Is Mouth Taping Safe? Exploring the Risks and Benefits 

Discover the potential benefits and risks of mouth taping, as well as how you can add this practice into your nightly routine.  

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If you’ve been on social media or seen the news, you might have heard about a practice called mouth taping. This is when people will use tape to keep their mouth shut while they sleep, and it’s said to have benefits because it makes us breathe through our nose, which enhances our rest and overall health. Sounds a bit unusual, right? Maybe even a little controversial! 
 
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits and risks of mouth taping, including what it entails. We’ll uncover all that you need to know if you want to try this and why it might not be the best idea if you aren’t breathing through your nose naturally without help. If you’re eager to learn more, let’s begin by discussing and exploring what mouth taping is.  

What is Mouth Taping?  

If you’ve never heard of the practice, mouth taping entails the use of sticky tape over the mouth to make you breathe through your nose, which then helps you sleep. The act of taping one’s mouth forces them to breathe through their nasal cavity while also making them stop mouth breathing, which is often a cause of sleep disruptions and other challenges. This is great if you struggle with snoring, bruxism, and even halitosis, as it can prevent some of the primary triggers or conditions that allow these to happen. 
 
It's gone viral in recent years, but it’s not a new practice. Many have used this method, especially those who have struggled with obstructive sleep apnea and even snoring. However, what are the benefits, and are there any risks to using mouth taping regularly? That’s what we’ll look at in the next section to really understand if this is a safe method to use so that we can breathe easier and therefore sleep better at night.  

The Benefits of Mouth Taping 

Studies have gone to great lengths to explore mouth taping, given its controversies. Some experts have found many benefits to taping your mouth shut so you can continue to breathe naturally at night. Here are just some of the main benefits of mouth taping and how it could help you too: 

  • Improved Sleep Quality: Especially important for those who snore at night, mouth taping has been shown to help with sleep apnea because it forces us to breathe through our mouths, but it does not fix the issue entirely. By opening up the upper airways and improving airflow, mouth taping can help limit obstructive sleep apnea, but it does not eliminate your symptoms. Still, with more airflow, you’ll get better sleep, sleep even deeper, and wake up feeling more rested.  

  • Enhanced REM Sleep: Part of the reason many people have turned to using mouth taping for their sleep and overall health is because using this to breathe naturally at night encourages deeper sleep. Studies have shown in the past that breathing through your mouth during sleep can actually lead to less deep sleep, so by discouraging this, you can enjoy more deep sleep or REM sleep, which is necessary for your overall health and well-being. 

  • Better Oral Health: This might be obvious, but when you use mouth taping, you are actually helping encourage better oral hygiene because you’re keeping your mouth shut. By doing so, you’ll reduce your risk of dry mouth, which will then reduce the risk of cavities and gum disease. This is great for those who want to have better oral hygiene and fresher breaths upon waking up in the morning! 

  • Increased Oxygenation: One of the biggest challenges when it comes to mouth breathing is the impact this has on your oxygen levels. When you don’t breathe through your nose, you lose out on quality oxygen. Nasal breathing filters and humidifies the air, making the oxygen that you inhale even higher quality. You’ll enjoy more oxygen saturation as well, which can help you improve your performance both mentally and physically (Source: PubMed).  

These are just some of the many benefits people have found associated with mouth taping, but there are some risks you should be aware of before adding this practice to your routine regularly. 

The Risks of Mouth Taping 

Mouth taping at night is not without its risks, especially when you remember that you’re fully asleep while you have the tape over your mouth. Numerous things could go wrong, and that’s why there is so much controversy around this practice. For instance, you could find yourself unable to breathe as well if you have nasal congestion or obstruction. Some people even report feeling a little anxious while they sleep with a tape strip over their mouth, which is understandable considering how new this practice is for them. 
 
For some, you could even encounter skin irritation as a result of the tape that you use. Sometimes, it is due to an allergic reaction, but other times, it might be the consistent use of the tape without any moisturizer to combat these potential dry spots you might develop. One of the apparent risks is that you wake up because you’re uncomfortable or you encounter a nasal blockage that forces you to wake up because you can’t breathe. For those with asthma or severe nasal congestion, this could be a regular occurrence!  
 
Before practicing mouth taping, you should consult your doctor. For those with sleep apnea, asthma, or other severe nasal congestion-related conditions, you should always consult a medical professional before starting this sort of practice. This is because mouth taping might help you breathe naturally through your nose, but you still have to figure out what is stopping this from happening. Therefore, while mouth taping might have its benefits, it does not solve the main issue and should not be a one-size-fits-all solution for those who breathe through their mouth at night.  

Talk to Your Doctor Before You Start Taping Your Mouth At Night 

While mouth taping might be a great idea, you should investigate what could be causing your mouth breathing first. If you do proceed with mouth taping after receiving approval from a medical professional, Be sure to pick a medical-grade tape free from allergens or a specially designed mouth tape. Follow the guidance provided by experts on how to place the tape and ensure you’re not congested before you wear it. If you need to, don’t be afraid to ease your way into the practice.  
 
With an understanding of the benefits and risks, you can take steps to encourage better health and sleep in the future. Mouth taping could very well be the practice that helps you sleep even deeper, but above all else, take steps to breathe naturally through your nose without aid.  

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Written by

Marie Soukup

Marie Soukup is a seasoned copywriter, editor, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach with a certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN). With years of experience working with brands across diverse industries, Marie is passionate about holistic health and crafting compelling content.

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