Before you rush to bed after brushing your teeth, here’s a tip from a dentist: Clearing your nose might just be as essential for a good night’s sleep. Let’s find out why!
Why This Dentist Says Clearing Your Nose Is a Must Before Bed
Dr. Sebastian Lomas, a UK-based dentist, emphasizes the importance of including nose-clearing in one’s nighttime routine, asserting that it is as crucial as brushing teeth.
Lomas, with 21,400 followers on TikTok, believes that clearing the nose before bedtime helps ensure clear sinuses, contributing to a better night’s sleep and reducing snoring.
Snoring, a common issue affecting nearly half of all people at some point in their lives, can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to daytime exhaustion. In severe cases, it may be linked to conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, which has potential health risks if left untreated.
According to Lomas, clearing the sinuses is a key strategy to combat snoring. When one cannot breathe through their nose, they tend to resort to mouth breathing, increasing the likelihood of snoring.
Lomas demonstrates the proper technique, involving inhaling and exhaling through the nose with the mouth closed, followed by gently pinching the nose’s tip while tilting the head from side to side for ear-popping, and finally, taking a deep breath.
While snoring is more common in men and tends to run in families, various factors contribute to it, including weight gain, allergies, alcohol consumption, sleep position, and medications.
Many snoring remedies exist, such as pillows and mouthpieces, but their effectiveness varies from person to person.
Dr. Sarah McConville, an assistant professor at the University of Utah Health, advises those with sleep apnea to be cautious, as over-the-counter snoring products differ from FDA-approved sleep apnea therapies, and reduced snoring may not necessarily indicate effective sleep apnea treatment.
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