Getting a proper nights’ sleep is essential for a healthy and productive life. One of the newest thing to emerge for overcoming sleeping issues is the mouth tape. It is claimed that mouth tapes besides improving quality of sleep has various other benefits like reduction in snoring and anxiety management. These potential benefits are claimed to be achieved by promoting nasal breathing and by restricting mouth breathing. In this blog, we will list potential benefits, probable side effects and the best mouth tapes for sleeping available.
We at Snugbloom.com , take responsibility and do not claim any benefit of any product that is not yet backed by science. In this article, we only report purported benefits associated with mouth taping and we highly recommend consulting a physician before using such products.
What is mouth breathing?
Mouth breathing is simply when you breath with your mouth instead of your nose. Mouth breathing in night can result in dry mouth, bad breath, snoring and sometimes insomnia too.
What Is Mouth Taping?
Mouth taping is a popular home practice and a hack to limit mouth breathing and it promotes nasal breathing by putting a tape over mouth. People follow this home remedy to address sleeping issues that range from insomnia, snoring, anxiety , restlessness to bad breadth.
People who tape their mouths before sleeping believe that by taping their mouths they can avoid negative effects associated with mouth breathing.
Benefits of Nasal Breathing
Breathing through your nose is a superior and highly efficient method compared to using your mouth for breathing. By naturally humidifying and filtering the air, nasal breathing optimizes the quality of each breath. It also has a positive impact on blood circulation. Whereas sleeping with your mouth open can cause you to wake up uncomfortable and dry mouthed which may cause bad breath, a hoarse voice and dry, cracked lips. It may also cause excessive uncomfortable snoring.
Mouth Taping for Snoring
People have been using mouth taping for snoring as a home remedy and many people have found it effective. There is not yet sufficient evidence necessary to draw any conclusion regarding effectiveness of mouth taping. You need to consult a doctor for snoring problems before going for mouth taping.
Nasal Strips Vs Mouth Tapes
Both nasal strips and mouth tapes are meant to control snoring but both of them work in different ways. A nasal strip is a flexible band with strong adhesive underside. It is designed to improve airflow through the nose which helps in reduction of snoring and avoiding nasal congestion. Whereas, a mouth tape is strip which basically shuts the mouth closed and encourages nasal breathing and that is supposed to reduce snoring, sleep apnea and other sleeping troubles.
We have found following nasal strips really beneficial in easing out nasal congestion and reduction in snoring, you can try theses.
Purported Benefits of Mouth Taping
Using Mouth tape for Snoring Control
Taping your mouth while sleeping is trending on tik tok and is supposed to reduce laud snoring.
Mouth Taping For Sleep Apnea
Mouth taping is supposed to improve sleep apnea by encouraging you to breath through the nose.
Mouth Taping for Better Blood Regulation
Nasal breathing enables better air flow to the lungs which results in better oxygen circulation in blood. This relaxes body and may help in better blood regulation and lowering of blood pressure.
Decrease in Anxiety
By promoting nasal breathing , mouth taping may result in better air flow and oxygenation of blood that results in relaxation of body and decrease in anxiety.
Sharper jawline
In a viral Tiktok trend users have claimed that using mouth tapes have made their jawline appear sharper and aesthetically more likeable.
Positive Impact on Mood and Digestion
In tiktok trend , users have also attributed use of mouth tapes with positive changes in mood and better digestion.
Best Mouth Tapes for Sleeping
If you decide to go for mouth tapes for sleeping you can try following 02 mouth tapes, they are cheap and have great reviews.
Mouth tape for sleeping by RuiGe
Product Highlights
Gentle Mouth Tapes for Sleeping
Product Highlights
How to Sleep with mouth closed without tape
When you breath with your nose, it has known advantages like filtering out dust and allergens, being helpful in efficient oxygen uptake and humidifying air that you breath. You may checkout this article. To achieve the benefits of nasal breathing and to sleep with mouth closed without mouth taping, you may try following methods:
Practice Nasal Breathing
Mostly , we breath through mouth in an un-aware mode, we are breathing through mouth without noticing it. So, if we start practicing breathing through nose and make a conscious effort on nasal breathing , we are likely to start breathing through nose unconsciously too.
Changing Sleeping positions
Try and see if changing your sleeping position gives any benefit. You can try using a heighted pillow, if you sleep on your back you can try and sleeping on your sides and you can also try to sleep in an inclined position with the help of pillows and mattress. The change in position is sometimes comforting and relaxes your body and makes you change your breathing pattern.
Clearing Nose Blockage
Many people breath with their mouth due to blockage in their nasal path. Once, nose blockage is removed you may be inclined to breath from the nose.
Exercise Regularly
Once you practice regular exercise you are bound to breath more air naturally from the nose.
Reduce Stress
Avoid excessive stress, we know how badly it effects overall health and mood but it also makes our breathing hushed and can cause mouth breathing. Do relaxing activities like yoga, meditation, reading a book and create a calm sleeping environment.
Make a Comfortable Bed
Your bed should be a place of ultimate comfort where you can snuggle and remain cozy as you sleep. Try to make your bed comforting, following this link for our ultimate guide to make a perfect bed with sheets, pillows, comforters and throws.
Potential Side Effects of Mouth taping
Breathing Trouble
By taping your mouth, you are closing one breathing channel. If you have some obstruction in your nasal channel, taping your mouth will further enhance your breathing issues as you have intentionally closed the backup breathing passage.
Irritation around Lip area
Although, specially tapes are made that should not cause any allergy and irritation, the lip area is highly sensitive and can have slight marks , pain and irritation on use of tapes.
Anxiety
You may experience uneasiness and anxiety with your mouth shut with a tape.
Conclusions
Nasal breathing is a superior way of breathing, people have found mouth taping a simple hack to achieve nasal breathing and avoiding breathing through the mouth. While there are many purported benefits of mouth taping , its use is not scientifically backed and can have some side effects as well. We have listed steps of how to sleep with mouth closed without tape naturally and if you decide on using a tape , we have recommend 02 products that are expected to be safe options.
