Supplements to help you breathe easier

Ashwagandha is a known adaptogen that has been shown to lower cortisol levels to help relieve stress.

That’s a lot of CO2!

Rhodiola rosea extract may help increase resistance to stress and fatigue.

The scale of the human body’s capacity to bind and transport oxygen to the tissues is astonishing: each hemoglobin molecule can transport four oxygen molecules; there are up to 300 million hemoglobin molecules in each of the almost 30 trillion red blood cells that are circulating in the body at any given time!

L-theanine is derived from green tea and is often used for stress, anxiety, sleep, and mood improvement.

If you suspect sleep apnea

Talk to a specialist who can help you identify the causes and suggest some oropharyngeal exercises that will help your nose regain its place in the breathing hierarchy. Eager to get started before that appointment?

Can cannabis help?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) research is investigating the many potential benefits of cannabis, including for multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain. Cannabis use is also being studied for its ability to improve sleep quality and decrease the need for sleep medication.

• Adopt habits of regular exercise and stretching. They are shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation while calming the overactive sympathetic nervous system—all associated with sleep apnea.

• Self-conscious or not, try singing (off key works, too!). It can improve sleep and reduce daytime tiredness levels.

WE’RE BORN KNOWING HOW TO BREATHE

Watch babies breathe. You’ll see their bellies move up and down with each breath, even more dramatically when crying. “Their whole body breathes, because their diaphragm moves everything; it is fully involved in breathing,” says Kort.

As they grow, allergies, plugged nasal passages, or jaw misalignment can cause children to breathe more through their mouths.

In the short term, that can translate into a higher risk of cavities, bad breath, and atopic dermatitis. In the long term, mouth breathing can lead to malocclusion (misalignment of the teeth) as well as sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.

DO ADULTS DO IT RIGHT?

Although breathing is the most natural thing in the world, we often develop poor breathing habits along life’s journey. Habits that can constrict natural breathing can develop from asthma and poor posture while sitting or using devices, to obesity and heart disease.

Obstructive sleep apnea, which is defined as a breathing obstruction to the lungs that lasts for longer than 10 seconds, can cause a number of health issues—for the person with the breathing obstruction and everyone affected by the snoring that accompanies the sleep disorder.

HOW DOES BREATHING AFFECT OUR GOLDEN YEARS?

Sleep disordered breathing, which affects almost 60 percent of older adults, can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s. Circadian rhythms also become more fragmented, which can impact memory, mood, and cognition. Hypoxia caused by sleep disordered breathing can lead to cognitive impairment.

By consciously slowing down our breathing, we engage the parasympathetic 'brake,' which lowers blood pressure and reduces cortisol levels.

Enter physical exercise and yoga: both can improve sleep quality. Aside from helping you sleep, better breathing through physical exercise can improve balance, reduce stress levels, and boost lung capacity.

A Last Word Of Advice

Don’t think of breathing as needing fixing, because we don’t want to become fixated on watching our breath, says Kort. Instead, allow it to permeate your body. Think of breathing as something that is constantly there, rather than an activity that you do according to schedule.

Breathing is what sustains life—it’s only natural that we put our whole being into it.