Have you ever wondered if you’re breathing too fast? Breathing happens without effort, but that doesn’t always mean it’s happening the right way. You breathe about 20,000 times a day, often without a single thought. Yet for many people, those breaths are too fast.
Fast breathing might seem harmless, but it can quietly affect your health and wellbeing. So why does this happen, and what can you do about it?
Today, you’ll learn what fast breathing is, the negative effects of fast breathing, and how you can gently retrain your breathing using the Buteyko Method.
What Is Fast Breathing and Why Does It Matter?
To understand the importance of healthy breathing, we first need to look at what happens when breathing becomes dysfunctional.
A breathing pattern disorder occurs when the way we breathe causes symptoms such as breathlessness, chest tightness, or fatigue, even when there’s no medical disease present.
One of the most common traits of this is fast breathing, a key feature of chronic hyperventilation that often occurs both during the day and while sleeping, and is often accompanied by upper chest movement or mouth breathing.
At rest, the normal breathing rate for a healthy adult is about 9 to 16 breaths per minute, with most people averaging around 10 to 12. So, a faster breathing rate would be much higher.
When fast breathing or over-breathing becomes persistent, it leads to hyperventilation, the tendency to breathe more air than the body actually needs.
From a biochemical point of view, fast breathing and hyperventilation cause too much carbon dioxide (CO₂) to be exhaled from the body.
While oxygen is essential for life, CO₂ plays an equally important role in maintaining the proper balance of blood chemistry.
When CO₂ levels drop too low, the blood becomes more alkaline, a state known as respiratory alkalosis. This shift can reduce blood flow to the brain and muscles, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, and even feelings of breathlessness.
When we compare fast breathing vs slow breathing, the difference is clear. Slow, calm, nasal breathing helps maintain optimal CO₂ levels, allowing oxygen to be released efficiently from the blood into the body’s tissues, a process known as the Bohr effect.
Fast breathing, on the other hand, disrupts this balance, meaning that even though you’re taking in more air, your body actually receives less usable oxygen.
7 Negative Effects of Fast Breathing
Here are seven potential ways fast breathing can adversely affect your health and wellbeing:
1. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
Fast breathing lowers carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the blood, which activates the body’s stress response and causes the heart rate and blood pressure to rise.
Studies show that when breathing speeds up beyond 27 breaths per minute, it becomes a strong predictor of heart attack and cardiovascular strain.
A 2005 study found that patients breathing 25–29 times per minute had a 21% death rate in hospital.
This happens because rapid breathing keeps the body in a constant state of alertness, forcing the heart and blood vessels to work harder than they should.
In contrast, a 2006 study found that slowing the breath to around 6 breaths per minute helps calm the nervous system and reduce this strain.
Research has also found that slow, controlled breathing lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure while improving heart rate stability.
2. Reduced respiratory efficiency
When breathing becomes habitually fast, the body shifts from using the diaphragm to relying on the upper chest, leading to weaker breathing muscles and less efficient airflow.
This shallow pattern means much of the air stays in “dead space,” i.e, areas of the airways where no gas exchange occurs, so less oxygen actually reaches the blood.
Over time, this pattern reduces respiratory efficiency and can worsen issues like asthma or chronic hyperventilation syndrome.
In contrast, slowing the breath to around six breaths per minute improves oxygen exchange by up to 20%, strengthening the diaphragm and supporting healthier, more balanced breathing.
3. Contributes to snoring
Many sleep problems are associated with breathing too fast, such as snoring.
When too much air moves quickly through a relaxed or narrow airway, the soft tissues of the throat and palate begin to vibrate, producing the familiar sound of snoring.
This is especially common when the mouth opens during sleep, allowing air to rush in and out instead of flowing smoothly through the nose.
Even nasal snoring can worsen when breathing is fast and forceful, as the rapid airflow creates turbulence and tightens the throat at the back of the nose.
For mouth snorers, using MYOTAPE to keep the lips closed at night encourages iasal breathing, helping to restore silent, more restful sleep.
4. Leads to insomnia and restless sleep
Breathing too quickly or through the mouth at night disrupts oxygen balance and activates the body’s stress response, making it harder to stay asleep.
Research shows that fast or irregular breathing stimulates a brain region called the Pre-Bötzinger Complex, which increases alertness and can trigger nighttime awakenings.
This heightened arousal keeps the nervous system in a state of vigilance, preventing the deep, restorative stages of sleep needed for recovery.
A 2017 paper found that even mild hyperventilation can prompt sudden awakenings, linking over-breathing directly to insomnia and fragmented sleep.
Furthermore, chronic over-breathing keeps the body stuck in a fight-or-flight mode, where the brain stays on high alert and struggles to fully relax into sleep.
5. Increased anxiety and panic
One of the first signs of anxiety and panic disorder is how fast we start breathing.
With fast breathing, carbon dioxide levels drop, which quietly alters blood chemistry and reduces oxygen flow to the brain.
This imbalance makes the nervous system more alert and reactive, leading to sensations such as dizziness, chest tightness, and a fear of suffocation.
In people prone to panic, these sensations can quickly spiral into full-blown panic attacks, reinforcing the fear of losing control.
The body becomes hypersensitive to small changes in breathing, trapping a person in a loop where anxiety triggers faster breathing, and faster breathing fuels more anxiety.
Learning to breathe slowly and lightly through the nose helps calm this cycle, restoring balance to the body and bringing the mind back to a sense of safety.
6. Fatigue and low energy
Fast breathing lowers carbon dioxide levels, limiting how effectively oxygen is delivered to the body’s cells.
This poor oxygen delivery leaves muscles and the brain underpowered, leading to fatigue, sluggishness, and mental fog.
Over time, chronic over-breathing keeps the body in a low-energy state, making even simple tasks feel exhausting.
7. Heightened stress response
The body’s stress response is deeply tied to how we breathe, with every breath sending signals about whether we’re safe or under threat.
When breathing speeds up, the brain interprets it as a sign of danger and activates the fight-or-flight system, flooding the body with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
This state of constant alert makes it harder to relax, sleep, or think clearly, even long after the stressful moment has passed.
If fast breathing becomes a habit, the body begins to treat everyday situations as emergencies, keeping the heart rate and blood pressure elevated.
This ongoing tension leaves you feeling restless, irritable, and easily overwhelmed, as if your body never fully switches off.
By slowing the breath, breathing nasally, and engaging the diaphragm, the nervous system receives a message of safety, allowing calm to return and stress levels to drop naturally.
How to Correct Fast Breathing Patterns with The Buteyko Method
The habit of breathing too fast can be retrained through simple, consistent practice, especially by learning the breathing technique known as the Buteyko Method.
What is the Buteyko Method?
The Buteyko Method, developed by Dr. Konstantin Buteyko in the 1950s, is one of the most effective ways to correct fast or heavy breathing.
He discovered that people who were unwell often breathed harder and faster, worsening their symptoms.
Teaching slower, lighter breathing helped patients lower blood pressure, reduce asthma symptoms, and calm their nervous systems.
The Buteyko Method focuses on three simple yet powerful principles:
- Nasal Breathing: Inhale and exhale through your nose to regulate airflow and maintain healthy carbon dioxide levels.
- Reduced Breathing: Soften and quiet your breath until it feels almost invisible, creating a gentle sense of air hunger that helps the body adapt to normal CO₂ levels.
- Gentle Breath Holds: After a normal exhale, hold your breath briefly to improve CO₂ tolerance and reduce breathlessness.
Practicing these techniques for just a few minutes each day can calm your nervous system, improve focus, and reduce stress.
Many people notice results within weeks of consistent practice.
Here are some steps you can take to correct fast breathing with the Buteyko Method.
Build awareness
Before you can change your breathing, you need to notice it. Simply noticing this pattern is the first and most important step toward retraining it.
Practice nasal breathing
Always aim to breathe through your nose both during the day and while you sleep.
Nasal breathing naturally slows airflow, filters and warms the air, and increases nitric oxide, which helps your body use oxygen more efficiently.
It also reduces the risk of over-breathing and keeps the airways open.
Mouth breathing, in contrast, encourages faster breathing and can worsen anxiety, snoring, and poor sleep quality.
Breathe with the diaphragm
The diaphragm is your main breathing muscle, and using it properly helps slow the breath and activate the body’s relaxation response.
To practice, place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen.
As you inhale gently through your nose, the lower hand should rise while the upper hand stays still.
This encourages deeper, more efficient breathing that supports calmness and better oxygen exchange.
Practice the Breathe Slow exercise
The Breathe Slow exercise is a key Buteyko breathing exercise that helps you slow your breathing to around six breaths per minute.
This slower rhythm improves oxygen delivery, breathing efficiency, and carbon dioxide tolerance while calming the nervous system.
When you breathe slowly, more air reaches the alveoli in your lungs, helping your body use oxygen more effectively and stay balanced between stress and relaxation.
It can also ease anxiety or fear of breathlessness by gently training your body to tolerate higher carbon dioxide levels.
How to Practice the Buteyko “Breathe Slow” Exercise:
- Sit upright with your back straight and place your hands on the sides of your lower ribs.
- Inhale gently through your nose for four seconds, feeling your ribs expand outward.
- Exhale softly through your nose for six seconds, feeling your ribs move inward.
- Keep your breathing light, quiet, and relaxed without forcing deep breaths.
- If this feels difficult, start with three seconds in and three seconds out, then gradually slow it.
- Continue for about four minutes, maintaining a calm, steady rhythm.
This simple Buteyko exercise helps restore natural breathing patterns, reduce stress, and strengthen your body’s ability to stay calm and balanced.
Retrain Your Breath Now with the Buteyko Method
Fast breathing can affect how your body functions, how your mind feels, and how well you live. However, through proper breath retraining, you can restore balance, calm your nervous system, and improve your overall health.
The Buteyko Method is a practical, evidence-based approach that teaches you to breathe slower, lighter, and efficiently. It helps you reduce stress, sleep better, and build long-term resilience.
At Buteyko Clinic International, you can learn these techniques directly through guided online breathing courses created by world-renowned breathing expert Patrick McKeown. Each program is designed to help you apply the method safely and effectively in your daily life.
If you want to deepen your understanding, the Buteyko Breathing Certification program provides advanced training and certification to help others achieve better health through improved breathing.
