Taping one’s mouth shut at night has been touted as a solution to alleviate breathing difficulties and improve sleep, but is this trend backed by science? A review of eight studies involving nearly 200 people with obstructive sleep apnea found mixed results.
There is little good-quality evidence to support the social media trend of taping one’s mouth closed at night to alleviate breathing difficulties and improve sleep. In fact, some scientists worry that it could bring its own set of problems.
How Does Mouth Taping Affect Breathing?
Some users of platforms like ‘TikTok‘ and ‘Instagram‘ have recommended using adhesive tape to close your mouth during sleep, in videos that have collectively been watched millions of times. This forces nasal breathing, which some people claim brings various health benefits, such as reducing breathing problems and deepening sleep.
However, a review of eight studies involving nearly 200 people with obstructive sleep apnea found mixed results. While two studies tracked people’s breathing while they slept for two nights, with and without tape, the results showed that the tape reduced how often they temporarily stopped breathing or experienced restricted airflow by a few times less an hour.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder characterized by repeated episodes of partial or complete obstruction of the airway during sleep.
This leads to pauses in breathing, followed by loud snoring and gasping for air.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, approximately 22 million Americans suffer from OSA.
The condition increases the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Diagnosis involves a physical examination, medical history, and overnight sleep study.
Treatment options include lifestyle modifications, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, and oral appliances.
The Limitations of Mouth Taping
The remaining six studies, one of which was a randomised-controlled trial, found mouth taping to be of no benefit for these problems. Additionally, some experts worry that mouth taping could be problematic in itself, as it can cause panic-inducing situations when the nose gets blocked and the mouth is taped shut.
Furthermore, the variation in results could be due to differences in how mouth taping was done, with some studies defining it as a horizontal strip covering the entire mouth, while others were less specific. Moreover, none of the studies tracked daytime symptoms, which are a crucial aspect of understanding the impact of mouth taping on obstructive sleep apnea.
Expert Advice
Until more research is available, people experiencing breathing difficulties should speak to a doctor. Approved treatments, such as CPAP machines that gently push air through a mask to keep the airways open, have been proven to help with obstructive sleep apnea.
- newscientist.com | Why taping your mouth shut at night probably isnt a good idea
