aspect of health -- proper breathing during sleep.

I realized that I'm 'mouth-breathing' when I'm sleeping. It only happened for three months last year in the winter/spring and just started again a couple months ago. So I've been researching, and came across various devices to help you breath properly while you sleep. I got the nasal strips at the drug store and they work well, but I'm not thrilled with the sticky stuff on them.

This website is interesting because it's saying the opposite of what we've all been led to believe - that deep breathing should not be the norm - we should be shallow breathing to be healthier.

[www.normalbreathing.com]

I read that most deaths happen between 4 and 7 in the morning, and the breathing people think it's due to our improper breathing during sleep.

Interesting that they say the best position to sleep is on your side or prone, but sleeping on the back is the worst - I sleep on the back because it's the best for posture/chiropractic so I'm not going to change that right now.

[www.normalbreathing.com]

Also interesting is the 'conspiracy theory' on how these scientists/doctors deaths occurred --

[www.normalbreathing.com]

[www.normalbreathing.com]

So these people think that shallow breathing should be the norm, whereas others think shallow breathing is 'bad', and we should all be deep breathing.

The question seems to be one of rapidity of oxygen intake, rather than shallowness, and in that, pretty much holds with what alternative practioners have said for decades. I suspect a lot of breathwork practioners are basing their methods on Buteyko's research. The early morning deep breathing that he's refering to at one link is that gasping raspy stuff that we all seem to do coming out of a final deep REM cycle

I have had the same issues as you have described, and am thankful that you mention those nasal strips as having an unpleasant glue, because I was thinking of buying some. So won't be doing that!

Interestingly, I have found, distinctly, that sleeping with the window open when it's chilly out cause me to breath more regularily, prevents snoring, and causes me to feel more oxygenated upon awaking, without exception. Go figure.

My mom has the sleep apnea space mask that she wears when she's sleeping. It's very scary. Pretty sure I couldn't sleep with that thing strapped to my face all night long.

Yogic breathing as part of a yoga program is very helpful. It exercised the inner intercostal muscles (tiny strips between the lungs), they don't get much of a work out otherwise. The alternate nostril breathing and breath retention develop strength in the lung tissue that keeps it in excellent shape. Fully oxygenating and increasing blood flow to the respiratory system is very helpful.
Sleeping in a cool, well oxygenated room at night is terrific too .

I sleep on my side and always have. I don't know how anyone can stand to sleep on their back, it's terrible for my neck and it's the position where the tongue falls to the back of the throat and contributes to sleep apnea, snoring, etc. I've got chiropractic pillows to support side sleeping, very effective.

Tamukha, I would try the strips if I were you - I just don't like the idea of a glue that makes them stick on the nose, but I didn't notice any problem with the glue. They do make a mark on my nose when I take them off in the morning, but it goes away soon. They do work well, it's amazing how much better you can breathe. I wish I could leave it on all day, and the next time I go for a walk on the trail, I'm going to wear one so I can breathe well - looking forward to that. They make a small, medium, large and child size - I got the small, but I'm going to try the child's size next to see if less works as well. I also sleep with the window open except a couple months in the winter. And even in the winter, I don't have the heat on at night. I think the nasty carpet in my bedroom that's been there since the house was built isn't doing me any favors, but it would be a big problem to take it out.

coco, sleeping on the back just seems like the natural way to sleep to me. I just stopped using a pillow a few months ago. Also, I read that the reason Indians always had such perfect facial features was because they were strapped in a papoose on their backs since infancy and that's how they always slept, on their backs, so their faces are symmetrical. But most of our faces are crooked because we grew up and developed sleeping on our sides and squishing our facial features.

I was just looking up symmetrical faces of Indians and found this article - this dentist thinks mouth-breathing leads to crooked teeth and a crooked face.

[www.buteykochildren.com]

Here's the body oxygen test -

[www.normalbreathing.com]

I got 30.

KidRaw,

Oh, old carpet, yikes! I know what a bother it is to pull out old carpet, but goodness knows what it may be harboring within/beneath it that could be causing some of your problems

An update on my search to find the best product to use to breathe well through my nose during the night. The strips work good, but they have a sticky glue that I'm wary of. But now I've tried a few other 'nasal dilators' and I love this one --

[eden3000.com]

It opens the bottom of the nose - the nostrils - and I can breathe great. And you don't even feel it most of the time. I end up wearing it during the day now because it's so wonderful to breathe loads of air in. Can't wait to wear it hiking on the trails, because I find with this I don't need to blow my nose during the day - it stays clear.

I would suggest trying it out even if you don't have a mouth-breathing problem or a breathing problem that you know of.

I got it from Amazon -

[www.amazon.com]

I got the small adult, but I just ordered the average one to see if it fits better. Makes sure you get the right size.

Thanks for posting the links, KidRaw. It's funny to me that they have different sizes--I've never had to consider what will fit in my nose!--but I guess that means the manufacturing is thorough.

Let us know how this device works, when you get an idea of that, please!

I liked slow deep breathing, it is a great way to shut off the sympathetic nervous system and thus is a helpful tool for a variety of disorders.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]