People Are Using Mouth Tape For Better Sleep – But Does It Work?

Another day, another viral wellness trend.

This time around it’s all about mouth taping – yep, that’s right; literally taping your mouth shut when you’re going to sleep. But why?!

The idea comes from suggestions by certain studies that nasal breathing is better than mouth breathing.

 

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A post shared by Holly Owens 🐝 (@wellthybelly)

Nasal breathing is said to be better for your body is because it activates your lower lungs, so that you can breathe more deeply and fully. Your nose hairs also act as a little filter so that you aren’t taking in any toxins from your surroundings when you inhale, giving you a nice clean breath of oxygen.

So, why doesn’t everyone just close their mouth? Well, they try to. But if you’re a natural mouth-breather, even if you go to bed with your lips shut, they’ll open when you fall asleep.

Enter, mouth tape!

A number of people on TikTok have gone viral testing it out, as they report that mouth taping has transformed their sleeping.

@laurynbosstick @Andrew Huberman & @clairegrieve27 raved about this on @tscpod so i had to try it & OMIGOD YES (but do ur own research obv) #mouthtape #mouthtapingforsleep #mouthtape #mouthtapesleeping #sleephacking ♬ Paradise – TELL YOUR STORY music by Ikson™

@refinery29 Mouth taping has the internet divided. Would you try it? Disclaimer: This isn’t for everyone. Consult your doctor if you have a specific medical condition and stop if you feel discomfort. #mouthtaping #beautyhacks ♬ Cloudy – Ponder & Slip.stream

So, is it legit? It’s hard to say.

While individually people may have found success with it across social media, the New York Times reports that there hasn’t actually been many studies done on mouth taping, so it can’t be confidently backed up by science yet.

The practice could also be dangerous for people who struggle with nasal breathing, so if you find it hard to breathe through your nose on a regular basis, it’s best not to try this trend without consulting your doctor.

Looks like the jury’s still out on this one!

 

Tags:

• breathing
• Mouth tape
• mouth taping
• sleep
• sleep hygiene
• sleeping