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Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 30 Sep 2024

Is Mouth Taping A New Way To Treat Snoring or Sleep Apnea? Here's What The Experts Say

Even though many people swear by taping their mouths as a solution to mouth breathing – there are no extensive studies or research to conclude its benefits

There are millions across the world who have sleep issues – which include snoring and sleep apnea – both of which are not good for health. Mouth taping is the latest trend buzzing to help get a remedy for treating mouth breathing when you sleep. Apart from snoring, mouth breathing leads to many other health conditions like allergies and even heart problems.
Even though many people swear by taping their mouths as a solution to mouth breathing – there are no extensive studies or research to conclude its benefits. However, experts say there may be some unintentional side effects on the other hand.

Why is mouth breathing problematic?

According to experts, mouth taping is becoming more popular since breathing from your mouth has many side effects, especially while sleeping. A few of these include:
  • Bad breath
  • Daytime fatigue or tiredness
  • Persistent dry mouth
  • Poor oral health, including cavities
  • Reduced mental skills, especially working memory
  • Symptoms related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Slowed growth in children

How does mouth taping work?

For this, you need to tape your mouth shut before you go to sleep. According to doctors, it helps you to breathe through your mouth and nose, which is important for:
  • Lubricate your nostrils and prevent sinuses from drying out
  • Making the air you breathe in more humid
  • Balancing pH levels in your mouth – which helps prevent dental decay, dry mouth, and gingivitis
  • Increasing nitric oxide is crucial for brain function, cardiovascular health, and overall blood oxygen levels.
Many studies say snoring throughout the night is often a sign of sleep apnea so taping your mouth at night can help you. One research of 30 people with mild sleep apnea found mouth taping helped them snore less. Another study of 20 people – also with mild sleep apnea found mouth-taping reduced snoring.
While mouth taping prevents sleep apnea from breathing in through the mouth, experts say it does not always prevent breathing out through the mouth – also known as mouth puffing. According to WebMD, a study of 70 people with sleep apnea who taped their mouths for one night found those with severe sleep apnea still tried to breathe through their mouth or mouth puffed.

Is mouth taping dangerous for health?

Despite a few studies, doctors say mouth taping has not been proven to treat any health issue since most of the research conducted included very small groups of people. And so, doctors say if you have sleep apnea, get yourself completely checked, as it can lead to various health complications like type 2 diabetes, kidney issues, eye problems, metabolic syndrome, and even issues with pregnancy.
Mouth taping has a few anecdotal side effects – those reported or reviewed by people who have used mouth taping, which include:
  • Anxiety from having their mouth taped shut
  • Discomfort or a hard time breathing through their nose
  • Irritation on or around their lips
  • Pain when taking off the mouth tape, especially if they have facial hair
  • Trouble sleeping from being uncomfortable with the mouth tape or with nose breathing.
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