Mouth taping

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.[1] Those who advise in favor of it attribute a variety of health benefits to it, although these claims have not been scientifically verified.[1]

For applications that are not health-related, see Gag.

Health effects

As of 2023, there is very limited research as to the health effects of mouth taping.[1]

In principle, breathing though the nose as opposed to breathing through the mouth is beneficial.[1] Nasal breathing humidifies and filters the inhaled air, allows fuller breaths and can help the body relax.[1] The nitric oxide produced in the nasal sinuses while breathing nasally can help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.[2] 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.[1] 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.[1]

A few small studies have investigated whether mouth taping alleviates sleep apnea.[3][4] They found that mouth taping reduced snoring, which may help the snorers' partners sleep better.[1]

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 (Basel, Switzerland). 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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