Introduction: Why Better Sleep Starts Long Before Bedtime
We’ve all heard about the importance of sleep—but how we prepare for sleep, known as sleep hygiene, is just as important as how many hours we get. For many people, sleep quality is poor not because of how long they’re in bed, but because their airway, breathing patterns, and bedtime routines are working against them.
At BreatheWorks, we take a whole-patient approach to helping people breathe, sleep, eat, talk, and feel better. Sleep hygiene is central to everything from energy and mood to therapy outcomes. And when paired with airway-focused interventions like myofunctional therapy, it becomes a powerful tool for healing.
What Is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is the set of behaviors and environmental factors that prepare your brain and body for deep, restorative sleep. Key components include:
- Maintaining a consistent sleep-wake cycle
- Creating a quiet, dark, cool sleep environment
- Avoiding screens and bright lights at least 1 hour before bed
- Managing caffeine, alcohol, and food timing
- Promoting nasal breathing and airway support overnight
Poor sleep hygiene contributes to sleep disturbances, fatigue, and worsened cognitive and emotional performance.
Why Airway Health Plays a Central Role
Even with perfect sleep habits, if your airway is restricted or dysfunctional, you won’t get the deep sleep your body needs to repair and reset.
Common airway-related causes of poor sleep include:
- Mouth breathing and open-mouth posture during sleep
- Snoring or upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS)
- Undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- Low tongue posture or poor oral tone
These disrupt the normal sleep cycle and can lead to:
- Fragmented sleep
- Morning headaches
- Daytime irritability or brain fog
- Cardiovascular and immune system stress
Myofunctional Therapy as a Foundation for Sleep Hygiene
Myofunctional therapy addresses the muscles of the mouth, face, and airway to support nasal breathing, tongue posture, and lip seal—key to healthy sleep.
We use targeted exercises to:
- Retrain nasal breathing
- Improve diaphragm coordination
- Strengthen lips and tongue for closed-mouth sleep
- Reduce jaw tension that contributes to snoring and airway collapse
For patients seeking sleep apnea therapy alternatives or snoring remedies, this can be a game-changer.
Best Practices for Sleep Hygiene with Airway Awareness
- Train for nasal breathing during the day so it becomes default at night
- Limit screen time and blue light 60–90 minutes before bed
- Use nasal dilators (like Mute® or Airmax®) or mouth taping as directed by a therapist
- Avoid heavy meals within 2 hours of bedtime
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark, ideally 65–68°F
- Elevate the head of your bed if you snore or experience reflux
- Incorporate a bedtime breathing ritual, such as 4-7-8 or box breathing, to calm the nervous system
When to Seek Professional Support
If you have consistent issues with:
- Restless sleep
- Snoring, mouth breathing, or gasping
- Feeling unrefreshed in the morning
- Difficulty focusing during the day
- Poor progress in speech therapy Portland or airway-related therapies
…you may benefit from a full sleep and airway evaluation.
Our speech-language pathologists near you are trained to identify airway dysfunction and recommend collaborative care with sleep specialists, ENTs, or dental providers when needed.
Final Thoughts: Build a Better Night to Live a Better Day
You don’t have to live with poor sleep. Simple changes in your routine—combined with airway awareness and functional therapy—can make a huge difference.
At BreatheWorks, we’re here to support your journey toward better sleep, better breathing, and better health.
Sources:
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Sleep Hygiene Guidelines
- NIH: Sleep Architecture and Airway Resistance
- ASHA.org: Myofunctional Therapy and Sleep Disorders
- BreatheWorks.com: Functional Sleep and Breathing Protocols
