Can people can breathe through their mouth during sleep?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether humans can breathe through their mouths during sleep, particularly in the context of a case involving a man who suffocated after using tampons to block his nostrils. The conversation touches on medical implications, anecdotal evidence, and differing perspectives on the ability to breathe through the mouth while sleeping.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference the case of Mark Gleeson, questioning how the coroner's statement about the tampons relates to the ability to breathe through the mouth during sleep.
  • Others argue that not everyone can breathe through their mouth while sleeping due to various medical issues, suggesting that some individuals may have difficulty with this.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of considering additional factors, such as alcohol consumption and sleeping pills, which may have contributed to the incident.
  • A later reply claims that the story of Mark Gleeson has been fabricated and asserts that humans can breathe through their mouths if nasal breathing is obstructed, citing a lack of documented cases of suffocation due to a blocked nose in medical literature.
  • Another participant notes the strength of the reflex to breathe, indicating that it is difficult to suppress, and advises against experimenting with breathing techniques.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the ability to breathe through the mouth during sleep, with some asserting that it is possible while others highlight medical limitations. The discussion remains unresolved, with multiple competing perspectives present.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on anecdotal evidence and personal interpretations of the case, while others reference scientific literature. The discussion does not reach a consensus on the implications of the case or the physiological aspects of mouth breathing during sleep.

LaraKnowles
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There was a man named Mark Gleeson who had snoring problems caused by a nose injury. He put tampons up his nostrils to try and cure his snoring, and went to bed. He suffocated in his sleep. The coroner, Michael Burgess, said the tampons contributed to him suffocating.

If you believe that humans can breathe through their mouth during sleep, then why do you think the coroner said the tampons in his nostrils contributed to him suffocating during sleep?

He went to bed after the tampons were put up his nose, so he would've been breathing through his mouth as he drifted off to sleep.
 
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LaraKnowles said:
why do you think the coroner said the tampons in his nostrils contributed to him suffocating during sleep?
Not everyone is equally able to breath through their month while asleep.
Medical issues could contribute to this happening.
Clearly some can do this.
Its not much different from doing it when awake.
 
It's too bad that the article barely mentions that he also drank alcohol while taking sleeping pills as well as using tampons to block his nasal passages. That is something that should always be avoided and probably contributed just as much to his death as their desperate plan to treat his untreated medical condition.
 
Mendrys said:
he also drank alcohol while taking sleeping pills a
And what could possibly go wrong with that?
 
Turns out that scientists and doctors have proven that the Mark Gleeson story has been made up. Humans breathe through their mouths if they can't breathe through their nose. Nobody's died from a blocked nose. There's not a single case of it reported on NIH or in medical journals.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9498581/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9498537/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4593528/

https://www.kaplansinusrelief.com/blog/stuffy-nose-cant-breathe/

https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/mouth-breathing
 
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Seems we equipped this subject with a lot of references. The reflex to breathe is one of our strongest and most difficult to shut down.

This thread will be closed with my personal comment:
Do not experiment with breathing!
 
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