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Mouth taping

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Sleeping with the lips taped shut For applications that are not health-related, see Gag.

Mouth taping is the practice of sleeping with one's lips held shut by a strip of surgical tape, which prevents mouth breathing during sleep. This supposed life hack gained popularity through social media in the 2020s. Those who advise in favor of it attribute a variety of health benefits to it, although these claims have not been scientifically verified.

Health effects

As of 2023, there is very limited research as to the health effects of mouth taping.

In principle, breathing though the nose as opposed to breathing through the mouth is beneficial. Nasal breathing humidifies and filters the inhaled air, allows fuller breaths and can help the body relax. The nitric oxide produced in the nasal sinuses while breathing nasally can help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. Breathing through the mouth while sleeping, on the other hand, dries out the mouth, which can contribute to dental damage, bad breath, hoarseness and dry lips. However, there are a number of conditions that inhibit nasal breathing, such as a deviated septum, allergies, sinusitis or chronic nasal congestion. People with such conditions may find mouth taping impractical.

A few small studies have investigated whether mouth taping alleviates sleep apnea. They found that mouth taping reduced snoring, which may help the snorers' partners sleep better.

References

  1. ^ Blum, Dani (2022-11-17). "Can a Piece of Tape Help You Sleep?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  2. Lundberg, J. O.; Settergren, G.; Gelinder, S.; Lundberg, J. M.; Alving, K.; Weitzberg, E. (1996). "Inhalation of nasally derived nitric oxide modulates pulmonary function in humans". Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 158 (4): 343–347. doi:10.1046/j.1365-201X.1996.557321000.x. ISSN 0001-6772. PMID 8971255.
  3. Lee, Yi-Chieh; Lu, Chun-Ting; Cheng, Wen-Nuan; Li, Hsueh-Yu (2022-09-13). "The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study". Healthcare. 10 (9): 1755. doi:10.3390/healthcare10091755. ISSN 2227-9032. PMC 9498537. PMID 36141367.
  4. Huang, Tsung-Wei; Young, Tai-Horng (2015). "Novel porous oral patches for patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and mouth breathing: a pilot study". Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 152 (2): 369–373. doi:10.1177/0194599814559383. ISSN 1097-6817. PMID 25450408. S2CID 206469049.
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