Breathing is the one thing we do every moment of every day, yet it’s often the most overlooked driver of our health. At Pure Health Chiropractic, we don’t just look at the spine, we look at the nervous system that the spine protects. And one of the fastest ways to influence that system is through something incredibly simple:

How you breathe.

After my most recent seminar where we covered a large portion of this topic and then drawing on principles popularised in The Oxygen Advantage (our newest addition to the our lending library), along with current research in physiology and neuroscience, we now understand that breathing is not just about oxygen but about regulation, resilience, and brain function.

Breathing Is Brain Function

Your breathing patterns directly influence your nervous system.

Slow, controlled nasal breathing activates your parasympathetic system (which is the part of your autonomic nervous system that largely drives functioning of our body geared towards rest, recovery and healing), while fast, shallow breathing drives the sympathetic system (the apposing side commonly known to be active in moments of stress referred to commonly as “fight-or-flight” response). This means your breath can either calm your brain or adversely keep it stuck in a chronic stress loop and change your body’s physiological responses. Modern life has quietly changed how we breathe and under stress, we tend to shift toward things like

Mouth breathing
Chest-dominant (shallow) breathing
Faster breathing rates

Over time, this becomes habitual, even when the stress is gone. Physiologically, this leads to reduced carbon dioxide tolerance; less efficient oxygen delivery to tissues (via the Bohr effect), increased muscle tension (including neck, jaw, and diaphragm) and overactivation of the nervous system… sounding familiar?

This creates a cycle:
Stress → poor breathing → more stress → nervous system dysregulation

Why Nasal Breathing Changes Everything

Nasal breathing is a cornerstone concept in The Oxygen Advantage.

Benefits include:

Better oxygen uptake and delivery
Increased nitric oxide production (supports blood flow and brain function)
Improved diaphragm activation
Reduced overbreathing
From a neurological perspective, nasal breathing helps stabilize our nervous systems, helps us improve focus and cognitive clarity and supports sleep quality. Breathing is one of the few ways we can directly influence the autonomic nervous system so don’t be suprised if we start prescribing some specific breathing exercises for you at your next adjustment. The benefits of slow, controlled breathing are that it lowers heart rate, improves heart rate variability (HRV), it enhances emotional regulation and supports brain-body integration.

How This Complements Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care provides input to the nervous system through movement and spinal adjustments. But the key is, IF your nervous system is stuck in an stress-dominant state, it’s harder for the brain to process and integrate that input. Breathing acts as a regulator and when combined with chiropractic care, proper breathing will improve your chances for neuroplasticity; reduces unnecessary muscle tension; enhances postural control and supports longer-lasting changes which is what we are hoping for as we work on your health.

Mouth Taping During Sleep: Tried and Tested by your Chiropractor

After attending one of my recent functional neurology seminars with The Carrick Institute, I experimented with mouth taping during sleep to encourage nasal breathing. What I noticed was that I initially found the mouth tape a little daunting and there are important factors to consider before trying mouth tape yourself.

Important considerations:

Mouth taping is not for everyone. Avoid or seek guidance if there is:

Nasal obstruction
Suspected sleep apnea (which we can screen you for in the practice now)
Respiratory conditions
Anxiety with restricted breathing
Read more about this here: https://buteykoclinic.com/blogs/sleep-health-hub/a-guide-to-mouth-taping-do-s-don-ts-and-benefits-for-sleep-and-breathing

With that aside after the first night or two of sleeping like the dead I found I could just keep sleeping, not that I woke up groggy or foggy but could happily have more. After about a week of using the mouth tape I found myself waking up feeling more refreshed, waking less at night and in general with less dry mouth, I had a greater sense of calm in the morning but in general noticed I felt this way and that the quality of my sleep was much improved even considering my snoring husband next to me (who in fact also tried the tape and slept better and snored less himself).

What does the research suggest?

Encouraging nasal breathing during sleep may:

Reduce snoring and mild sleep-disordered breathing
Improve oxygen efficiency
Support deeper sleep cycles

Your Simple Daily Breathing Protocol

This is a practical, evidence-informed routine you can start today. It’s simple, effective, and designed to support your nervous system alongside chiropractic care.

1. Morning Reset (2–5 minutes)

Start your day by setting your breathing pattern.

Sit or lie comfortably
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
Exhale through your nose for 6 seconds
Keep breathing light and quiet
Goal: Activate the parasympathetic system and reduce morning stress carryover

2. Daytime Awareness (ongoing)

This is where real change happens.

Throughout the day, check:

Is your mouth closed?
Are you breathing through your nose?
Is your breathing slow and quiet?
Especially important during:

Work
Screen time
Walking or light activity

3. Light Breath Holds (CO₂ tolerance training)

Inspired by principles from The Oxygen Advantage.

Take a normal inhale through your nose
Exhale gently
Hold your breath for 5–10 seconds
Resume calm nasal breathing
Repeat 5–10 times.

Goal: Improve carbon dioxide tolerance and oxygen delivery

4. Downregulation Breathing (evening, 5 minutes)

Help your nervous system shift into recovery mode.

Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds
Exhale slowly for 6–8 seconds
Focus on relaxing your shoulders and jaw
This is especially helpful before bed

5. Sleep Support

Aim for nasal breathing during sleep
Address congestion if present
Mouth taping can be explored cautiously (if appropriate)

Final Thought

Breathing is more than a background process, it’s a direct tool to regulate your brain and nervous system. When combined with chiropractic care, it helps your body adapt better, recover faster and function more efficiently. Because true health isn’t just about alignment It’s about how well your brain and body communicate, regulate, and thrive together.