It’s a TikTok trend, has been championed by Gwyneth Paltrow, and was recently revealed as a habit of the former Countryfile presenter, Julia Bradbury. But is taping your mouth shut at night actually good for you?
According to the Kent Community Health NHS foundation trust, breathing through the nose has benefits.
Among them, it notes, the nose helps to filter out dust, pollen and other matter in the air we breathe, while it also moistens and warms the air, preventing the airways from becoming irritated.
Dr Michael Fitzpatrick, an expert in upper airway physiology at Queen’s University in Canada, noted nasal breathing has positives, but he suggested mouth taping in an effort to encourage it can be problematic.
“Basically, taping the mouth is a bad idea because we breathe through our mouth only when the nose is partially or completely obstructed,” he said. “Hence, if the nose is partially or completely obstructed, taping the mouth makes no sense and would only be deleterious.”
What about those who say mouth taping is a pillar of their wellness routine?
Dr David Garley, director of The Better Sleep Clinic, said: “Often when people start doing things like mouth taping, which is probably quite a big step for someone, it’s usually coinciding [with them] also taking more time with their fitness, with their mental health, taking exercise – so it’s unlikely that someone will do mouth taping in isolation.
“So when you look at all these other changes that are taking place simultaneously I think it’s quite difficult to attribute those changes to mouth taping alone.”
Dr Ann Kearney, a voice and swallowing specialist at Stanford University, who is among those investigating the effectiveness of mouth taping, said she believes there are significant benefits to nasal breathing.
But she added there are other measures people can take to help them breath through their nose at night. “Sleeping on your back may also encourage mouth breathing, so changing your sleep position may help you stop,” she said.
Stephanie Romiszewski, chief clinical officer and sleep physiologist at the health consultancy Re-sleep, also raised concerns.
“There is no good evidence yet regarding mouth taping,” she said. “Advocates claim it can help with breathing but I suspect if this has any backing, it will only be in a very specific subset of people.
“For example, this won’t be ideal for those whose noses get blocked quite regularly, or just at night when they lie down,” said Romiszewski, adding there are many reasons for not being able to breathe clearly through the nose, with the time of day, environment, and position of the individual all possible factors.
Dr Nicolle Domnik, also of Queen’s University, added it is important to consider why someone is breathing through their mouth at night, noting it is worth them speaking to a healthcare provider before trying mouth-taping.
“Perhaps someone is [mouth-breathing] at night because they have significant nasal congestion, nasal anatomy that limits nasal breathing, sleep apnea, very large tonsils, or other underlying causes where mouth-breathing acts as an alternative or means to compensate,” she said. “In some cases, mouth-taping may even come with risks.”
Romiszewski said that among those who should avoid mouth taping are people who have anxiety or obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
Indeed while some studies have looked at the impact of mouth taping on mild OSA, they are small – involving just 20 or 30 participants – and have problems including the lack of control groups, and short study periods.
Garley stressed people who think they may have OSA should speak to their GP or sleep specialist.
“While it’s possible that mouth taping might develop an evidence base, it is important to wait for research first before recommending this as treatment,” he said.
