It felt as though everything in my life improved after undergoing a seemingly simple nasal surgery — my allergies, my sleep, even my mental state. That might not be a coincidence. Breathing through your nose, it turns out, is an underrated superpower hiding in plain sight.
For as long as I can remember, each inhale felt like a desperate gasp before plunging underwater — a sharp intake of air that never quite filled my lungs. A constant, subtle whistle escaped my nose as I walked, and I prayed others didn’t hear it. The worst part was a minor but very real disability: thanks to my unfortunate facial anatomy, I was physically unable to blow my nose. My world was one endless sniffle.
I was born with a deviated septum. On good days, my right nostril was mostly blocked. The slightest allergic trigger forced me to switch to mouth breathing. My breathing problems even contributed to obstructive sleep apnoea — a condition that repeatedly wakes you at night and, frighteningly, is linked to higher overall mortality. After decades of discomfort, my doctor suggested surgery. The goal was to straighten my septum and reduce the turbinates — tiny, bony structures inside the nose covered by membranes that condition and filter the air. I didn’t even know they existed. Ready for anything that might help, I scheduled surgery for 3 January 2025.
Your mouth is for food, your nose is for air – Ann Kearney
One month later, I had a working nose for the first time in my life. I could finally breathe fully and evenly through both nostrils. Blowing my nose was suddenly a joy — a sensation I now relish. While my sleep apnoea wasn’t completely cured, it definitely improved. And more surprisingly, I began noticing a cascade of benefits. Apparently, the advantages of nasal breathing extend well beyond just airflow. It might even help regulate your emotions and mental clarity.
Your built-in air filter
The clearest benefit of nose breathing lies in those turbinates, says Dr. Jacquelyn Callander, an ear, nose and throat specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. “They’re our primary tool for warming and humidifying air, and they’re also part of our filtering system,” she explains. Working alongside your nasal hairs, the turbinates trap dust, allergens, viruses, and more — protection your mouth can’t offer. “They’re like your immune system’s first responders,” Callander says.
But there’s more at stake. Breathing through your mouth can actually do harm. “There’s a strong link between mouth breathing and poor oral health,” says Ann Kearney, a speech-language pathologist at Stanford University Medical Center who studies swallowing and sleep issues.
Although we now understand many physical upsides of nasal breathing, we often ignore how it connects to brain function
Mouth breathing can dry out the mouth and raise its acidity, making you more vulnerable to cavities, tooth demineralisation, and gum disease. Research also suggests chronic mouth breathing in children can impair the development of facial structure, potentially causing crooked teeth and altering the shape of the face itself.
“Your nose is meant for breathing, and your mouth is for eating,” Kearney affirms.
While structural obstructions like deviated septums can make nasal breathing impossible for some, she says many mouth breathers could train themselves to switch. “It may feel awkward at first. Transitioning from mouth to nasal breathing takes effort,” but, as she points out, “you feel the benefits almost immediately.”
Nasal breathing while sleeping
Most healthy individuals breathe through their nose during sleep — but not all. Some people reflexively open their mouths at night in search of air, which spells trouble. “It’s all about tongue position,” Kearney notes.
You can try this yourself. With your mouth closed, the tip of your tongue tends to rest against the roof of your mouth while the back of your tongue relaxes, clearing the airway. But let your mouth go slack and you’ll feel your tongue slump toward the back of your throat — especially if you tilt your head back.
“That shift can create airflow resistance and partial blockage,” she explains. Try breathing now and you might even hear a snore.
People with nasal obstructions often breathe through their mouths during sleep, which contributes to sleep apnoea — a disorder that affects an estimated one billion people worldwide. In some countries, nearly half the population may be impacted. At best, sleep apnoea can leave you constantly fatigued. At worst, it increases the risk of death.
Even without apnoea, nighttime mouth breathing can lead to snoring and the other complications we’ve covered. Online, some wellness advocates have popularised a controversial workaround: mouth taping. It’s exactly what it sounds like — taping your lips shut to enforce nasal breathing during sleep. But doctors urge caution.
Kearney supports the practice but warns that it’s not for everyone. The only way to know if it’s safe is to consult with a specialist. “If you snore, struggle with nasal breathing or suspect sleep apnoea, see an ENT before trying it,” she advises.
A risky fix
Some people breathe through their mouths at night due to undiagnosed medical conditions like sleep apnoea. Mouth taping may help in specific cases — but insufficient research means it could also do more harm than good.
“If you have moderate or severe sleep apnoea, those mouth-opening episodes might be essential for restoring oxygen levels,” says Callander. “I tell those patients to avoid mouth tape.” She notes that many sufferers aren’t even aware of the problem, reinforcing the need to speak with a doctor first.
Mouth taping is still in its early days. Many ENT specialists say there’s simply not enough robust evidence behind it yet. A handful of small studies, including one from Taiwan involving just 20 people, show potential benefits for snoring and mild apnoea, but the research lacks control groups and broader data. “We just don’t have solid proof that it helps yet,” Callander admits. “Still, it’s inexpensive and worth exploring — with medical supervision.”
For those not ready to tape their mouths, there’s another option: nasal strips. These adhesive devices pull the nostrils open from the outside, aiding airflow. “People with nasal valve collapse can benefit from them,” Callander explains. Athletes sometimes even wear them while working out. However, if your obstruction is due to a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates like mine, nasal strips may not be enough.
A brain boost through your nose
We’ve come a long way in understanding nasal breathing’s physical perks, but its effects on the brain are still catching up. In my case, learning to breathe properly through my nose relieved more than just physical symptoms — it brought mental clarity. There’s evidence that nasal airflow subtly shapes how we think and feel. You might even call the nose a “mental wind chime”: when air flows through it, the brain seems to respond.
Some studies show that slow, intentional nasal breathing can dampen brain activity across the cortex — a physiological marker of calm
A 2023 study showed that breathing through the nose can lower blood pressure and slow heart rate variability — all signs of relaxation. “It’s not a treatment for hypertension,” says Joe Watso, an applied physiologist at Florida State University who led the research, “but nasal breathing does appear to soothe the nervous system.” Other studies have found that it can enhance memory, quicken reflexes and improve spatial reasoning.
Scientists aren’t sure exactly why. One leading theory is that nasal breathing stimulates the olfactory nerve, even without any detectable scent. This might help synchronise brain activity across various regions, especially the amygdala and hippocampus. What’s clear is that nasal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of the body responsible for rest, digestion, and calm.
In other words, science is catching up to what yogis and meditators have said for centuries: nasal breathing improves mental wellbeing. Watso and other experts believe it may explain why breathwork and mindfulness practices are so effective.
Since my surgery, nearly every aspect of my life has improved — including my emotional resilience. I feel less anxious, more focused, and generally happier. Callander believes that’s not a coincidence. Nasal breathing might actually be rewiring my brain for calm.
