Myth or fact: mouth taping improves sleep
SleepKey points
- Most studies found no significant benefit from mouth taping.
- With a blocked nose, taping can make breathing harder.
- Snoring and mouth breathing can be signs of apnea or nasal problems.
- It is safer to find out why you breathe through your mouth with a doctor.
Myth: tape on your lips is the secret to deep sleep
The mouth-taping trend promises that taping your mouth at night will force nose breathing, stop snoring, improve sleep and even reshape your face.
Fact: benefits are unproven, risks are possible
A systematic review of mouth taping in people who breathe through their mouth, including people with sleep apnea, found that most studies showed no significant improvement in sleep or apnea measures. The studies were small, and the authors warned of possible risks, especially for people with nasal obstruction (Rhee et al., 2025).
What really helps
- finding the cause of mouth breathing: nasal congestion, allergies, a deviated septum;
- treating sleep apnea if it is diagnosed;
- sleeping on your side if snoring is worse on your back;
- avoiding alcohol before bed.
Frequently asked questions
What if I feel I sleep better with tape?
The expectation effect is possible. If you snore, first rule out sleep apnea; taping can mask the problem.
What should I do if I breathe through my mouth at night?
See an ENT doctor: a deviated septum, nasal polyps or allergic rhinitis can be the cause, and they are treatable.
Sources
- Rhee et al. (2025). Breaking social media fads and uncovering the safety and efficacy of mouth taping in patients with mouth breathing, sleep disordered breathing, or obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review. PLOS One 20(5):e0323643. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0323643
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