Mouth-taping is trending, but the science behind it lacks evidence

What's the claim?

We have all heard about clean eating, but the latest social media buzz is about “clean sleeping” with the help of a mouth tape. 

A video with nearly 1.6 million likes on Instagram claims that mouth-taping improves sleep quality and oxygen intake, reduces snoring, and optimizes oral health. Several other videos make the same claim and add that it also helps improve immune health, reduces bad breath, ensures proper tongue posture, sharpens the jawline, and even boosts energy. 

In a video uploaded on TikTok earlier this year, American actor Emma Robert shared that she sleeps with a mouth tape and feels refreshed. At the time of writing this story, the video had garnered over 24,000 likes. 

But is this ‘trick’ really helpful or harmful? Let’s understand from experts. 

Screenshots of videos discussing the “benefits” of mouth-taping. (Source: Instagram/TikTok)

What is mouth-taping?

Mouth-taping is tapping or closing one's mouth while sleeping to ensure one breathes through the nose instead of the mouth. 

The human nose is designed for breathing and it is beneficial. Many people unconsciously breathe through the mouth, especially those who suffer from respiratory conditions or sleep apnea (where one stops breathing while sleeping). However, very few small studies are still trying to understand whether breathing through the mouth is beneficial or not.  

While this "medical advice" is popular on social media, the science behind it is often misunderstood. 

Dentist Jonathan Quigley, in a letter in the British Dental Journal, stated that there are limited studies to support such claims and highlighted the need for more research. 

Harvard Health, in its ‘Ask a Doctor’ series, mentioned that “while intentional nose breathing during waking hours can offer many benefits — including slowing breathing, filtering allergens, and easing anxiety — taping your mouth while sleeping to achieve this can prove risky, leading to hampered breathing, disrupted sleep, or skin irritation.”

Speaking to Logically Facts, Dr. Suhas H.S., consultant pulmonologist, Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru explained that people who suffer from nasal obstruction, nasal polyps, or adenoids breathe through their mouth. He added that this could be a sign of sleep apnea and suggested consulting a specialist to know the reason behind it. 

“Patients suffering from mild sleep apnea may worsen their condition if they follow this blindly”, he noted. 

Dr. Varun Bansal, a cardiothoracic heart surgeon at Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, too, warned against this practice. “Mouth-taping has been tried as an anecdotal therapy. It may sometimes be harmful for patients who use it to treat snoring as snoring might happen due to several reasons including airway congestion and laxity of throat musculature [system of muscles],” he said. 

What do the studies say so far? 

A study on 20 patients from 2022 found that of the 20 patients who slept with their lips taped, 13 snored less with the tape. Another 2015 study with 30 patients that found a porous patch is useful for patients with mild sleep apnea and snoring. However, these studies were small, with just 30 and 20 participants. The lack of data from a large clinical trial highlights the lack of concrete evidence. 

Baylor College of Medicine, in a blog post, stated, “There are limited studies on mouth taping with conflicting results. There is insufficient evidence to support mouth taping at this time, and the risks outweigh the benefits.” 

Verdict

The mouth-taping trend is risky, and the science is still evolving. There is very weak evidence to claim that mouth-taping may improve sleep quality and oxygen intake, sharpen the jawline, or reduce bad breath.