It’s a struggle to get my kids to make their bed in the morning- between having them get ready for school, eat breakfast, and get to school on time- making the bed just falls last on the list of my daily reminders. ???? What are some good tips you all have for getting your kids to complete their tasks before heading off to school? Let me know in the comments on Instagram.
If you know you’re a mouth breather- or have been told you snore lightly or breathe through your mouth while sleeping- what are some things you can do to help improve your breathing when you’re least aware of it?
First and foremost, you should definitely speak to a health care provider and discuss the need to have your sleep evaluated through a sleep study. In our office, I typically evaluate and perform a sleep study to better evaluate your sleep pattern if I see signs of damage in teeth, or joint and muscle problems.
But assuming you fall on the lower end of the scale of restricted airway issues in which you don’t have full blown sleep apnea -but still have a bit of restricted airway that disrupts sleep- what can you do?
- If you tend to be a person who sleeps on his or her back- start off by changing your sleep position. Sleep on your side is the best- and by getting in the habit- will help to open the airway.
- You can also consider trying a nasal dilator or a nasal spray, both will help to open up your nasal passage to increase airway.
- Mouth taping at night (yes, this is a thing!) is a great way to force breathing through your nose as opposed to the mouth.
- If your bedroom is too dry- you may want to use a humidifier to help facilitate better airflow.
- Consider speaking to your dentist regarding a dental appliance that can help keep your airway open- treatment that we provide in our office as well.
Reinforce better breathing habits during the day to encourage better breathing (and sleep!) during the night.