Mouth Taping - How It May (Or May Not) Help You Sleep Better

If you follow health-conscious Facebook pages or interact with pages about human health optimization, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered mouth-taping.

Perhaps you’ve seen an ad for something called “hostage tape.”

You may know a friend or family member who's taped their mouths.

While mouth taping isn’t widely practiced, many people who want to sleep better have turned to it to improve the quality of their sleep.

So what is mouth taping, and does it work?

No one knows for sure if mouth-taping is a practice worth pursuing.

But, all that being said, thousands upon thousands of people swear by it, so let’s explore this new health craze and see what it’s supposed to do.

What is Mouth Taping and What Can It Do?

Mouth-taping for sleep is when individuals apply tape (for skin) over their lips to encourage nasal breathing during sleep.

But why nasal breathing?

Breathing through your nose is encouraged over mouth breathing for several reasons. 

For one, your nose acts as a primary filter, trapping dust, allergens, and other particles before the air reaches the lungs, so breathing through your nose can keep loads of irritants out of your respiratory system.

Also, the nasal passages warm and humidify the air, which protects the delicate tissues in the respiratory tract from dryness and irritation. If you’ve ever been stuffed up at night so much that you breathe entirely through your mouth, you’ve likely felt the effects of that air, leaving you feeling dried out in the morning.

Two other important considerations of nasal breathing are that it plays a major role in the production and absorption of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps with vasodilation, improves circulation, and has antimicrobial properties. Nasal breathing promotes optimal lung function and oxygen exchange, enhancing oxygenation and potentially leading to better energy levels and performance. Athletes are encouraged to breathe through their noses instead of their mouths. It can give them way better performance.

Lastly, breathing through your nose encourages the use of your diaphragm, which gives you deeper and more efficient breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing can improve relaxation and decrease stress response. When you’re asked to take a deep, slow breath, you’re engaging your diaphragm, which can help calm you down and help regulate emotions.

The problem for many people, though, is they don’t breathe through their nose at night.

One of the main reasons is that their tongues get in the way.

Ideally, your tongue should rest against the roof of the mouth when you’re not eating/drinking or talking.

When your tongue doesn’t adhere to the roof of your mouth and “droops,” it can obstruct your airway while breathing.

Many people use mouth tape to bypass the tongue, falling in the mouth and creating disordered breathing.

While it’s preferable to do this automatically, it’s not easy to fix (I can get into the details of this later), so people use tape to get the benefits of nasal breathing at night without having to train their tongues to stick to the roof of their mouths.

6 Perceived Benefits of Mouth Taping

I’ll admit, there is very, very limited research regarding mouth taping.

So, most of what I discuss below will be largely unproven or assumptive.

That being said, there are plenty of practitioners all over the nation in the alternative health space who recommend their patients try mouth taping to get deeper, more restful sleep.

And their patients have said it works for them.

Yet, most of what you’ll read here is based on self-reported improvements, not much scientific evidence. 

1. Improved Oxygenation: Nasal breathing can enhance oxygen uptake because the nasal passages help filter, warm, and humidify the air, potentially producing better oxygenation than mouth breathing.
2. Reduced Snoring: Mouth-taping may reduce snoring in some individuals by keeping the mouth closed and promoting nasal breathing, as mouth breathing is often associated with increased snoring (if snoring is excessive, please see a provider for a sleep test for apnea.)
3. Enhanced Sleep Quality: Nasal breathing may contribute to better sleep quality, as it can help maintain consistent air passage and reduce interruptions during sleep.
4. Moisture Retention: Breathing through the nose prevents the drying out of the mouth and throat, which can occur with mouth breathing. Thus, breathing through the nose reduces the risk of sore throat and dental issues caused by dry mouth.
5. Improved Respiratory Health: Nasal cavities filter out dust and pathogens, which can help improve respiratory health instead of mouth breathing, which bypasses these natural filters.
6. Support for CPAP Users: Individuals who use CPAP machines for sleep apnea may find mouth-taping beneficial in ensuring the air pressure is effectively delivered through the nose rather than escaping through the mouth.

Possible Downsides of Mouth Taping

While mouth-taping isn’t necessarily dangerous, there are some risks for some people.

Here are a few of the potential downsides of mouth taping:

1. Discomfort or Anxiety: The sensation of having the mouth taped shut can cause discomfort or anxiety, making it difficult for some individuals to fall asleep or stay asleep.
2. Risk for Certain Conditions: People with nasal obstructions, severe allergies, or underlying respiratory problems should use caution or avoid mouth-taping, which may hinder breathing during sleep.
3. Skin Irritation: Repeatedly applying and removing tape might cause irritation or an allergic reaction on the sensitive skin around the mouth, especially if the tape is left on for extended periods or not chosen carefully.

Is Mouth Taping A Fix or a Band-Aid?

One of the questions about mouth taping is whether it fixes underlying issues or is just a band-aid.

For many people, it’s just a band-aid.

This is because other health conditions may be the cause of their mouth breathing at night.

Things like tongue ties, lip ties, and under-developed mouth palates can significantly impact an individual's propensity for mouth breathing, particularly at night.

We tend to think of these issues impacting infant health, but if they’re not resolved, they can continue to affect adults… Mouth-taping may not fix the problems; only therapy or surgery will.

Other people might relax too much at night and don’t properly seal their tongues to the roof of their mouths, which makes mouth-taping a good option for getting better sleep.

I don’t endorse mouth-taping, but I know many people are interested because it is often mentioned in conversations and social media.

If you’re considering mouth-taping, it's a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions or concerns about sleep disorders.