Breathing Wrong Your Whole Life? Patrick McKeown & Ronda Holman Show You Why

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired—even when your sleep study says you’re “fine”? This episode will completely change how you think about breathing, sleep, and fatigue. Patrick McKeown sits down with Ronda Holman, dental assistant of 27 years, airway health advocate, and self-described “recovering mouth breather” and “former floppy tongue owner.” Ronda shares how she reached age 37 without ever being told she was a dysfunctional breather—and how changing her breathing transformed her sleep, energy, and life. You’ll learn: Why mouth breathing at night leads to snoring, fragmented sleep, “desert mouth,” and constant exhaustion How nasal breathing and proper tongue posture help keep your airway open while you sleep The difference between sleep apnea and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS)—and why many especially women are told “nothing is wrong” when it clearly is How breathing patterns during the day shape your breathing and airway stability at night The role of CPAP, mandibular advancement devices, and why breathing training still matters even if you use them Why so many people wake at 3 a.m., and what might really be going on with your nervous system, blood sugar, and airway Simple, accessible starting points: Buteyko breathing, orofacial myofunctional therapy, nasal hygiene, and small behavior changes that move the needle fast Ronda also discusses: The dentist as a “gatekeeper of the airway” How clenching, grinding, and repeated dental work can be red flags for sleep-disordered breathing Why lip supports like MyoTape aren’t a fad, but a practical tool in a wider strategy to restore healthy breathing and sleep Her work with Airway Coach and an upcoming interactive workbook to help people navigate diagnoses, therapy, and at-home protocols If you’ve been told your sleep is “normal,” but you wake unrefreshed, snore, grind your teeth, or rely on caffeine and sugar to get through the day, this conversation is for you. 📌 Chapters 0:00 Intro – Meet Ronda Holman 0:45 From dentistry to “recovering mouth breather” 2:30 How mouth breathing wrecks sleep and relationships 5:06 AHI changes and what breathing training can really do 10:55 Appliances, CPAP & the missing piece: function 15:18 Nasal breathing, deviated septum & air hunger myths 20:25 Women, hormones & being “too good at surviving” 24:58 UARS vs sleep apnea (and why tests miss women) 31:42 The 3 a.m. wake-up – blood sugar, airway & REM 37:32 Dentists as airway gatekeepers & grinding at night 47:54 Weight, diabetes, blood pressure & sleep-disordered breathing 51:13 Is mouth taping a fad? Ronda’s 8-year experience 54:20 Airway Coach & Ronda’s new workbook