What’s the Deal with Mouth Taping? Expert Weigh in With Tips
There are so many sleep accessories to choose from. Think of things like essential oil pillow sprays, sleep masks, sound machines—the list goes on and on. The latest and most popular craze currently is mouth taping, but what exactly is mouth taping and are there any health benefits? Most importantly, is it even safe? Medical experts and sleep doctors have all the answers to questions you might have about this trend.
What is Mouth Taping?
“Mouth taping involves placing a piece of tape over the lips to hold the lips together while you sleep,” explains Michael Hutz, M.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois. This forces you to breathe through your nose, says Abhay Sharma, MD, Director of the Division of Interventional Sleep Surgery and Co-Director of the USF ENT Sleep and Snoring Center, in partnership with Tampa General Hospital.
So What is the Point?
The goal of mouth taping is to encourage nasal breathing instead of mouth breathing while you sleep, shares Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an ABIM Quadruple board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine and medical reviewer for the National Council on Aging.
Are There Any Benefits?
“Breathing through your nose can help filter out dust and allergens by the tiny hairs (cilia) in your nose whose job is to remove germs and environmental debris,” explains Dr. Sharma. “Nasal breathing during sleep is how humans were designed to breathe during sleep,” shares Dr. Hutz. “By promoting nasal breathing during sleep, we are using the organ of the body that was designed to heat, humidify and filter the air we breathe.”
Better Breathing and Mouth Health
Mouth taping could result in improved breathing. “The nasal breathing also better humidifies the air you breathe in, which is beneficial since dry air can be irritating to the lungs,” shares Dr. Raj. “Mouth breathing, on the other hand, can dry out your mouth, which increases your risk of bad breath and gum inflammation.”
May Help Lower Blood Pressure
Less mouth breathing and more nasal breathing has the potential to help lower blood pressure. “Nasal breathing may lower blood pressure by increasing nitride oxide, a compound in your body that can help keep your blood pressure under control,” explains Dr. Raj.
More Relaxation
Nasal breathing can help with relaxation, according to Dr. Raj. For example, think of popular relaxing breath exercises that start with inhaling in the nose, holding your breath, and exhaling slowly through your mouth. “Nasal breathing is often incorporated and combined with meditation and yoga to help individuals transition into sleep,” he says.
Wake Up Feeling Better
"People who have tried mouth taping to promote breathing through the nose report numerous benefits including improvement in dry mouth in the morning, less snoring, feeling more rested, and better sleep,” shares Dr. Sharma.
Okay, But Is It Safe?
“In general, if light tape is applied to the lips, if the body needs to breathe through the mouth while asleep, the mouth should be able to open,” says Dr. Hutz. “[The] tape will peel off and the person should be able to mouth breathe.”
Talk to Your Doctor
Dr. Hutz says many people will try to lip tape to resolve snoring. “However, any patient who snores is at risk for underlying sleep apnea, which is a serious medical condition where they either repetitively stop breathing in their sleep throughout the night or are not breathing as much as they should be which causes significant sleep disruption and long-term health consequences if left untreated.” If this is the case, Dr. Hutz says mouth taping can be dangerous as the body's natural response to decrease airflow during sleep is for the mouth to fall open and try to breathe more. “If patients snore, I generally recommend at minimum a home sleep study to rule out sleep apnea prior to a trial of lip tape.”
Make Sure You Have an Open Nasal Airway
Besides ruling out significant obstructive sleep apnea, you need to ensure you have an open nasal airway before attempting mouth taping, states Dr. Sharma. “If both issues have been ruled out, sleep apnea and ensuring an open nasal airway, mouth taping can be a safe technique to use for snoring.” However, Dr. Sharma recommends talking to your doctor to make sure mouth taping is not a health risk for you.
Who Should Not Try Mouth Taping
Along with previously mentioned issues, Dr. Hutz says patients should not lip tape if they have significant nasal congestion or obstruction as they won't be able to breathe well enough to tolerate it. “They should first work to treat the nasal obstruction prior to a trial of lip tape,” says Dr. Hutz. “Consider evaluation by an otolaryngologist (ENT) if persistent nasal congestion is occurring as there is a wide variety of causes that can be treated both medically and surgically.” Dr. Raj adds that mouth taping may not be ideal for everyone, especially people with nasal blockages or other breathing difficulties, besides those with obstructive sleep apnea.
Varieties of Mouth Tape
“There are many products currently on the market to maintain lip seal to force you to breathe through your nose while you sleep,” explains Dr. Hutz. “They range from placing a small vertical strip down the middle of the lips to tape covering both the upper and lower lips horizontally.” Experiment with a few brands and pick one whichever feels best for you while you sleep. Dr. Raj also recommends using hypoallergenic tape that can be easily removed.
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