Mouth taping for sleep: Safety, benefits and risks

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WTOP's Grace Newton on how mouth taping has healthy benefits

Is it possible to improve your health while you’re sleeping? We all know sleep is great for helping your body recover from the day’s events, but some are claiming that there’s a way to get even greater benefits from your sleep through mouth taping.

So, will taping your mouth shut at night help with snoring and dental health, or is it a dangerous health trend?

What Is Mouth Taping?

Mouth taping involves placement of special medical-grade tape while sleeping so you’re not able to breathe through your mouth. Instead, taping forces you to breathe through your nose.

“The practice has gained popularity among people seeking to improve sleep quality, manage snoring or address symptoms of sleep apnea. It’s often rooted in the belief that nasal breathing is more efficient and beneficial for health than mouth breathing,” says Dr. Lizzie Benge, a sleep medicine physician with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders in Boston.

That’s because nasal breathing can filter and humidify air before it goes into the lungs.

By contrast, mouth breathing is associated with certain downsides, according to Dr. Fatima Khan, a dentist and co-founder of Riven Oral Care:

— It can cause dry mouth and bad breath.

— It leads to an overgrowth of cavity-causing bacteria.

— Having dry mouth can irritate and inflame your gums.

— In children, mouth breathing can lead to crooked teeth and an underdeveloped jaw.

[READ: Does Medicare Cover Dental in 2024? Benefits and Eligibility]

Types of Mouth Taping

If you’re using mouth tape for sleeping, make sure to use medical-grade tape and not duct tape or other types of tape you may have around the house. These can damage the skin or cause irritation.

It’s also a good idea to use tape with slits, at least in the beginning. These tiny slits provide some relief if you’re not able to fully breathe through your nose.

Try mouth tape during the day at first to see how you adjust to it, Khan advises.

Some common brands of mouth tape include:

— Hostage Tape

— Hush Snore Strips

— SomniFix Mouth Strips

[Read: How to Find a Good Dentist.]

Benefits of Mouth Taping

If you don’t have nasal congestion or obstruction, GERD or obstructive sleep apnea, mouth taping may be useful to help you breathe through your nose at night.

Mouth taping can help by:

— Avoiding dry mouth

— Improving your oxygen flow

— Reducing snoring

A study with 20 patients published in the Journal Healthcare (Basel) in 2022 found that mouth taping was effective in reducing snoring in 65% of the study participants, all of whom had obstructive sleep apnea.

Another small study with 21 patients, published in 2022 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, found that use of an adhesive mouthpiece along with a mandibular advancement device was more effective than the device on its own in treating sleep apnea.

For Gene Caballero of St. Petersburg, Florida, mouth taping has led to a more peaceful night of rest for himself and his girlfriend.

“It’s useful because I never knew how it felt to actually sleep through the night and not wake up due to snoring or a dry mouth,” he says.

It took him about a week to get used to wearing it at night, he adds.

Health care providers, however, aren’t completely convinced yet that mouth tape is effective.

“While anecdotal evidence supports the benefits of mouth breathing, more research is needed to confirm its efficacy and safety,” Benge says.

Mouth taping also may not always be the right solution for nasal breathing issues.

“Mouth taping might work for some as a gentle nudge toward better habits, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,” cautions Dr. Chelsea Perry, a dentist and the founder/owner of Sleep Solutions, which focuses on sleep apnea treatment. “If underlying conditions like nasal congestion or sleep apnea are at play, taping won’t address the root cause.”

[READ: How to Sleep Better.]

Risks of Mouth Taping

Here are some of the risks associated with mouth taping:

— Decreased oxygen supply if you have sleep apnea

— Discomfort, especially if you have sleep apnea or nasal obstructions

— Feelings of anxiety or claustrophobia

— Impaired breathing. “If your nasal passages become obstructed while your mouth is taped shut, you risk seriously limiting the airflow into your body,” Benge says.

— Skin irritation around the mouth or your facial hair

— A small but real risk of aspirating vomit because the mouth is taped closed, which may lead to choking

Certain population groups should avoid mouth taping. This includes those with:

— Anxiety or claustrophobia who may feel they would panic with their mouth taped shut

— GERD

— Nasal congestion

— Nasal obstructions like chronic sinusitis, a deviated septum or nasal polyps as they use mouth breathing regularly for airflow

— Sleep apnea, as it can make breathing problems worse. It also can create breathing problems if you use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask while sleeping.

It also shouldn’t be used by children or adults who can’t remove mouth tape themselves.

What to Do for Mouth Breathing

“If mouth breathing is a problem, addressing the root cause is essential,” Perry says.

A health care provider can help diagnose what may cause mouth breathing. Some problems that may lead to mouth breathing include:

— Allergies

— Enlarged tonsils

— Nasal blockages

— Nasal congestion

— Sleep apnea

Make sure to let your provider know about any symptoms you’re experiencing that could be related, such as gasping for air at night or fatigue.

How to encourage nasal breathing

There also are some things you can do to encourage more nasal breathing, such as using: