Most patients who claim they are mouth breather can achieve nasal breathing within a few weeks. iNAP will help with keeping the mouth closed because:
- the negative pressure in their oral cavity will help keep the mouth closed
- wearing the comfortable oral interface creates the reflex to keep the mouth closed around it and position the tongue up against the palate (it acts as a baby pacifier)
- new patients are encouraged to use iNAP while being awake, laying on their bed in the evening for about an hour and relax (read or watch TV). This helps teach the brain what to do when the patient is asleep
- Some patients tape their mouth around the tube to keep it closed during the first few nights
- if the patient's nose is obstructed, we encourage using a decongestant. Even if the effect of the decongestant will last only a few hours, it is OK. The key is to keep repeating it night after night and each night will see some progress towards becoming a nose breather and keeping the mouth closed.
- a great resource about how a mouth breather became a nose breather again and saw his health significantly improve is the book "Breathe", by James Nestor.