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In 2017, Stanford researchers similarly identified a cluster of neurons in the brainstem that links the breathing control center with the brain’s arousal system. “This neural pathway explains how slow, controlled breathing can further induce a state of calm,” says McKeown.

That sense of calm isn’t only good for easing frazzled nerves—it’s also been shown to reduce cravings for food and addictive substances, suggesting a wider reach of breathwork’s regulatory power.

Reduced pain and muscle tension are additional benefits of intentional breathing techniques because doing so triggers the body’s endogenous opioidergic system, which is critically involved in the cognitive modulation of pain. That’s one reason deep breathing has long been encouraged during labor, athletic exertion, and military training: it’s an accessible, nonpharmacological tool for managing discomfort.

Similarly, breathwork can even reduce migraine frequency, muscle tension, and pain severity, says Helen Lavretsky, director of integrative psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 

Improved cognitive function occurs as well as breathing techniques such as coherent breathing “improve communication between the right and left hemisphere of the brain and increase oxygen levels so the brain works better,” says Patricia Gerbarg, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at New York Medical College and a co-author of dozens of prominent breathwork studies.

Recent research even hints at breathwork’s potential role in detecting or influencing neurodegenerative conditions. One 2025 study showed how breathing impacts brain structures like the amygdala and hippocampus, both associated with focus and memory. It’s a connection that explains how “breathing patterns can directly influence cognitive function,” says McKeown. 

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Another recent study found that people with Alzheimer’s disease breathe significantly faster at rest than more cognitively healthy individuals. This elevated respiratory rate “may reflect underlying neurovascular dysfunction that could serve as an early biomarker for Alzheimer’s-related brain changes,” says McKeown.

Better sleep also occurs, Dasgupta notes, as breathing calms the nervous system and promotes the relaxation needed to release the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Breathing through your nose while you fall asleep and throughout the night has also been shown, both in recent and older research, to provide a better night’s rest. “Nasal breathing during sleep reduces snoring, improves sleep quality, and supports healthy breathing rhythms overnight,” says McKeown.