Why Do We Sigh?

Sighing has an important function in your body. It works to reinflate alveoli that have deflated during normal breathing. This helps to maintain lung function. Sighing can also be used to convey a variety of emotions.

Is it bad to sigh a lot?

Some experts hypothesize that people in anxiety-provoking situations may sigh in order to gain temporary relief from distress. But when frequent sighing continues over a long time — either because of prolonged stress or an anxiety disorder — it can actually worsen anxiety, stress and panic.

Why does a sigh feel good?

When breathing in one state for too long, Vlemincx says, the lungs become stiffer and less efficient in gas exchange. Intermittently adding a sigh to the normal pattern, then, stretches the lung's air sacs (alveoli). This feeling may give one a sense of relief.