Case Study: Supporting Breathing Patterns and Sleep Quality

• John (name changed), a male in his 60s, sought support to regulate his breathing and improve sleep quality. Underlying trauma and a history of depression had contributed to chronic physiological tension and disrupted rest. The intervention aimed to restore calmer, more sustainable breathing patterns for improved sleep quality and support emotional and physical regulation.

  The Situation

  • Client: adult male, 60s

  • Challenges: Difficulty maintaining calm breathing under stress, disrupted sleep due to severe snoring

  • Observations: Successfully integrated diaphragmatic exercises into daily life, reducing overuse of the ribcage with each breath. Found it harder to adopt other exercises, particularly those intended for acute stress situations.

  • Goal: Develop calmer, more sustainable breathing patterns and improve sleep quality.

  Deciding on a Protocol

  • Assessment: John quickly “jumped out” of calming exercises, making it hard for him to fully experience their effects. Gradual, steady progress recommended.

  • Considerations: Focus on foundational exercises for daily breathing while slowly incorporating stress-intervention techniques.

  • Decision: Continue structured breathing exercises, add targeted stress-intervention practices, and reinforce sleep-support strategies.

  Protocol

  • Daily diaphragmatic exercises to establish relaxed baseline breathing

  • Stress-intervention exercises for use during challenging situations

  • Instruction sheets sent for additional at-home exercises

  • Sleep interventions: Mouth taping at night combined with tracking via a snoring app

  • Reinforcement: Encouragement to gradually allow himself to experience calm sensations without immediately “jumping out”

  Outcome

  • Breathing: Improved ribcage relaxation and calmer breathing pattern over time

  • Sleep: Significant reduction in snoring, improved feeling of refreshment upon waking; still not increasing total sleep duration

  • Motivation: High engagement and willingness to continue exercises

  • Recognition: Progress noted by his pulmonologist

  • Overall Result: Steady improvements in both daily breathing and sleep quality, though stress-related breathing responses remain a gradual process