Mouth taping is a sleep hack designed to easily «tape away» a number of problems. The concept: seal your mouth with tape before you go to bed so that you can only breathe through your nose. Can this really work and does science say so?
The nose is for breathing, the mouth for speaking and eating – this is how the followers of mouth taping justify their evening practice, which is intended to ensure a healthier sleep. And not only that. The spectrum of effects should range from less snoring to a better mood and a strong immune system. There are numerous testimonials in social networks about this. FITBOOK explains the trend.
How does mouth taping work?
The «trick» is simple: just tape your mouth shut horizontally with adhesive tape before you go to sleep. There are now special mouth tapes for this. A porous adhesive tape (important!) from a standard first-aid kit will also do. Put some Vaseline on your lips beforehand to avoid irritation. Then simply lie down, fall asleep and wake up feeling like new the next morning. Since mouth taping has forced the body to breathe exclusively through the nose during sleep, all sorts of positive effects should soon become noticeable.
That’s what the supporters of Mouth Taping promise themselves
The list of health benefits, according to mouth-taping supporters, is long:
- less snoring problems
- fewer allergies
- healthy weight loss
- better immune system
- regulated blood pressure
- improved mood
- increased concentration and memory
- Less frequent headaches, relief from migraines
- no more bad breath
- deeper sleep
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Is breathing through your nose really healthier?
Yes, breathing through your nose is actually healthier! Science and ear, nose and throat doctors agree on this. The lungs like warm and humid air. The nose does this job. The mucous membranes of the respiratory tract are equipped with a number of cilia. These ensure that dirt and dust particles as well as toxins are filtered out of the air. «The main function of the nose is to identify and filter out various foreign bodies such as dirt particles or bacteria when fresh air is inhaled, i.e. to transport them to the outside,» explains Dr. Kerstin Zeise, State Chair of the ENT Association, already quoted FITBOOK in another article.
And the brain also benefits from nasal breathing. In a 2016 study, subjects were better at remembering objects when they breathed through their nose. 1 With the oxygen supply, things are looking a whole 10 percent better for nasal breathers. This was brought to light by a Swedish study as early as 1996. 2
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Chronic mouth breathing can damage the lungs
Whether because of a constantly blocked nose or out of habit: If you constantly breathe through your mouth, you are doing your lungs a disservice. Germs get into the body more easily, «which leads to contamination of the respiratory tract, so that pathogens can no longer be transported away and the risk of lung diseases increases,» warns the German Lung Foundation. And last but not least, breathing through the mouth at night promotes the development of caries.3
The fact that mouth taping should improve sleep and thus health is by no means out of the blue. So is taping your mouth shut at night a good idea?
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Mouth taping and better sleep – studies are as good as non-existent
Science has not really addressed this issue. Only one small study of 30 people with mild sleep apnea found that a porous mouth patch actually reduced breathing pauses and snoring.4 All other claims have not yet been scientifically verified. The American Sleep Foundation is skeptical but interested. She notes that many health problems, such as high blood pressure or depressive moods, don’t just go away – especially when you’re asleep. It is more important to get to the bottom of the real causes. They also advise first of all to pay attention to good oral and sleep hygiene. In other words: cell phone away, no alcohol late in the evening, high-quality mattress, regular exercise and a healthy diet.
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Conclusion: the proof of the pudding is in the eating
The advantage of mouth taping is that everyone can easily get an idea of whether it is useful or not. The worst that can happen is that you tear off the adhesive strip again out of sheer anxiety and discomfort. And in the best-case scenario, mouth taping may actually feel like better sleep and better health. Since almost all knowledge up to now is based on personal experience, you are welcome to join (only use it on yourself and never on children). In this case, trying is (still) better than studying – as long as you are healthy and continue to see a doctor if you have serious symptoms. Incidentally, the Sleep Foundation also advises this.
Sources
- 1. Zelano C, Jiang H, Zhou G et al. (2016). Nasal Respiration Entrains Human Limbic Oscillations and Modulates Cognitive Function. Journal of Neuroscience.
- 2. Lundberg, JON, Settengren, G., Gelinder et al. (1996). Inhalation of nasally derived nitric oxide modulates pulmonary function in humans. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica.
- 3. choi, JE, Waddell, JN, Lyons, KM, Kieser, JA (2015). Intraoral pH and temperature during sleep with and without mouth breathing. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation.
- 4. Huang TW, Young TH (2015). Novel porous oral patches for patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and mouth breathing: a pilot study. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.