Airway Focused Principals

promotes restful sleep, an optimal immune response and a balanced nervous system.

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Nasal breathing provides the framework to filter, warm and humidify the incoming air. It should serve as the dominant preference for day and nighttime breathing in addition to when engaging in physical movement.

The mouth should play no role in functional breathing

May be related to low tongue posture, long face, narrow jaws, allergies, reoccurring ear nose and throat infections, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, snoring, chest breathing, teeth grinding, dry mouth, periodontal disease, dental cavities, decreased athletic performance, and nervous system imbalances (presenting as stress intolerance)

This interrupts your body from getting enough REM and deep sleep resulting in a weakened immunity, poor memory and mental fog. If your body has learned that you have trouble breathing while you're asleep it may learn to activate a fear response or sympathetic response in anticipation of bedtime. Resulting in a difficulty falling asleep. You may also be jolting awake during the night searching for the next breath. Restless sleepers - ones who move around constantly through the night - may be moving to position their body and head to open their airway. These scenarios may cause a spike in cortisol levels making you feel more awake. Some describe this as a "second wind" others as "insomnia." When you are not getting a restful night of sleep you may be more likely to increase your consumption of caffeine, simple carbohydrates and sugars to access more energy to get through the day. 

A low or restricted tongue, may play a role in breast feeding, latching and chewing difficulties, food management issues, swallowing difficulties, food choices ("picky eaters"), open mouth rest posture, oral breathing, snoring, poor digestion, bloating, crowded teeth, malocclusion, orthodontic relapse, teeth grinding, clenching, tooth wear and breakdown, TMJ pain and discomfort

May be related to snoring,  attention deficit, hyperactivity, poor memory, nervous system imbalances, restless sleep, cold hands and feet, bed wetting, night terrors, weight gain/loss: imbalance of the hormones leptin and grelin-hormones which are responsible for energy balance, appetite and feeling satiated (so you may always feel hungry and never full)

Studies suggest that our breathing habits seen in the daytime are often observed during the night

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Breathing re-education exercises completed during the day can influence our breathing habits during sleep