Words —
Tim Warren
Sleep is having a moment. No longer seen as just ‘not being awake’, it’s now viewed as a vital component of a quality life.
We’ve been sleeping since the beginning of time, yet it’s a relatively new area of research and an even newer area of specialty practice. A restorative night of slumber has been elusive for as long as I can remember. Asthma and recurring nasal congestion mean my sleep is fragmented, restless, and light. The resulting fatigue keeps me on a mission to track down solutions. I became an early adopter of night-wearables, experimented with sunrise-simulating lights, double glazing, blackout curtains, meditation, breathing protocols, mouthguards, mouth tape, pills, exercise, dozing-sounds, routine, and more. While these efforts occasionally provided incremental help, not one was a step change. A consultation with a neurologist pointed me toward understanding my breathing and sleep quality with real data.
You can just walk into some sleep clinics if you want but the recommended pathway to testing is via a specialist after seeing a GP. This ensures the correct test is referred for, and that people understand what is going to be involved along with potential treatment pathways following the test. The test and evaluation of results is part of a wider programme that looks for lifestyle changes alongside equipment and medication.
That led me to the New Zealand Respiratory and Sleep Institute in Greenlane for an overnight study. You can do some testing at home, but the gold-standard for learning about one’s night is checking in to a dedicated facility like this. Arriving with my favourite pillow in tow, I was checked into a hotel-style private room and wired up with dozens of sensors. Sleep physiologists attached electrodes across my scalp, face, chest, and legs, alongside a nasal cannula and an index-finger oxygen monitor. I looked like a cyborg, but in the name of better rest, was happy to embrace my robot side. Comfortable bed, silent room, darkness. Conditions were optimal and my sleep that night was typical.
Overnight the team sits in a different room to evaluate your slumber and are there to assist if required. They also test fit a mask and breathing machine which stays at the ready if required. Come morning the team removed the electrodes and I was able to shower and have a morning tea and breakfast like I was on holiday. Then I was sent on my way with a booking to talk with the doctor for a follow-up after the data was assessed.
The resulting information delivered the objective data I had always lacked. Reviewing the comprehensive report with Dr Paul Dawkins revealed that despite sitting at a lean bodyweight, my rest was constantly interrupted. Sleep disruptions are frequently associated with excess weight manifesting as snoring, yet regardless of body composition, your unique internal throat architecture alone can cause significant problems. The diagnostics showed multiple nighttime awakenings alongside mild sleep apnoea, stopping breathing, and hypopnea, shallow breathing events that disrupt sleep cycles. The doctor had a range of suggestions, including physically how to lie down in a bed.
Over the course of three months of this article, I went from waking three-plus times a night to waking once per night on average.
I soaked it all up. I wanted to assess the full range of interventions so I trialled an auto-adjusting Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ‘CPAP’ machine. Positive airway pressure is life-changing for many patients, and I could see that it could help me too. Having hard physiological data removed the guesswork and demonstrated that airflow resistance was a key hurdle and I could look for more support in this area.
Having learned that my breathing and my sleep were connected, my search continued – and my local pharmacy introduced me to Goodair Nosebuds. Conceived through research at the Auckland University of Technology BioDesign Lab by Dr David White, this product addresses breathing through science. I took the time to read through their clinical study data and was impressed by the measured improvements in patient outcomes.
Worn as a slip-in, the device applies gentle vibration to nasal tissue. This mobilises the lining of the nasal cavity, enhancing the body to sweeping out mucus and irritants. Simultaneously, the mechanical motion promotes the local generation of nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator that opens blood vessels and widens the nasal passages. Using the device before bed gave me noticeable congestion relief. It was easy to use for more than 10 minutes a day, and it easily became part of a routine. It’s great to have a non-drug approach to make breathing easier. It’s about using it regularly rather than immediate relief. I couldn’t ‘feel’ it working, but I was always just that bit better after using it. It meant that my sleep was now less affected by my breath, and I was able to get longer stretches.
Untangling persistent health issues is rarely about a single magic cure. However, thanks to the thorough diagnostic investigation at the Sleep Institute to get real data and the addition of a practical and accessible technology like Goodair nosebuds, I now have reliable information and science backed tools in my corner. I will continue to explore and experiment with new methods to refine my nights, but having clear baseline data and workable options has helped me with better breathing and restorative sleep.
Over the course of three months of this article, I went from waking three-plus times a night to waking once per night on average. If you haven’t struggled with sleep, you might not realise how revelatory that is, but it is, it really is.
Goodair Nosebuds are available at pharmacies and also direct from their website.
Sleep Tips
If you want to dig deeper into how critical good sleep is, find the book Why We Sleep by scientist Matthew Walker.
Sleep, a documentary with Al Brown, has just premiered on TV1 featuring a visit to the NZ Respiratory and Sleep clinic. It’s a very real look – into the bedroom no less – at someone going through a similar journey. Watch it on TVNZ+.
