Mouth Breathing Mayhem: Gentle Techniques to Encourage Nasal Breathing in Children

Breathing might seem like something we do without thinking, but how a child breathes, especially during sleep, can have a lasting impact on their oral health, growth, and development.

Mouth breathing in children is more than just a habit. If left unaddressed, it can lead to crooked teeth, speech delays, facial structure changes, and even behavioral issues. The good news? With early awareness and gentle, consistent techniques, most children can be guided back to nasal breathing.

Children may breathe through their mouth for various reasons:

Mouth breathing can often begin unnoticed, especially if it only happens at night or during sleep.

Nasal breathing isn’t just the body’s default setting; it’s also the healthier way to breathe. Here’s why:

Supporting your child in switching back to nasal breathing can help prevent these issues and support better oral and general health.

Look for these signs:

If your child shows several of these signs, consult a pediatrician or pediatric dentist who can help with further evaluation.

Below are simple, non-invasive strategies parents can use to encourage better breathing habits.

Before retraining breathing patterns, ensure your child can physically breathe through their nose.

Strengthening oral muscles helps improve the resting posture of the tongue (on the palate) and lips (together and sealed).

Practice these daily for 5–10 minutes as a fun routine.

Turning nasal breathing into a game makes it easier for children to develop the habit.

These exercises build mindfulness around how they breathe.

Myofunctional therapy is a series of targeted exercises to retrain tongue posture, lip seal, and nasal breathing. It can be done with trained professionals (often pediatric dentists or speech therapists).

For moderate to severe cases especially if a child has crowded teeth, open mouth posture, or a history of thumb sucking myofunctional therapy is very effective.

Ask your pediatric dentist if your child could benefit from this support.

Sleeping on the back can make mouth breathing worse. Encourage side sleeping or propped-up positions if the child is congested.

Remove excess pillows or stuffed toys that might tilt the neck forward or block natural airways.

Establish a calming bedtime routine to improve sleep quality. Poor sleep often worsens mouth breathing patterns.

Some parents explore mouth taping during sleep in children aged 6 or older, but this must only be done after confirming that the child can breathe comfortably through the nose and with a dentist’s or doctor’s guidance.

Use special medical mouth strips designed for this purpose, not regular tape, and never use this for toddlers or children who snore heavily or have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

This method is controversial and not suitable for all children.

Prolonged thumb sucking and pacifier use can keep the mouth open and prevent normal development of jaw muscles and tongue position.

Start weaning after 1 year, and seek help if the habit continues beyond age 3. Positive reinforcement, distraction techniques, and replacement with cuddly comfort objects may help.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, mouth breathing persists. Seek medical or dental evaluation if:

Early intervention by a pediatric dentist, ENT, or orthodontist can prevent long-term effects.

Mouth breathing in children isn’t just a minor habit—it’s a signal that something in their airway or breathing pattern needs attention. Supporting your child with gentle techniques like nasal clearing, breathing games, and tongue exercises can make a significant difference.

With time, encouragement, and when needed, the help of pediatric health professionals, most children can relearn healthy nasal breathing and grow up with better sleep, speech, facial development, and overall health.