Sleep is indeed an essential factor that takes up a considerable chunk of our health. Unfortunately, many people suffer from particular sleeping disorders or follow unhealthy habits that hinder them from resting correctly.
One of the troubles people seem to would be sleeping with their mouths open. Not only is it embarrassing, but it can lead to more severe side effects.
So if you want to know more about how to keep mouth closed while sleeping, then read on as I show you all about getting a good night's rest with healthy breathing and a closed mouth.
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Why Should You Keep Your Mouths Closed While Sleeping?
Mouth breathing causes a ton of side effects, and it isn't just dry mouth or the chances of drool. A dry mouth can lead to bacteria accumulation, thus leading to cavities and other issues.
For children, those who continue to sleep with their mouths open can lead to permanent deformations of the skull, as it increases growth in the upper jaw instead of the lower area. It results in large overbites and gummy smiles.
Other problems include difficulty in sleeping, as it causes less oxygen circulation in your body. This has people wake up in the middle of the night, disturbing sleep and ends up with lack of energy and concentration. It can also lead or be related to sleep apnea, which is a disorder that can be fatal if left untreated.
This is why it's important to learn how to sleep with your mouth closed, to ensure that there will be no problems like this in the long run.
Why Do Mouths Open While We Sleep?
The reason why your mouth is open while you sleep can be due to:
People who are more at a risk of sleeping with their mouth open is if they have asthma, recurring sinus infections, stress or anxiety, allergies, or currently had hay fever.
How Will I Know If I Sleep With My Mouth Open?
Upon waking up, some people either forget their position or wake up with their mouth closed, only for it to be open without knowing during the night. While one can know if they sleep with their mouth open upon waking up to a hanging mouth, there are other ways for those who are worried about their loved ones or do not notice their sleeping habits:
How to Keep Mouth Closed While Sleeping
Now that you know about the importance of learning to sleep with your mouth closed, how can you remedy the open mouth during a good night's sleep? Here are some methods to follow:
Taping Your Mouth
Via: Amazon.com
This may seem weird at first, but this is an effective solution to try. All you need to prepare is one-inch of tape. Do NOT try this method on children under five years old.
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Training Yourself to Sleep With Your Mouth Closed
To ensure that you sleep with your mouth closed, you will need to learn to breathe through your nose. Be conscious with how you breathe and get rid of the habit. Stay aware of the way you breathe and practice doing so through your nose. Breathe through your nose and close your mouth the whole time. While it may be hard at first, it will help through practicing in the day and subconsciously keeping your mouth closed without breathing problems while sleeping.
Nose Clearing Exercises
Via: Amazon.com
Like what I mentioned earlier, one of the reasons why you have difficulty in breathing is because of the fact your noses stuffed! Nasal obstruction is what leads us to open our mouths when we sleep, and if you are unable to breathe through your nose, then you may want to try nasal-clearing exercises to put your breathing back to normal. Follow these steps:
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Proper Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position can worsen your breathing, which results in you leaving your mouth open without knowing it. Make sure that you are always sleeping with your head elected above your body. Use a right pillow that will keep your head elevated, but avoid it from being too high up that it will leave neck pain.
As for your position, it's best to avoid sleeping on either your back or stomach. Opt to sleep by your side, which is good for back support while lessening the chances of you breathing through your mouth.
Changing Your Bedroom and Lifestyle
Obesity is another reason as to why you have breathing problems, so I recommend you to change your habits and start eating healthily, incorporating foods that help with sleep and weight loss, if needed. Exercise will help lessen your breathing problems and have you rest with your mouth closed as well.
Your bedroom should be free from allergens or anything that can give you colds or sicknesses that affect your breathing. Avoid sleeping with your pet and remove any plants from the bedroom, as they use up more oxygen and will have you fight for it. Remove carpets and rugs, replace your pillows and blankets that are too warm.
If the symptoms of an open mouth while sleeping persists, then you may need to see your doctor, as it may be an underlying sleeping disorder or a problem with your medication. Or, it may require therapy and other forms of medication to cure yourself of any condition you may have that causes you to sleep with your mouth open.
In Conclusion
When it comes to sleeping healthily, you will need to ensure that you follow good sleeping habits that are known to help you rest well. If you have trouble sleeping with your mouth closed and wake up to it open and hanging, then not to worry! There are ways on how you can remedy that and sleep peacefully without any risk of sleeping disorders.
I hope that this article on how to sleep with mouth closed helps you become more knowledgeable with what you need to do for a good night's rest. So don't wait any longer and try it out today!
If you have any questions or would like to share your tips and experiences with how to sleep with mouth closed, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.
The content of this article is based on the sources:
My name is Layla Parker, the founder of ASleepyWolf.com. At this site, our team is going to bring you a lot of reliable and useful information about sleeping and everything related to it such as the therapies that improve your sleep, the ways of sleeping you should try, all the products you use every day that affects directly to your sleep, your health, and your life.
Thank you so much for creating this site. I have tried everything to get a good nights sleep. I’ve been taking sleeping pills for 10 years. No doctor ever asked me my sleep position or if I breath through my mouth. Going to try your advice tonight! Zzzz
I have a band that goes under my chin and around my head to keep my mouth closed at night
I’ve tried chin straps but I can’t get them tight enough to keep my mouth shut.
Where did you purchase the band you have to go around your head?
All good information except that plants don’t use up oxygen…they create it. They take in carbon dioxide and covert it to oxygen.
I’ve had good success with the tape (4 inches horizontally) over the past 2 years. However, I do find that sometimes I take the tape off in my sleep without realizing. For first timers/doubters try taping your mouth in the daytime when you’re home alone just to see how your breathing will be affected.
Excellent advice which confirms breathing and taping advice given by Patric McKeown and the Buteyo system
“Remove any plants from the bedroom, as they use up more oxygen and will have you fight for it”
Plants make use of carbon dioxide and release oxygen.