Good sleep is the foundation for health and well-being

An apnoea is a more severe symptom of sleep disordered breathing where the sleeper involuntarily stops breathing during sleep and this condition is called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Statistics suggest that OSA affects up to 9% of women and 26% of men between 30 and 49 years of age, and up to 27% of women and 43% of men between 50 and 70. Consequences of sleep disordered breathing and OSA include:

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• Fatigue

• Reduced concentration or ‘brain fog’

• Raised blood pressure

• Increased risk of heart attack and stroke

• Increased risk of anxiety and depression

• Increased risk of accidents

• Increased risk of memory problems

• Increased weight gain and diabetes

In recent times there has been increased awareness of perimenopause and menopause. Unfortunately, the increased risk of sleep disordered breathing around the menopause is under recognised. It is thought the hormonal changes during the menopause have a direct effect on breathing and the airway. Women who experience brain fog, fatigue, insomnia, morning headaches, nightmares and mood disturbances need to consider how they breathe whilst asleep. For more information on this click here

The human body has been adapted over evolution to wake when the sun rises, go to sleep when the sun sets, move often, tolerate periods of famine, eat unprocessed food, live in well ventilated environment, and spend most of the time existing in a calm state with only occasional activation of the ‘fight flight’ system. Unfortunately, the modern way of life is very different to this which has resulted in an increased amount of time spent in the ‘fight flight’ system making it more likely that our breathing is fast, hard, and shallow through an open mouth.

If an individual has significant sleep disordered breathing a sleep study is recommended and if OSA is diagnosed a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may be suggested. However, the effectiveness of the CPAP machine could be improved if the individual has an underlying efficient breathing pattern.

There is emerging evidence that our amygdala (threat detection centre of the brain) has a neuronal (nerve) connection to our respiratory (breathing) centre. The amygdala also has roles in emotion, learning and reward. It is thought this that this neuronal connection has developed through evolution to improve survival for example if our breathing becoming hard, fast, and irregular the fear centre detects this change and sends a signal to the body to activate the 'fight flight' system. Therefore if during sleep our breathing is hard, fast, and irregular the amygdala will try to wake us up as the body perceives it is under threat leading to a light sleep or regular waking. A slow, regular, gentle breathing pattern at night is more likely to improve sleep quality.

I can train people to develop an efficient breathing pattern to improve sleep disordered breathing leading to improvements in energy, focus, concentration, mental health, and reduced breathlessness when performing physical activity. My clients have experienced a significant improvement in the depth of sleep as I have myself by improving underlying breathing pattern. What initially begins as retraining your body will become part of how you breathe unconsciously, and you will gain the ability to self-regulate your response to external events.