Page 11 - Boca Exposure - April '24

Boca Exposure, Page 11

Healthy Answers – A Guide To Healthy Living: ‘Shut Your Mouth!’

By Dale Brown, who spent We all know how important sleep is to our overall others it seems the most uncomfortable and inconvenient
many years as a Certified health. It’s essential for maintaining physical, mental thing you can do to help improve your sleep.
Life Coach and has written and emotional vitality. One constant reminder of this The hardest thing for me to understand was why both
numerous articles and health necessity is the continuous sleep ads on television our friends needed to use CPAP machines. It turns out that
e-books relating to self- offering the latest contraception available to improve the husband, who was first diagnosed with sleep apnea,
improvement and ways to your sleep efforts. was quick to inform his wife to do the same. Now both
build a high-performance What brought this to the forefront is a couple I recently claim to be breathing easier and no one hears snoring!
team. She is the author of traveled with on a cruise. One evening they invited my Interestingly, CPAP machines are used for much
the book, Small Steps... husband and me to their cabin for a cocktail. There I more than loud snoring. They are highly effective in
Big Changes: The Personal noticed two large machines, one occupying each of their the management of sleep-related breathing disorders,
Stories of a Life Coach. nightstands. It seems they both dragged their CPAP particularly obstructive sleep apnea, and can help reduce
Her education and years of machines over thousands of miles to assure themselves a the risk of other associated health complications.
experience in physical fitness and training of elite athletes good night’s sleep. You should have seen the look on my A recent trend all over social media these days is
has enabled her to sharpen her knowledge in many health- husband’s face as he observed what looked like diving mouth taping. Yes, you heard me right. Mouth taping
related areas. The following introduces a new approach apparatus from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. involves taping your lips together overnight in order to
to Brown’s series of columns devoted to many topics that For those of you who are unfamiliar with CPAP promote nasal breathing.
deal with the mind/body connection and the importance machines, they are a machine that forces fresh air into your Why? Breathing through the nose helps filter, humidify
of living a healthy lifestyle. Dale, a Bocaire resident, can nose via a tube that provides necessary respiratory support. and warm air before it enters the lungs, which may help
be reached at dalebrown@lovingmondays.com. For those who suffer with sleep apnea it’s a godsend, but for improve respiratory health. It could also aid in better
oxygen uptake and reduce sleep disturbances and snoring.
If you’re visualizing a strip of duct tape over your
mouth, hostage-style, you’re pretty much right on.
However, in this case no duct tape is advised. There is
mouth tape made for this very purpose that’s comfortable
and easily removed without taking your skin with it!
Medical experts agree that studies on mouth taping are
limited, inconclusive, and that research is in the early stages.
Yet, there is a long list of benefits that have been reported
as a result of mouth taping that are similar to those when
using a CPAP machine. Additional benefits include:
Grinding prevention – In some cases, mouth taping
encourages proper mouth and jaw positioning during sleep
and helps reduce grinding. But warning goes out to those
with jaw disorders, such as TMJ (temporomandibular
joint) to avoid mouth taping.
Improved oral hygiene – Reduced mouth dryness,
fewer cavities and decreased risk of gym disease.
Bad breath – Along with tooth decay is more prevalent
in mouth breathers because it may allow bacteria and
viruses to enter your system. Nasal breathing promotes
better breath.
Improved sleep quality – May increase REM (rapid
eye movement) sleep, which is crucial for optimal brain
functioning. As second-hand results, mouth taping claims
to leave you with higher energy, improved cognitive
function and less anxiety.
Cosmetic benefits – May be said to improve dark
under-eye circles, and help to strengthen the jaw.
Thinking you might like to try mouth taping? Don’t
jump too soon. There are side effects to consider and some
risks involved. So it’s important to consult a healthcare
professional to see if it’s a fit for you.
Those with certain conditions that make nasal
breathing difficult, such as deviated septum, allergies,
sleep apnea, sinusitis or chronic congestions, might
not be candidates and may need a different treatment.
Some people find mouth taping to be uncomfortable and
anxiety-inducing. As for me, the thought of taping my
mouth shut would add to my claustrophobia and make
me feel trapped. Not to mention the use of adhesive tape
that could cause skin irritation.
As I said, it’s not for everyone. But, if you’re willing
to give it a try there are tutorials on YouTube that can help
guide you and answer any questions you might have about
this unique way to breathe better when sleeping. A short
cliff note on how to use tape is to simply place the tape
over your mouth for about 10 minutes at a time, increasing
to 10 minutes every day for a week. If it doesn’t bother
you, go ahead and try out mouth tape while you sleep.
It’s important for your body to adjust to the new
breathing pattern, so stay consistent with it in order to
reap the long-term benefits. Don’t forget to use tape
designed not to irritate the skin and keep it on all night.
You can Google mouth tape where you’ll find different
types, hostage tape, gentle and transparent, with a month
to one-year supply. The Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape
are strips contoured to the shape of the lips that promises
to feel virtually weightless!
If all else fails you can always opt in for a CPAP for
the full Dark Vader technique and sleep contently like
you’re in an oxygen-fed room. Regardless, if it’s tape
or machine, the bottom line is everyone should have a
restful night’s sleep.

It’s The Law