Some people no doubt dismiss sleeping with the mouth taped shut as a silly social media trend, but there are potential benefits of mouth taping—and potential risks. Bottom Line Heath asked sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, for answers to the major mouth taping questions, including “is mouth taping safe?” “does mouth taping work?” and “what is mouth taping, anyway?”
The Potential Benefits of Mouth Taping
Mouth taping is exactly what is sounds like—a piece of tape is used to hold the lips together while sleeping, increasing the odds that the sleeper will breathe through the nose not the mouth.
There are potential advantages to encouraging nighttime nose breathing in this way. It can reduce or eliminate snoring, a common cause of complaints among mouth-breathers’ bedmates. Air that enters the body through the nose also is warmer, moister and better filtered than air breathed in through the mouth, leading to improved oxygen exchange and fewer particulates and allergens reaching the lungs. Nose breathing has been linked to lower rates of tooth decay, dry mouth and bad breath, too.
The downside: Taping the mouth shut to prevent mouth breathing can hide an underlying health problem that needs to be addressed. Most people breathe through their noses naturally when they sleep, no tape needed. Sleepers who instead breath through their mouths often do so because they’re suffering from either sleep apnea or congestion issues. These people should seek medical attention, not simply hide a symptom of a potentially serious health problem by taping their mouths shut at night.
Mouth Taping the Safe and Smart Way
If you breathe through your mouth at night, rule out congestion and sleep apnea before trying mouth taping.
To rule out congestion: Use Afrin nasal decongestant for two consecutive nights. If on these nights you breathe through your nose, your nighttime mouth breathing very likely is caused by nasal congestion, and the proper solution is making an appointment with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, not mouth taping. Ask your bedmate to monitor whether you breathe though your mouth or nose on these nights, use first-thing-in-the-morning dry mouth as a clue and/or use a sound-activated recording device to see if you snore. Warning: Don’t use Afrin for more than two consecutive nights—overuse of Afrin can make congestion worse, an effect known as “rebound congestion.”
To rule out sleep apnea: Take a sleep apnea test. Until recently, these tests required sleeping overnight in a medical facility. Fortunately, there now are wearable sleep apnea detecting devices that can be used at home. These at-home tests often are covered by health insurance, or there are options available for around $200 if you pay out of pocket.
Mouth taping is a viable option only if neither congestion nor sleep apnea is responsible for your nighttime mouth breathing. To mouth tape safely, purchase 3M Micropore Tape, available online or in the first aid section of many pharmacies—this does a great job sticking to skin, yet can be removed with minimal pain. Apply a single small piece of this tape vertically from the base of your nose down to just above your chin—this tape orientation means you can still breathe somewhat through the sides of your mouth if it becomes necessary, for example if your nasal passages become congested overnight.
Mouth taping tends not to be advisable with severely chapped lips or when there’s facial hair immediately above or below the lips.
