[cachestash]

You're all going to think I am a crazy, but I instead elected to tape my mouth closed with 3m tape right when I go to bed. This to me is superior and should be your first port. Not only did it fix my apnoea and huge lack of energy during the day, but also my chronic sinus issues that had plagued me for years. Its also a lot cheaper, much easier to use / travel with and gets me into a good habit of nose breathing during the day. A CPAP machine is still reinforcing the poor habit that may well have contributed to your sleep abnormalities in the first place. Mouth Breathing. It costs $2 for a roll of 3m tape, so it's not like it costs a lot if its really not working for you.

Mouth breathing is horrendous for your health and well being. There is a good reason why it was ostracized in the past ("mouth breather" was an insult). It was a clear sign of poor health in an individual.

It's one of the best unknown health hacks out there.

https://askthedentist.com/mouth-tape-better-sleep/

[spease]

How did you verify that it “fixed your apnea”?

A CPAP does not require mouth breathing. Nasal pillows require you to breathe through your nose. If necessary they shut your mouth with a chin strap. A piece of 3m tape sounds dangerous for someone if the problem is nasal obstruction or rhinitis rather than their mouth dangling open. They might not be able to gasp for breath and experience an even worse apnea.

[brigandish]

I read Sleep by Nick Littlehales and he mentions that taping your mouth closed is one technique you can use - I think I recall he says some British athletes (cyclists?) use it - but doesn't recommend it for anyone with a medical problem.

[cachestash]

> How did you verify that it “fixed your apnea”?

My wife and waking up feeling like I did after a nights sleep as a child.

[gnramires]

I would go even further: try to train yourself to use your nose all the time, specially around sleeping. Think of keeping your mouth closed before sleeping and if you wake up noticeably having breathed through your mouth take a mental note to change. It worked for me (no tape required).

(Whatever works for anyone of course. If other methods still leave bad sleep, by all means use a machine!)

[theli0nheart]

> You're all going to think I am a crazy

It's only crazy that you're not using a medical device that's built for this! Your head's in the right place, though. ;)

https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/

> Mouth breathing is horrendous for your health and well being.

I completely agree with this, but using an APAP and breathing through one's mouth are unrelated. There are full-face masks that let one breath through the mouth, but the mask that came included with my machine was a nose pillow. Since air is continually being pushed through my nose, breathing through the mouth is very hard to do.

[cachestash]

> medical device that's built for this!

You don't need to spend $90 on some patented thing. Use simple 3M Micropore Surgical Tape 2.5cm x 9.14m, its what every one else uses for mouth taping and its exactly what a lot of dentists will suggest is used, although a few more folks are using SomniFix Sleep Strips as well. Tape works absolutely fine though, and its the consensus go to by most users.

[theli0nheart]

> and its the consensus go to by most users

I can't attest to relatively popularity, but this device was independently suggested by both my dentist and my ENT. It works really well.

Tape seems like a great option too, but it seems like it'd come off easily? I might give it a shot.

[cachestash]

Good point, you know if this works for you, that is all that matters at the end of the day.

The tape stays on very well. You want Micropore Surgical Tape - 2.5cm x 9.14m. Also it helps if you don't have a beard. This was the only down side for me, but I will take the better sleep / improved health over a beard.

[Afton]

Literally 2' of elastic fabric and some velcro...

[electriclove]

Have you used this? I wonder if it would be helpful for teeth grinding.

[balfirevic]

> You're all going to think I am a nutball, but I instead started to tape my mouth closed with 3m tape

Wait, while sleeping or during the day? If while sleeping, isn't it dangerous?

[cachestash]

No, not at all. I heard it first from a dentist and its quite common, well more common than would be expected. Its also perfectly safe, if your nose becomes congested you rip it off in your sleep.

It fixed my apnoea and chronic sinus issues. Seems I was constantly developing nasal polyps from mouth breathing all night.

Here is a dentist recommending mouth taping:

https://askthedentist.com/mouth-tape-better-sleep/

[balfirevic]

Thanks, that's really interesting. I might try it, if I can figure out how to keep my mustache and beard intact :)

[freedomben]

Also have a mustache and beard. Just ordered https://smile.amazon.com/Sleep-Strips-SomniFix-Breathing-Nig... . We'll see how it goes. Still sounds insane but hey, It's easy enough to try.

[cachestash]

Awesome, give a it few days to adjust to. Its common to wake up and find your tore it off on your sleep and its suck on your pillow or forehead :)

Just keep putting it on at night, and before you know it you will wake up in the morning and have completely forget you still have it on.

[spease]

It sounds like potentially, yes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2019/10/18/keep-you...

Dr. Li does surgery for sleep apnea. I was referred to him once for evaluation for a surgical procedure only he does (EASE/TPD) and which I was told that the referring doctor had seen a lot of effectiveness in improving sleep apnea in their patients. He seemed like he knew his stuff and was very up-front about being conservative about making predictions in my case.

[cachestash]

I would be a little sceptical of someone whose whole career is based on nasal surgery to fix apnea playing down a simple non evasive alternative. He lists zero studies to back his premise of it being dangerous.

[tomato2juice]

> You're all going to think I am a crazy, but I instead elected to tape my mouth closed with 3m tape.

It does sound a little crazy, but only because I'm surprised there's not a more comfortable solution. Tape on my mouth would prevent me from falling asleep.

Is there not some sort of mouthguard that blocks airflow, and thereby achieves the same result in a more comfortable, less sticky situation?

[cachestash]

Its a little weird the first night, but after 1-2 minutes its strangeness dispersers. In a way its no different to holding your nose. You can get mouthguards, but they don't work very well. You end up drooling all over the pillow and half gasping for air and spitting it out. All you need is a nice single strip of 3m tape.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep/mouth-taping-cheapest-l...

[thelittleone]

I found it helpful to work on nose breath power. I needed to for boxing as I was mouth breathing. So on my jogs I started to nose breath took some time to get the throughput I needed but sleep improved and general breathing feels much improved.

[dlp211]

Can you provide some articles/videos for techniques? I've been a mouth breather my whole life and wonder if I could improve my running performance by switching technique.

[thelittleone]

These 2 exercises worked for me. I did this 5 days a week (around 15-30 mins) and it took approx 4 weeks to get to a predominantly nose breathing situation.

1. Jog slowly at a pace that is comfortable while breathing through your nose. 2. Speed up pace until you feel like you will need to breathe through your mouth stay there for 10-20 seconds. 3. Slow your pace back down to where it's comfortable. 4. Adjust your pace up and down between these zones in intervals. 5. Over time increase pace and interval length.

- It's ok to take some mouth breaths as you continue practicing. The goal is to increase % of breathes via nose. - When you get the hang of that try it while jumping a rope.

Seated breathing exercise, do with shirt off to observe abdominal and chest region while practicing: 1. Sit comfortable, good upright posture. 2. Breathe in fully and hold for 2 seconds. 3. Sip in as much more breathe you can and hold 2 seconds. 4. Sip in the final amount you can and hold for 2-3 seconds. 5. Exhale out fully and hold for 2 seconds. 6. Exhale out tiny bit more and hold for 2 seconds. 7. Exhale out tiny bit more and hold for 2-3 seconds. 8. Repeat from step 2.

- I found this really good to do in a park or in nature.

These two where my main exercises on top of using that in boxing. - In a fairly short amount of time I was able to get a full lung breathe through the nose easily.

Good luck.

[maayank]

When you say exhale, do you mean from the mouth or nose? Does it matter?

[thelittleone]

I tried both. In through nose out through mouth is easier and could be a good step before going only nose.

[cachestash]

Hey, OP here.

Tape your mouth at night! On your easy runs, breath solely through your nose.

For the record, I am an ultra runner. Nose breathing is hugely beneficial for endurance athletes. I have seen my pace come up while heart rate / perceived effort remains the same.

I did the last years entire Montane Spine Challenger just breathing through my nose (108 mile race).

[armatav]

This doesn’t work when you have UARS unfortunately.