Functional Breathing for Better Health: Simple Yet Transformative for Adults and Kids
In the quest for a healthy lifestyle and optimal health, it's often the simplest actions that make the most significant impact. We live in a fast-paced world, constantly bombarded with stimuli, which makes even the most basic health practices seem challenging. Often, we overlook these small habits because they seem too simple to be effective. Yet, these foundational practices, like drinking enough water, getting sufficient sleep, and eating whole, unprocessed foods, are the bedrock of well-being.
One of the most overlooked, yet critical, of these simple habits is proper breathing. Yes, breathing—a function we perform thousands of times a day without thinking—can significantly impact our health when done correctly, or, when done improperly, actually cause a slew of health issues.
The Power of Proper Breathing
Consider this: How often do you notice someone holding their breath in response to pain, stress, or anxiety? In my experience as a healthcare provider, it's more common than you'd think. People tend to hold their breath, breathe shallowly, or even hyperventilate when under stress. The simple act of reminding someone to "just breathe" can be surprisingly powerful, though I often worry that this advice may sound too basic or even trivial.
In 2020, a friend recommended the book Breathe by James Nestor. Initially, I was skeptical. An entire book about breathing? It sounded absolutely boring and, lame. But I decided to give it a try, and I was astounded by what I learned. The book delves into the science and importance of proper breathing, especially the dangers of being a habitual mouth breather. It turns out, if you or you, or your child breathes primarily through the mouth—there could be a tredmendious cascade of other health issues as a result and in some cases, other serious underlying health issues at play.
Why Mouth Breathing is a Problem
Breathing through the mouth is often linked to a range of health problems. The issue can stem from underdeveloped tongues, the modern diet of soft foods, and the fact that our teeth have become crowded and crooked—a phenomenon not seen in other mammals. If you've noticed that your child sleeps with their mouth open, or if your partner snores loudly, these could be signs of improper breathing.
To address this, I've explored various therapeutic options. One device that has caught my attention is a specially designed straw from Remastered Sleep, which helps strengthen the tongue and improve breathing patterns. This device has shown promising results, including reduced snoring, better sleep, and even improvements in speech and bedwetting for some users.
Breathing and Child Development
I'm a strong advocate for early interventions, particularly through physical and occupational therapy for children. Collaborating with experts like those at ProActive Pediatrics, I've seen firsthand the benefits of addressing breathing issues early on. Co-owner Lisa Dolphin, an Occupational Therapist, has shared success stories where children using the Remastered Sleep device experienced improvements in sleep, speech, and overall regulation. Lisa observed the following: "We have seen kids use it for 2-3 days and they no longer wet the bed, improved articulation, improved sleep. Some of our hubby’s are no longer snoring b/c they are using it! It is a lovely “exerciser” of posterior tongue muscles > which helps to achieve tongue suction seal to the hard palate > open the airway > improve sleep > reduce/eliminate bedwetting, improve regulation (b/c improved sleep) & improved speech. Lisa does note that it does NOT work for everyone. If a patient has a tongue tie or restriction it may make it difficult to achieve therapeutic benefit.
However, it's important to note that this device may not work for everyone, especially if a child has a tongue tie or other anatomical restrictions. In such cases, additional therapeutic interventions may be necessary.
The Impact of Sleep-Disordered Breathing
Lisa Dolphin, OT and Suzie Johannas, PT returned from a conference all about breath, airway and babies and shared the following statistics and studies:
- Children with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) have 40- 56% increase in special education needs (Bonuck, Freeman.. Pediatric Sleep disorders and special educational need at 8 years: A population cohort study. Pediatrics. 2012
- 40-80% of children with SDB or BSP (behavioral sleep disorders) also have ADD/ADHD (Knauert, M, Nalik, S. Clinical consequences and economic costs of untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. World J Otorhinolaryngology Head Neck Surgery. 2015
- For infants:Time spent having respiratory events and periodic breathing was associated with poorer language and motor outcomes at 6 months CA in clinically stable preterm infants. That is, minor, below the radar, breathing events can affect brain development and adversely impact motor, behavior, cognition, development, and language/speech. Periodic breathing is not benign and brief desats/re-saturation can cause inflammation throughout the body. Yee, AK, Siriwardhana, LS…
- Developmental consequences of short apneas and periodic breathing in preterm infants. J Perinatology. 2023
Taking Action
If you suspect you your child might have a breathing issue, consider having them evaluated by a specialist. ProActive Pediatrics, with their focus on physical, occupational, and speech therapy, can help address these issues early, giving your child the best chance to thrive.
If you or your spouse snore, you should consider the investment to improve your sleep quality and stop-the-snore! ;)
You can learn more about the Remastered Sleep device and how it works by visiting their website. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear about your experiences and successes! Please note, if you have a tounge-tie, you may not get full benefit and may want to consider a release. You can talk to one of the providers at Back in Line if you suspect you may have a toungue tie.
Breathing may seem like the simplest thing in the world, but when done correctly, it can lead to profound improvements in health and quality of life—for both adults and children alike.
Dr. Calla Kleene
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