Many people who use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine for sleep apnea deal with a blocked or stuffy nose, making it harder to breathe comfortably. Nasal congestion is one of the key reasons people find CPAP uncomfortable or give up on it altogether.[1]
The good news? Simple breathing exercises can help clear a blocked nose, support easier nasal breathing, and make CPAP therapy more comfortable. By improving your nasal airflow, you’ll get more out of your sleep apnea treatment and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.
Why Does a Blocked Nose Make CPAP So Difficult?
When your nose is congested, you're more likely to switch to mouth breathing, which can:
· Cause air leaks from the mouth, which can lower CPAP effectiveness
· Lead to over-breathing, which can make sleep apnea worse
· Push your jaw and tongue backward, which can narrow your airway
· Make your CPAP therapy less effective
· Make you more likely to stop CPAP use [2]
· Cause dry mouth, snoring, and interrupted sleep
The key? Decongest your nose to support nasal breathing.
When your nasal passages are open and air flows easily, your CPAP machine works more efficiently—and you’re more likely to get the restorative sleep your body needs.
Why Nasal Breathing Matters (Especially with CPAP)
Nasal breathing keeps air flowing smoothly through your nose, which means better oxygen intake and less resistance in your airways.
The Power of Nasal Breathing
Here’s what happens when you breathe through your nose:
- Filters, warms, and humidifies air before it hits your lungs
- Improves oxygen delivery
- Promotes ideal jaw and tongue position, to keep your airway open and more stable
- Boosts nitric oxide production, which:
- Sterilizes air by killing viruses and bacteria
- Opens up airways for smoother breathing
- Enhances oxygen uptake deep in the lungs
Mouth Breathing? Not So Helpful
When you breathe through your mouth—especially at night—you miss out on all of these benefits. Instead, you’re more likely to experience:
- Dry mouth and throat
- Poor sleep quality
- More interrupted sleep
- Increased snoring
- Higher risk of sleep apnea
- Less effective CPAP therapy
- Reduced oxygen uptake
Bottom line: Nasal breathing improves your sleep, enhances your CPAP use, and helps you feel better overall. The more you can decongest your nose and support nasal breathing—day and night—the more benefits you’ll see.
The Buteyko Method: A Proven Approach to Better Breathing
Practicing Buteyko breathing exercises, like the Nose Unblocking Exercise and Breathe Light, can help clear your nose, support nasal breathing, and keep your breath calm and efficient.
Make Nasal Breathing Your Daily Habit
Want nighttime nasal breathing to feel natural—even with your CPAP mask on? Start during the day. The more you breathe through your nose while awake, the easier it becomes at night.
Pay attention to how you're breathing and gently shift toward nasal breathing anytime you can, including:
- While resting or relaxing
- While working at your desk or on the computer
- During walks, workouts, or any daily movement
It’s a small habit that makes a big difference. The more consistently you breathe through your nose, the more your body adapts, and the more restful your nights will be.
Clear Your Nose Naturally Before Bed
Try this simple exercise to reduce nasal decongestion before putting on your CPAP:
Nose Unblocking Exercise
How to do it:
- Sit up straight and breathe gently through your nose for a few breaths.
- Take a small breath in, then a small breath out through your nose.
- Pinch your nose shut and hold your breath.
- Gently nod your head up and down until you feel a strong urge to breathe.
- Release your nose and breathe in through your nose (not your mouth).
- Breathe calmly for 30 seconds, then repeat 5–6 times.
Practice a few short breath holds followed by 6 longer breath holds until a strong air hunger is experienced. Use this exercise anytime your nose feels blocked during the day and before sleep.
Tip: It’s normal to feel a little “air hunger” at first—this gets better as your breathing improves.
🔗Check out: Why the Nose Unblocking Exercise Works
Try the Breathe Light Exercise
This core Buteyko Method exercise helps:
- 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
How to do it:
- Sit or lie comfortably in bed.
- Gently close your mouth and breathe in and out through your nose.
- Take smaller, quieter breaths—almost as if you’re breathing less than normal.
- Focus on making each breath light, slow, and controlled.
- Continue for 3–5 minutes or until you feel relaxed and sleepy.
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
The Control Pause is a simple breathing exercise used in the Buteyko Method to measure how efficient your breathing is and assess your progress.
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, a twitch in your stomach, or the urge to inhale.
- 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. Regular practice of these exercises will help increase your score.
If your Control Pause score is over 20 seconds, it usually means your breathing is light and steady. That makes it much easier to stay nose-breathing all day and night, even with CPAP.
Tip: It’s normal to feel a little “air hunger” at first—this gets better as your breathing improves and your Control Pause score increases.
MyoTape: A Gentle CPAP-Friendly Aid
If you wake up with a dry mouth, you’re probably breathing through your mouth at night.
MyoTape is a safe and effective way to:
- Encourage nasal breathing during sleep
- Keep your lips gently closed without sealing the mouth
- Improve CPAP effectiveness, and help you continue CPAP use [3] [4] [5]
Tip: If you are new to MyoTape, try wearing it for 20 minutes before bed, or during daily activities like walking or watching TV.
When paired with CPAP therapy, using nasal breathing support like MyoTape can gently encourage you to keep your mouth closed during sleep. This helps maintain consistent nasal airflow and makes sticking with CPAP a whole lot easier.
🔗 [Click here to learn more about MyoTape or to order yours.]
Safety Tip: Standard mouth taping may not be safe for people with sleep apnea.
A clinical study found that taping the mouth shut during sleep can trigger intermittent mouth puffing—an unconscious attempt to breathe through the mouth. In some cases, this actually made sleep apnea worse by blocking a vital escape route for air.[5]
That’s where MyoTape is different—and safer.
Unlike full mouth tape, MyoTape surrounds the lips without sealing them shut, allowing for emergency mouth breathing if needed. It supports nasal breathing safely while still allowing natural airflow, making it a better option for those using CPAP therapy or managing obstructive sleep apnea.
🔗Check out our Guide to Mouth Taping: Do’s, Don’ts, and Benefits for Sleep and Breathing
Try a Nasal Dilator for Extra Support
Still struggling to breathe through your nose at night? A nasal dilator might help. These small devices gently open up your nostrils, making nasal breathing easier
When to See a Specialist
If you constantly have a blocked nose or suspect issues like:
- A deviated septum
- Nasal polyps
- Enlarged turbinates
…it’s time to visit an ENT specialist. Treating the underlying cause of congestion can make all the difference in your sleep and CPAP success.
Final Thoughts: Better Breathing Means Better Sleep
CPAP therapy works—but only if you can stick with it. By clearing your nose and making nasal breathing a daily habit, you can sleep more peacefully and get the full benefits of your sleep apnea treatment.
Want to learn more? [Discover The Breathing Cure for Better Sleep by Patrick McKeown →]
References:
[1] Inoue, A., Chiba, S., Matsuura, K., Osafune, H., Capasso, R., & Wada, K. (2019). Nasal function and CPAP compliance. Auris Nasus Larynx, 46(4), 548-558.
[2] Bachour, A., & Maasilta, P. (2004). Mouth breathing compromises adherence to nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Chest, 126(4), 1248-1254.
[3] Huang, T. W., & Young, T. H. (2015). Novel porous oral patches for patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and mouth breathing: a pilot study. Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 152(2), 369–373.
