How can I retrain myself to breathe through my nose?

For a more structured approach, the Buteyko breathing method is worth learning. Developed by Ukrainian physician Konstantin Buteyko, it focuses on reducing breathing volume through nasal breathing, breath holds, and relaxation. Patrick McKeown has done the most to bring Buteyko into mainstream practice through his book The Oxygen Advantage and his clinical teaching¹. The core idea is that most people chronically over-breathe, and training yourself to breathe less — through your nose, slowly, with smaller tidal volumes — improves CO2 tolerance and oxygen delivery.

A randomized controlled trial found that people using Buteyko breathing cut their beta2-agonist (bronchodilator) use by 85% from baseline at six months, against a 37% reduction in the control group³. While the method is most studied in asthma, the underlying principles — slower breathing, nasal breathing, improved CO2 tolerance — apply broadly.

Exercise is where nasal breathing feels hardest, but it's also where the payoff is significant. Start with walking or light exercise and keep your mouth closed. It will feel restrictive at first because your body is accustomed to gulping air. Over a few weeks, your tolerance builds. McKeown recommends nasal breathing during all exercise below lactate threshold, gradually extending it to higher intensities¹.

Before any of this works, you need to be able to breathe through your nose. If you're chronically congested, address that first. Common culprits include allergies (environmental or food-related), a deviated septum, or nasal polyps. Saline rinses, nasal steroids, and allergy management can make a major difference. If mechanical obstruction is the issue, an ENT evaluation is worthwhile — no amount of taping will help if your nasal passages are physically blocked.

Better breathing also improves sleep — see our Sleep page.

McKeown's The Oxygen Advantage draws on Buteyko's original clinical work and adds exercise physiology research. His BOLT (Body Oxygen Level Test) score provides a simple self-assessment for breathing efficiency and CO2 tolerance. While some claims in the Buteyko tradition are stronger than the published evidence supports, the core recommendation — nasal breathing with reduced volume — is well-aligned with respiratory physiology¹.

The mouth taping evidence is still early. Lee et al. (2022) conducted a small study showing reduced snoring severity with mouth taping, but the sample size was limited and the study was preliminary². Anecdotal evidence and clinical experience run well ahead of formal trials here — many sleep dentists and myofunctional therapists recommend taping routinely, but large RCTs are lacking.

McHugh et al.'s 2003 trial was a blinded randomized controlled study of the Buteyko technique in 38 people with asthma, followed for six months. Beta2-agonist use fell by 85% from baseline in the Buteyko group, against 37% in the control group, and inhaled steroid use fell by 50% in the Buteyko group while staying unchanged in controls — though the trial was small³. Nestor's reporting adds useful context — he traces the history of breathing science across cultures and centuries, arguing that modern humans have lost basic breathing competence through dietary changes, environmental factors, and simple inattention⁴.