What Is Air Hunger and Why Does It Happen?
Air hunger is the slightly uncomfortable feeling that you need to take a breath, even when you're actually getting enough oxygen. This sensation isn’t caused by a lack of air, but by a slight increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in your blood. Your brain senses this change and makes you feel like you're not breathing enough, even though your oxygen levels are fine.
Air hunger is common when you begin practicing Buteyko breathing techniques, especially if you have dysfunctional breathing habits like mouthbreathing, overbreathing or an irregular breathing pattern. It’s simply your body adjusting to a healthier way of breathing.
Tip: With regular practice of the exercises, your breathing improves, and that feeling of air hunger fades away.
Is It Safe to Feel Air Hunger?
Yes, as long as it’s mild to moderate and controlled.
You should never force your breath or make yourself feel dizzy or distressed. Instead, the goal is to feel a gentle urge to breathe— a “comfortable air hunger.”
When you feel a comfortable air hunger during breath retraining, it simply means your body is:
- Starting to recalibrate your breathing patterns
- Moving toward healthier, more efficient respiration
It’s a sign of progress, not danger.
This level of practice is safe and supports:
· Improved CO₂ tolerance
· Healthy breathing volume
· Calmer, more stable breathing
· Better oxygen delivery
· Relaxed nervous system
· Deeper sleep
How Air Hunger Helps You Sleep Better
When you reduce your breathing volume and allow CO₂ levels to rise slightly, your body:
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your "rest, digest, and repair" mode), helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
- Calms and stabilizes breathing patterns during the night, reducing the likelihood of snoring and sleep apnea events
That’s why Buteyko exercises like Breathe Light are so powerful for improving sleep. They teach your body to tolerate a comfortable air hunger, which rewires your breathing for calm, efficiency, and rest.
Ready to Retrain Your Breath?
Breathe Light Exercise
Start with the Breathe Light Exercise to generate a tolerable air hunger and build calm, efficient breathing patterns that help:
- Reduce your breathing volume
- Reduce resistance in your airways
- Promote nasal breathing all night long
- Activate your body’s natural “rest, digest, and repair” response
- Help you fall asleep more easily
- Improve carbon dioxide tolerance—so you can breathe more lightly and calmly, even during sleep
Goal: Practice 5 minutes, 4–6 times a day, and a full 10 minutes before bed.
🎧 Click here to practice the Breathe Light Exercise guided audio session.
Aim for a Control Pause Score of 20+ seconds
Want to know how your breathing is doing? The Control Pause test gives you a quick snapshot of your breathing efficiency and CO₂ tolerance.
How to Do the Control Pause Test:
- Sit down comfortably and breathe normally for a minute or so.
- Take a small, normal breath in (not a big inhale), then a small breath out.
- Hold your breath after the exhale and start a timer.
- Stop the timer as soon as you feel the first urge to breathe—this could be a slight movement in your throat, or a twitch in your diaphragm.
- Breathe in gently through your nose and return to normal breathing.
Your Control Pause score is the number of seconds you can comfortably hold your breath after a normal exhale.
A Control Pause score of 20 seconds or more indicates healthier breathing and better CO2 tolerance. As you practice light, slow, deep nasal breathing, your Control Pause will go up, you will experience less air hunger, you will feel calmer, and your sleep quality will improve.
Practice Tip: Ease Into It
If you’re new to breathing exercises and feel air hunger, here’s what to remember:
- Keep it gentle. You should feel a slight air hunger, not panic.
- Be consistent. Practice short sessions throughout the day, your body will adapt.
- Breathe through your nose when resting and when exercising. It naturally slows your breath and increases CO₂ tolerance.
Final Thoughts
Air hunger may feel unfamiliar at first, but it’s not a warning sign. It’s a gentle nudge from your body telling you it’s learning a new, healthier way to breathe.
By embracing this process and breathing less, not more, you’re helping your body:
- Deliver more oxygen
- Sleep more deeply
- · Feel calmer and more energized
So next time you feel that slight urge to breathe during an exercise, take it as a sign that you're making real progress.
Want to get started?
Try the [Breathe Light Exercise] or check out our other guided breathing audios.
Want to learn more?
[Discover The Breathing Cure for Better Sleep by Patrick McKeown →]
