Breathing through the nose instead of the mouth is key for sleep apnea patients, but it’s also important for everyday health. Our noses are specially designed to filter impurities through nose hairs, and warm and moisten incoming air with the mucous membrane. The mucous membrane also makes mucus, which captures particles and germs. The mouth isn’t equipped to protect the lungs by filtering or warming air, so excessive mouth breathing can lead to ear and sinus infections, snoring, headaches, and other health issues.
Mouth breathing can also be a sign of sleep apnea since patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) tend to sleep with their mouths open. If you regularly wake up with dry mouth, approach your doctor to find out why you’re sleeping with your mouth open.
Some sleep apnea patients have trouble keeping their mouth closed even with CPAP therapy, but a chin strap can remedy that problem. A variety of chin straps of differing materials and sizes are available on the market so patients can select a strap that’s effective and comfortable.
For mouth breathers with sleep apnea, a full-face mask won’t keep your mouth closed but it should be used to insure CPAP therapy is effective. If you’re a mouth breather but prefer to use a nasal mask, you can use the chin strap to keep your mouth closed. Your sleep specialist can help you determine the right CPAP mask to use, and whether or not you should use a chin strap as well.
Lack of sleep can cause more than dark under eye circles and a surly demeanor. Some more well-known risks from insufficient sleep are increased risk of stroke, obesity and diabetes, anxiety and depression, and heart disease. A new study by Taiwanese researchers showed that another 
Pedometers used to only track your steps, but now consumers have a variety to choose from that do just about everything except make you a latte. With so many options available, it’s tough to know which fitness devices offer the best functionality and price. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to get over my weight-loss plateau, so I sat down with Jennifer Dulaney, my coworker and resident fitness device guru, to pick her brain on which device to use.
It turns out there may be scientific significance behind the colloquially used phrase “beauty sleep.” Researchers within the Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stochholm, Sweden investigated facial cues and features and how they signal fatigue. Facial expressions can be a very powerful sociological tool humans can use to communicate emotional states, since the face is the primary source of information in social perception.
How do sweat-inducing hot flashes, muffin-top expansion, lethargy and insomnia sound? The aforementioned doesn’t sound too appealing, however, to many women, this is the reality of the oft-abhorred “midlife transition.” But, many of these side effects can be remedied. Many women find this transition to be fulfilling, a chance to start out on a new adventure and seize the day, so to speak. At Sound Sleep Institute, we have a deep-seated passion for sleep. Sleep hygiene, we understand, is considered to be taboo by many in the fast paced world we live in. But there does come a point in all of our lives in which we must assess the importance of our sleep routine, and for those going through menopause, what better time? Don’t let menopause cause upheaval in your life and rob you of the restorative sleep you need. 
