Have you ever wondered if the way you breathe could be the reason you're not sleeping well?

Or why you sometimes feel stressed, foggy, or just plain exhausted?

Believe it or not, most of us are breathing wrong- and it’s affecting much more than we realize.

Today, we’re going to talk about how unlearning bad breathing habits can actually fight sleep apnea, reduce anxiety, and transform your overall health.

Are you breathing wrong? It might sound strange, but improper breathing is incredibly common.And here’s the kicker- this one mistake could be ruining your sleep and your health. Bad breathing habits can lead to chronic stress, poor sleep, reduced mental performance, and respiratory issues, dental issues. But don’t worry, we’re going to break it all down today so you can start breathing better and living better.

Key Symptoms of Incorrect Breathing:

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

• Persistent stuffy nose 🤧

• Frequent colds 🤒

• Chest tightness

• Breathing through your mouth during exercise 😮

• Anxiety or mental fog 🧠

• Dental challenges 🦷

• Snoring during sleep 😴

• Sleep apnea episodes

If you experience any of these, your breathing might be the culprit.

💥NERD ALERT💥

Recently, we discussed the links between menopause, insomnia and sleep apnea. As we continue this topic, we want to better understand the four different traits of sleep apnea. Why?

1) It will help you understand your specific situation better and

2) The different traits will impact how you are going to address it.

Only about 30% of those with sleep apnea respond well to "traditional medical" treatments, like CPAP machines and mandibular advancement devices (MAD) of sleep apnea. That means that almost 80% do NOT respond well to those.

So those of you who glaze over with the science, bear with me... those of you who are science nerds like me... let's dive in!

Characteristics of Sleep Apnea

• PCRIT: (Pharyngeal Critical Closing Pressure) How much suction pressure is required to close the upper airway during sleep? The higher the PCRIT, the airway is more collapsible. There are several factors that influence this - tongue posture and position in the mouth, weight affecting neck circumference and throat deposits of fat, and belly fat can impinge diaphramatic breathing which reduces lung volume. 📍Note: This is the main area doctors look at when diagnosing and addressing sleep apnea.

• Low arousal threshold Arousal Threshold Are you a light or deep sleeper? 30-50% of those with sleep apnea episodes wake from sleep with very small increases in breathing effort. This low arousal threshold leads to increased difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep and contributes to sleep apnea severity through increased fragmentation of sleep. This fragmented sleep leads to insomnia. Traditional medical methods to treat this characteristic do not help. Retraining the nervous system will stimulate the vagus nerve and tell your brain that "you are safe". This will help you get into a deeper state of sleep with light, slow and low breathing.

  📍If you have had a sleep study in the past and were told you did NOT meet the criteria for sleep apnea, yet you know that your sleep is fragmented and you suspect that you have a low arousal threshold or you have difficulty staying asleep, you are not crazy, friend. Most studies out there in medical journals, only pertain to men. Even if you don't meet the sleep apnea "criteria", if you are a woman with a smaller mouth, high palate, enlarged tonsils sometimes snore, and wake up after 2-3 hrs of sleep, daytime sleepiness, you still may be dealing with an upper airway resistance and could still benefit from breathing re-education through Buteyko.

• High loop gain or a hypersensitive ventilatory control feedback loop How much does your body respond to small increases in carbon dioxide CO2 levels in the blood? This is an engineering term used to measure the chemo-sensitivity the body has to this gas within the body.

  

  This characteristic will not respond well to traditional treatments like CPAP or MADs.

• Poor pharyngeal muscle responsiveness Are the muscles in the throat doing their job to keep the airway open? These are muscles in the tongue, upper airway muscles, pharyngeal fat pads, etc. The muscles have become "lazy" and need to be retrained. This characteristic responds well to a combination of Buteyko and orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT).

Now, let's move less scienc-y! 😬

40-second breathing test

Now, I want you to try something with me- a quick test that could change everything. This is called the ‘Control Pause’ test, and it’s a simple way to measure how well your body is functioning.

Here’s what you do:

• Sit down in a comfortable position, breathing in and out through the nose normally.

• Take a small, gentle breath in through your nose and then out through your nose.

• Hold your breath after the exhale and count the seconds until you feel the VERY first desire to breathe.

If your count is less than 25 seconds, it’s a sign that your breathing patterns may need some work.

Click here to get a quick video walkthrough of how to do this test and find out your results.

The Buteyko Breathing Control Pause is a measurement of your breath-hold time only. It is not an exercise to correct your breathing. Don’t worry- this isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. Once you know how to optimize your breathing, everything can change.

So, what can you do about it?

First, it’s important to recognize the symptoms. If you’re waking up tired, with a dry mouth, have morning headaches, or your spouse/family members notices you stop breathing during sleep, it’s time to make some changes, and waiting it out is NOT an option. 

In this sleep series, we have already discussed that sleep apnea is typically considered a "male problem", which is true up until menopause. Then, this challenge increases by 200% in women!

Menopause is quite the ride and can impact women for months to years, anywhere from the 40s to the early 50s. The symptoms we hear about - or maybe that you are already experiencing - of hot flashes, night sweat, and mood swings - don't have to be the "norm" in our upcoming Hot Mess Hormones talk on Sept. 2.

1. Start nasal breathing - focus on keeping your mouth closed and breathing throughout the day and night.

2. Try the Control Pause test we did today. This is a simple breath holding test, which is a reliable measurement used in the Buteyko Method to assess your breathing efficiency and lung function.

3. Take note of your posture and try to sit or stand in a way that allows your diaphragm move freely.

This brings us to the Buteyko Method. Dr. Buteyko, a world-renowned breathing expert, successfully established this method with his asthmatic patients and saw how to retrain many patients' breathing to improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and even enhance concentration. One of the game-changing principles of the Buteyko Method is nasal breathing.

Nasal breathing not only helps filter and warm the air you breathe but also activates your body’s relaxation response, improving oxygen delivery and reducing stress.

The service does a great job of teaching a more accurate picture of what goes on in every breath. I now understand the benefits of CO2 as well as how breathing low and slow can help combat anxiety, and improve my sleep. - Jim, Texas

Now, our Buteyko Restorative Clinic is a very special program that can help you retrain your breathing. The Buteyko Clinic is designed for people just like you- busy moms juggling everything while trying to stay healthy and strong for their families.

This is not just for those with insomnia & sleep apnea, but also for those dealing with other respiratory challenges, as well as high stress, anxiousness, and dental challenges.

Here’s what’s included below:

I loved learning about how my breathing impacts many different things! Amy is wonderful at explaining the exercises and she's a wealth of knowledge, along with being super supportive! My life is improved because of this program! - Jennifer, Texas

Now, I want to take a moment to connect this back to something deeper. In Genesis 2:7, it says, ‘Then the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.’ Breath is a gift from God. It’s one of the first things He gave us, and it sustains us every moment of every day.

In Psalm 46:10, we’re reminded to ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Sometimes, improving our breathing is about more than just technique- it’s about slowing down, being still, and letting ourselves rest in His presence. When we learn to breathe properly, we create space for peace, clarity, and connection to Him and the people we love most.

Don’t let poor breathing hold you back any longer. You deserve better sleep, better health, and a better life. Start with these small steps today, and see how much they can add up.

Remember, every breath is a gift.

Rather watch the timestamped video version of this blog post? 🎥 Watch below: