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Happy Halloween and welcome to Episode 62 of the Train Your Brain Podcast with Dr. Michael Trayford. Every Monday we produce a 30-minute episode. Tuesday through Sunday we produce episodes with five-minute tips. Every episode of the Train Your Brain Podcast features a tip, so you can receive pointers 365 days a year that will help enhance the performance of your brain!

For Halloween today Dr. Trayford talks about something very scary: not being able to breathe well at night. Have you ever been jolted awake from disrupted breathing? It is an alarming feeling. It might be due to your pillow’s height, sleeping position, your weight or another condition. Of course the brain needs oxygen at night to perform its many wiring and learning functions, so you want to make sure to get to the bottom of this issue. Dr. Trayford recommends trying nasal strips. They truly help with breathing at night. If the problem persists, consider a sleep study.

This tip relates to sleep and the use of nasal strips.
Jason: I’ve seen those and I can’t believe that they really work!
They do! I’ve seen under certain circumstances. I need to use them in a hotel room or if I’m sleeping in a new location. When I’m sleeping in a hotel room I generally have restless sleep. Also if the pillow are too high, which is common in a lot of hotel rooms, my windpipe gets a little bit bent and my trachea closes down on the back of my throat.

Keeping the nose open a little bit help. A lot of people have trouble breathing when they’re sleeping. In most cases if it’s not related to bladder or an issue with a restless mind, then it’s usually some sort of breathing issue.

I know myself if I lie on my back I have a difficult time when breathing through my nose. Oxygen flow, especially in the brain is very important when you’re sleeping. As we’ve talked about in the past.

There’s a lot of rewiring, remodeling in the pathways and taking out garbage in the brain. This all requires energy. The brain’s two primary forms of energy are oxygen and sugar. So if you’re experiencing a decrease in oxygen, it’s significant and the brain will suffer as a result.

In some instances, where people are dealing with severe sleep apnea, they might need air pressure regulating CPAP machines. But in basic instances where someone is being woken up by that quick little jolt of your breathing stopping. It might be remedied by using nasal strips.

In a situation like this you might need to have a sleep study done to determine the extent of the issue. However, that shouldn’t be the first step. Using nasal strips is worth trying to help you find better quality of sleep.

Bottom line, at all costs, you want to be able to achieve quality sleep on your own. If you start using alternative devices they can become a crutch that you become dependent on. If you or your spouse is having trouble sleeping, I suggest giving them a try as an effective first step in trying to remedy sleep problems related to breathing issues.

This is especially true if your spouse tells you that you’re choking when you’re sleeping, or stopping breathing. You should discuss this will your physician to explore your options.

If you have any concerns regarding the information and applications discussed in this podcast, please consult your physician and a doctor who is experienced in functional neurology. Michael Trayford DC, DACNB is available for consultation by calling (828) 708-5274. Thanks for listening. Continue reading →