The Surprising Power of Breathing Through Your Nose
Guest Blog by Thomas Germain, via the BBC--It felt like every part of my life improved after nasal surgery—my allergies, my sleep, even my mental health. Nose breathing, it turns out, is a hidden superpower.
For most of my life, every breath felt like gearing up for a dive—tight, shallow, unsatisfying. A faint whistle escaped my nose whenever I walked or talked, and I prayed no one noticed. The real issue was one no one believed: I physically couldn’t blow my nose. A constant sniffle became my soundtrack.
The culprit was a deviated septum. My right nostril barely worked on good days. At the first hint of allergies, I became a mouth breather. The blocked airflow worsened my sleep apnea—a condition that repeatedly wakes you up at night and, disturbingly, raises your risk of dying. After decades of discomfort, my doctor recommended surgery to straighten my septum and reduce my turbinates—structures that filter, warm, and humidify the air. I didn’t even know I had turbinates, but I was ready. On 3 January 2025, I went under the knife.
“Your nose is for breathing and your mouth is for eating.” —Ann Kearney
One month later, I could finally breathe clearly through both nostrils. It felt like I’d unlocked a secret level of existence. I even learned that blowing your nose can be… euphoric. My sleep improved, and while the apnea wasn’t cured, life was tangibly better. And I began to learn: nose breathing does more than you'd expect—physically, emotionally, and cognitively.
Your Built-In Air Filter
Turbinates—those humble nasal tissues—are critical. “They’re our primary air mediators,” says Dr. Jacquelyn Callander, ENT at UCSF. “They warm and humidify the air—and filter it.” Alongside nose hairs, they catch dust, bacteria, viruses. Mouth breathing skips this vital step.
And it has consequences. “Mouth breathing is linked to oral health problems,” says Ann Kearney, a Stanford speech-language pathologist. It dries the mouth, increasing acidity, leading to cavities, gum disease, and even changes to facial structure when chronic in childhood.
Most of us can choose to breathe through our nose—though it might feel unnatural at first. But with practice, the benefits begin to build.
Breathing While You Sleep
Many people breathe through their nose during sleep—but not all. Mouth breathing at night can disrupt your airway. “It’s about the tongue’s position,” says Kearney. Close your mouth and your tongue stays high and relaxed, keeping your airway open. Let your mouth hang open, and your tongue drops toward the throat—restricting airflow and causing snoring.
For those with nasal blockages, nighttime mouth breathing can worsen sleep apnea. The condition affects up to a billion people globally. At best, it ruins sleep. At worst, it shaves years off your life.
A trending remedy? Mouth tape—literally taping your lips shut at night to encourage nose breathing. Some experts endorse it. Others caution strongly.
“If you have trouble breathing or suspect sleep apnea, see a doctor before trying tape,” warns Dr. Callander. “In people with moderate to severe apnea, mouth breathing might be the only thing keeping their oxygen levels up.”
A 2023 Taiwanese study showed some promise with mouth tape, but the sample was small and lacked a control group. The consensus? More research is needed. But nose strips that gently open nostrils from the outside may help, especially for those with nasal valve collapse. Just don’t expect miracles if you’ve got deeper structural issues like a deviated septum.
The Brain-Nose Connection
We’ve heard about the physical upsides of nose breathing. But what about the mental? It turns out the way we breathe affects how we feel.
Think of the nose as a wind chime for the brain. Nasal breathing seems to calm the mind. Studies show it activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the part that slows heart rate and relaxes the body. A 2023 study led by Joe Watso at Florida State found that nose breathing reduces heart rate variability and blood pressure, signaling a more relaxed nervous system.
It also appears to enhance memory, reaction time, and emotional regulation. Why? Possibly because it stimulates the olfactory nerve, which may synchronize brain activity in emotion-linked areas like the amygdala and hippocampus—even when no smell is present.
Breathing through the nose, long taught in yoga and meditation, might have a neurological basis for its soothing effects. Science is catching up to ancient wisdom.
Since the surgery, almost every part of my life has improved. My mind is clearer. My anxiety has faded. I sleep better. I’m calmer. Maybe it’s just the relief of breathing normally for the first time. Or maybe nose breathing is a kind of reset we’ve overlooked for too long.
Thomas Germain is a senior technology journalist for the BBC. He covers AI, privacy, and deep corners of internet culture. Find him on X and TikTok @thomasgermain.
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