Mouth taping is the practice of sleeping with one's lips held shut by a strip of

surgical tape Surgical tape or medical tape is a type of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape used in medicine and first aid to hold a bandage or other dressing onto a wound. These tapes usually have a hypoallergenic adhesive which is designed to hold firmly ont ...

, which prevents

mouth breathing Mouth breathing, medically known as chronic oral ventilation, is long-term breathing through the mouth. It often is caused by an obstruction to breathing through the nose, the innate breathing organ in the human body. However, by the early 20 ...

during sleep. This supposed

life hack A life hack (or life hacking) is any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. The term was primarily used by computer experts who suffer from information overload or those with a p ...

gained popularity through social media in the 2020s. Those who advise in favor of it attribute a variety of health benefits to it, although these claims have not been scientifically verified.

Health effects

As of 2023, there is very limited research as to the health effects of mouth taping. In principle,

breathing Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the rhythmical process of moving air into ( inhalation) and out of ( exhalation) the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, mostly to flush out carbon dioxide and bring in oxy ...

through the nose as opposed to breathing through the mouth is beneficial. Nasal breathing humidifies and filters the inhaled air, allows fuller breaths and can help the body relax. The

nitric oxide Nitric oxide (nitrogen oxide, nitrogen monooxide, or nitrogen monoxide) is a colorless gas with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes den ...

produced in the

nasal sinuses Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired skeletal pneumaticity, air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity. The maxillary sinuses are located under the eyes; the frontal sinuses are above the eyes; the Ethmoid sinus, ethmoidal sinuses a ...

while breathing nasally can help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. 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. However, there are a number of conditions that inhibit nasal breathing, such as a

deviated septum Nasal septum deviation is a physical disorder of the nose, involving a displacement of the nasal septum. Some displacement is common, affecting 80% of people, mostly without their knowledge. Signs and symptoms The nasal septum is the bone and ...

, allergies,

sinusitis Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinuses resulting in symptoms that may include production of thick nasal mucus, nasal congestion, facial congestion, facial pain, facial pressure ...

or chronic

nasal congestion Nasal congestion is the partial or complete blockage of nasal passages, leading to impaired nasal breathing, usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflammation of blood vessels. Background In about 85% of cases, nasal ...

. People with such conditions may find mouth taping impractical. A few small studies have investigated whether mouth taping alleviates

sleep apnea Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...

.{{clarify, date=April 2025, reason=Does not give any results of the studies They found that mouth taping reduced

snoring Snoring is an abnormal breath sound caused by partially obstructed, turbulent airflow and vibration of tissues in the upper respiratory tract (e.g., uvula, soft palate, base of tongue) which occurs during sleep. It usually happens during in ...

, which may help the snorers' partners sleep better.

References

Respiration