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Nasal Cycle
Monday, January 10th, 2022 01:56 amI never heard about this before!
Why don't we breathe equally out of both nostrils?
Nasal Cycle
Some years back I took to always sleeping with my mouth open (ie. breathing through my mouth) because one or both of my nostrils so often get congested when I lie down to sleep. I dreaded not getting enough air and struggling to breathe while I was oblivious to it, asleep. I also didn't want to have those kinds of dreams where I'm trying to do something simple but it's a very hard struggle, which I suspect are likely due to those times when I'm having trouble breathing.
Why don't we breathe equally out of both nostrils?
during the nasal cycle one nostril becomes congested and thus contributes less to airflow, while the other becomes decongested. On average, the congestion pattern switches about every 2 hours
Nasal Cycle
Turbinates consist of bony projections covered by erectile tissue, much like the tissues of the penis and clitoris. The turbinates in one fossa fill up with blood while the opposite turbinates decongest by shunting blood away. This cycle, which is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, has a mean duration of two and a half hours but varies widely with age, body-posture, and other conditions.
Some years back I took to always sleeping with my mouth open (ie. breathing through my mouth) because one or both of my nostrils so often get congested when I lie down to sleep. I dreaded not getting enough air and struggling to breathe while I was oblivious to it, asleep. I also didn't want to have those kinds of dreams where I'm trying to do something simple but it's a very hard struggle, which I suspect are likely due to those times when I'm having trouble breathing.