Breathing Therapy for Children

Helping Your Child Breathe Easier, Feel Calmer, and Thrive

At Nurture Paediatrics, we provide services in breathing therapy for children, helping kids across New Zealand breathe better, feel calmer, and improve their overall health and wellbeing. Breathing is something we do without thinking—but when it becomes inefficient, shallow, or effortful, it can impact your child’s energy, sleep, mood, and ability to cope with stress.

Our paediatric physiotherapists are trained to assess and treat disordered breathing patterns in children, using safe, effective techniques to retrain breathing and support the nervous system.

What is breathing therapy for kids? 

Breathing therapy is a specialised area of physiotherapy that focuses on restoring normal, healthy breathing patterns. At Nurture, we see children with:

  • Shallow or rapid breathing at rest

  • Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose

  • Frequent sighing, yawning, or breath-holding

  • Feeling breathless during speech or exercise

  • Anxiety or trouble settling down at bedtime

Using targeted physiotherapy techniques, we help children breathe more efficiently—improving oxygen flow, reducing stress, and supporting their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Disordered Breathing in Children

Disordered breathing is when a child’s breathing pattern becomes unhelpful or inefficient, even in the absence of lung disease. This can happen due to:

  • Posture changes

  • Illness or injury

  • High stress or anxiety

  • Habits like mouth breathing or shallow chest breathing

Signs of disordered breathing in children may include:

  • Difficulty taking deep breaths

  • Tummy aches or poor appetite

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Frequent throat clearing or yawning

  • Poor focus or mood swings

  • Feeling tired or breathless for no clear reason

Our paediatric physiotherapists can help identify and treat disordered breathing, supporting your child to return to calm, functional breathing that works with their body—not against it.

Why Breathing Matters for Your Child’s Health

Breathing affects every system in your child’s body. When stress or illness changes the way they breathe, it can trigger a “fight or flight” response in the nervous system. Over time, this can impact:

  • Digestion and appetite

  • Sleep quality

  • Immune system response

  • Mental clarity and focus

  • Emotional regulation

Our physiotherapists use diaphragmatic breathing training (belly breathing) to help children switch on the “rest and digest” part of their nervous system. This calms the body, improves oxygen uptake, and promotes healing, relaxation, and resilience.

What Happens in a Breathing Therapy Session?

At Nurture Paediatrics, your child’s breathing therapy session may include:

  • A full assessment of posture, breathing mechanics, and movement

  • Gentle, age-appropriate breathing exercises

  • Play-based techniques using toys or visuals

  • Education about the role of the diaphragm and breathing muscles

  • Strategies for emotional regulation and calming the nervous system

  • Home exercises and support for ongoing practice

Our approach is gentle, supportive, and backed by research. We empower children and families with tools they can use every day—before school, after sport, or when feeling overwhelmed.