Breathing is the most essential function in life, and the very first thing your child did from the moment they were born. The way we breathe affects our sleep, emotional regulation, stress and anxiety levels, concentration and attention, learning, general health and much more.
But the problem is that little attention is paid to healthy breathing as a foundation for good health. And when it's not done optimally through the nose, and airways don't develop well, our children will not sleep, learn or grow into their full potential.
The earliest warning signs of poor airway development can be identified in early childhood, yet they are often dismissed as normal problems children grow out of, and so begins a downhill slope of bigger problems.
These red flags include:
•Painful or poor latching during infancy •Excessive swallowing of air and reflux like symptoms •Excessive drooling •Pacifier use and thumb-sucking •Enlarged adenoids and tonsils •Recurrent ear infections •Allergies and chronic nasal congestion •Mouth breathing •Snoring •Restless or disturbed sleep •Teeth grinding •Bedwetting •Meltdown and tantrums •ADHD like symptoms •Lisps and speech delays •Picky eating and difficulties chewing and swallowing •Crooked teeth
Airway health is about paying as much attention to healthy breathing and airway development as we do to gut health, brain health or heart health. It means ensuring nasal breathing, recognising red flags or poor airway development, and intervening early when things go off track.
Breathe, Sleep, Thrive will connect the dots to help you recognise problems and the various pathways available to optimise airway health across the ages, and help your child not just survive, but thrive.
