Proper Nasal Breathing = Better Brain Function

Tap into the memory of when you were to give a presentation at work or pass a final exam you studied for the whole previous night. At such events, we tend to be overwhelmed with emotions of fear, stress and anxiety. We start breathing heavily, our hearts are beating rapidly somewhere in the stomach or throat. It seems like stress and fear dims our minds and we forget everything that learned or wanted to say.

In such situations, we pay attention to how other people will percept us as we worry and mumble but we rarely pay attention to the way we breathe. Interestingly, breathing and the brain function interchangeably and can control and regulate each other.

Thus, if you have experienced such situations in your life, you should pay attention to your breathing as it can help you to get rid of sweaty palms before a public speech or help ace an exam. Changing your breathing could actually actively influence brain activity associated with perception, cognition behaviour and emotion.

Each day, we take approximately 17,000 to 20,000 breaths, taking in oxygen to bring it to our cells and tissues, while exhaling carbon dioxide. We usually do not even notice the very process thanks to our autonomic nervous system. However, breathing is an incredibly reliable and flexible bodily function.

We bet that everyone has heard the fact that without oxygen brain cells start to die. The brain of an average person can last for 4 minutes without oxygen and then death occurs. This is because the brain is an organ with one of the highest oxygen and glucose requirements. Therefore, any sort of disordered breathing can cause problems with brain cognition making it harder to focus and think or freezing us up before a presentation. This is why in stressful situations people are often told to slow down and take a deep breath.

So even though, breathing happens automatically without us, even having to think about it we can override that to control our breathing voluntarily. This means that we can control the quality of our breathing.

Changing the air pressure inside the lungs is one of the main ways we can alter breathing and increase oxygen levels. For example, slowing down the breath and taking deep breaths into your diaphragm increases oxygen pressure in the air sacs. This makes it easier for oxygen molecules to move into the blood and activates the autonomic nervous system called the parasympathetic nervous system. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system creates a sense of mental calmness and counteracts the effects of stress.

Thus, by regulating our breathing and using our noses to perform this vital process we can optimise our brain function, and become less stressed and more focused. In contrast, studies show that mouth breathing can increase the risk of brain functional problems as a result of lower oxygen saturation.

Here are the benefits proper nasal breathing can bring to your brain function.

As obvious as it seems, being less stressed makes it easier to think, and focusing on breathing exercises makes the brain less anxious. This happens because deep breathing affects the brain by promoting the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) over the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) through the vagus nerve. The vagal tone, measured by heart rate variability (HRV), is associated with higher stress tolerance and healthy ageing.

Through deep breathing, you calm the brain and reduce the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. Studies have shown that deep breathing increases alpha power (power that stimulates creativity) leading to less stress, anxiety, depression, rage, and uncertainty.

Taking deep diaphragmatic breaths has been found to enhance the functioning of brain regions that are involved in self-monitoring and cognitive control. This means that practising this type of breathing can help you regulate your behaviour in situations where you need to be self-disciplined, for example, study persistently for 2 hours without being distracted by social media.

Further, using this technique helps you focus more on your goals while deactivating brain areas that wander aimlessly, sharpening your mental focus and increasing your productivity.

The correlation between breath and the brain has been explored through research on yogic breathing exercises. In a study on Nadi Shodhana, which is alternate nostril breathing, the electrical activity of the brain measurements was used to assess brain wave activity. The practice resulted in increased beta and alpha waves, which are associated with an engaged mind and relaxation, respectively. This suggests that breathing exercise helps increase mental activity while maintaining a calm and clear mind. Another study found that a combination of breathing and meditation improved memory and academic performance.

Breathing exercise to boost focus and improve alertness

The use of breathing exercises will enable you to achieve a state of flow in which your mind is relaxed but alert at the same time. Using it can help you enter a flow state, maintain focus, and stay present in front of an audience. Exercise like this can be applied before exams, public speeches and sports events. A good night’s sleep is also essential for exercise to work more efficiently. Sleep plays an important role in your ability to focus your mind under pressure.

Do the following steps 30 minutes before the event:

1. Relax your mind

Breathe Light, Slow, and Deep

In the video below, Patrick McKeown explains how to perform the ‘Breathe Light, Slow, and Deep’ breathing exercise. Patrick McKeown is a well-known expert on the Buteyko Breathing Method, which is a breathing technique designed to improve breathing patterns and help with various health conditions, such as asthma, anxiety, and sleep apnea. He has written several books on the subject and is the founder of the Oxygen Advantage program, which teaches breathing techniques to improve athletic performance and overall health.

2. Increase alertness

According to a Japanese study conducted in 2013, breathing through the mouth can disturb the supply of oxygen to the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with ADHD. On the other hand, nasal breathing has no such negative effects.

In children, if they breathe through their mouth while sleeping due to a stuffy nose, they may feel tired and have difficulty focusing in school, leading to a possible diagnosis of ADD or ADHD. Additionally, children with ADHD are more likely to have nasal congestion and sleep disorders, such as snoring or sleep apnea, which may contribute to a learning disability. If a child snores at the age of eight and doesn’t receive treatment, they have an 80% chance of experiencing a permanent 20% reduction in mental capacity.

The brain requires a significant amount of oxygen, accounting for approximately 20% of the body’s oxygen supply. The glymphatic system, responsible for removing toxins from the brain, functions during sleep. However, chest breathing is not efficient in supplying oxygen to the brain.

Many people are also sleep-deprived, leading to toxin buildup in the brain. Deep breathing improves oxygen absorption, optimizing brain function. Moreover, deep breathing combined with relaxation techniques may help improve sleep quality, allowing the brain to remove toxins and function optimally.

A lot of content creators on YouTube or Instagram who promote mindfulness, productivity and emotional intelligence advertise yoga breathing apps. And this is done not arbitrarily.

The act of breathing actively promotes synchronization, leading to better gas exchange and brain function related to goal-directed behaviour. Nasal breathing specifically affects the limbic brain, which regulates cognitive functions like emotion, motivation, learning, and memory. Studies show that breathing impacts a person’s ability to recognize emotions in others and remember visual objects. Breathing through the nose, even passively, can improve reaction time to frightening stimuli.

Counting breath exercise to boost your mood

Perform this exercise when you feel down. Breathing exercises that include inhaling and exhaling while counting calm down the heart rate and lower blood pressure. This makes us uplifted and makes us feel generally better. You should sit up straight and count your breaths as you inhale and exhale. Counting aloud while breathing is hard, so use your fingers.

Neural activity in the brain is directly affected by nasal breathing. According to research, stimulation of the vagus nerve can improve memory and decision-making abilities.

A Belgian study found that vagus nerve stimulation in rats enhanced their decision-making skills in a gambling task. Another Belgian lab found that vagal breathing (deep, slow belly breathing) could be an intervention against stress and its negative effects on decision-making in humans.

Studies have also shown a connection between the vagus nerve and enhanced working memory. Inhalant anaesthetics increase vagal tone, which improves cognitive function as patients regain consciousness.

In addition, diaphragmatic breathing can lower cortisol levels and improve cognitive function by reducing physiological responses to stress.

Maintaining good brain function and health is important not only for self-improvement and a successful career path. It is also vital for healthy ageing and warding off diseases like dementia, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Interestingly, improving breathing patterns can also help with healthy brain ageing.

According to scientists, regular yoga practices may improve cognitive functions by shifting the autonomic balance towards the peripheral nervous system. The results of examining the electrical activity of the brain have shown that long-term meditation practice may improve grey matter loss, attention, and working memory. These techniques may also offset age-related cognitive decline linked to the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Not enough? Here is more

Dr. Yewande Pearce, a neuroscience researcher, discusses the relationship between breathing, the brain, and the body in this informative video from The Wake Up.

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