How Airway Health Impacts Sleep: Dr. Shereen Lim on Mouth Breathing, Jaw Development & Better Rest

Today, we’re diving into a topic we’ve never explored on the podcast before—but absolutely should be: dental sleep medicine. I’m joined by Dr. Shereen Lim, a Perth-based dentist and the author of Breathe, Sleep, Thrive, who specializes in helping children and adults improve their breathing, sleep, and overall wellbeing through airway-focused care.

Dr. Lim shares how her own family’s struggle with snoring led her into this field, and she breaks down what every parent (and honestly every adult) should know about jaw development, tongue posture, nasal breathing, and how all of it affects our sleep and nervous system.

This conversation is packed with simple, practical insights you can start noticing right away—especially if you’ve ever wondered whether mouth breathing, snoring, or narrow jaws could be impacting your sleep or your child’s development.

In this episode, we cover:

• Dr. Lim’s personal journey into dental sleep medicine

• What dental sleep medicine actually is and why it matters

• The surprising signs and symptoms of sleep apnea

• How mouth breathing affects oxygen, sleep quality, and behavior

• Early childhood indicators that something is off with airway or jaw growth

• The role of myofunctional therapy and how it retrains breathing patterns

• Why nasal breathing should be our body’s default