Mouth Taping for Sleep: Does It Actually Work — and Is It Safe in the UK?

Mouth taping has gone from a niche trick to a viral sleep hack, with influencers and even celebrities posting selfies of themselves sleeping with taped lips. But is this bizarre trend the key to better sleep or just another wellness fad? Let's explore the science, benefits, tips, and testimonials around mouth taping.

What Is Mouth Taping and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

Mouth taping is exactly what it sounds like: using a strip of tape to gently keep your mouth closed while you sleep. By taping over the lips (usually with a small piece of surgical tape or a special mouth strip), the idea is that you’ll breathe through your nose all night instead of your mouth. This technique isn’t entirely new – nasal breathing exercises have been around for decades – but it exploded in popularity thanks to social media. On TikTok and Instagram, videos tagged mouthtaping have racked up millions of views.

Even a few high-profile figures have jumped on the trend. Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland mentioned he tapes his mouth at night to level up his recovery, and Goop guru Gwyneth Paltrow called mouth taping “probably the single best wellness tool I have found recently” on Instagram.

Closer to home, British TV presenter Julia Bradbury revealed on the radio that she sleeps with “a tiny little thin tape” across her lips, calling nasal breathing “the best thing you can do for your health”.

With endorsements like these, it’s no wonder UK sleep forums and news outlets are buzzing about mouth taping.

So, why are people so eager to tape up their mouths? Many of us are desperate for a better night’s sleep – in fact, over a third of UK adults struggle with insomnia or poor sleep. Mouth breathing (sleeping with your jaw slack and mouth open) is often blamed for snoring, dry mouth, and morning fatigue.

The promise of mouth taping is that by forcing a switch to nose breathing, you might stop snoring, sleep deeper, eliminate dry mouth, and even improve oral health and immunity.

Those are bold claims, and understandably, thousands of curious Brits are thinking, “If a simple strip of tape could help, why not give it a go?” 

Before you raid the first-aid kit, though, let’s look at what science and experts say about how this works.

How and Why Could Taping Your Mouth Improve Sleep? (The Science Bit)

Your nose acts like a natural air filter, filtering harmful compounds

The whole logic of mouth taping boils down to one key idea: Nose breathing is better for you than mouth breathing. It sounds a bit odd – after all, breathing is breathing, right? – but there are some real physiological differences. Here are a few key points explaining the why behind mouth taping:

• Nasal breathing produces nitric oxide: Breathing through your nose helps your body generate a gas called nitric oxide, which opens up airways and even helps fight off infections. When you breathe through your mouth, you miss out on this boost. About 75% of the nitric oxide we produce in our sinuses gets recirculated when exhaling through the nose – but breathe out via the mouth and most of it is lost. By taping your mouth shut, proponents say you retain more nitric oxide, which could improve airflow and oxygen delivery to the body.

• Your nose is a natural air filter and humidifier: According to sleep experts, breathing through the nose has obvious benefits: your nostril hairs and mucous membranes filter out dust, allergens, and pollutants, and add moisture to the air you inhale. In contrast, mouth breathing brings in air unfiltered and can dry out your throat. As UK psychologist and sleep specialist

• Nose breathing encourages a calmer nervous system: Advocates also claim nasal breathing can put you in a more relaxed state.

• Prevents the jaw from dropping back: From a purely mechanical standpoint, taping the lips shut keeps your jaw in a more closed position. Some people’s tongues or jaw may fall back and partly block the airway when they sleep on their back, worsening snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

  
  

These scientific insights paint an intriguing picture: nose breathing does have advantages, and mouth taping is essentially a training tool to force nose breathing. It’s the same principle behind certain breathing exercises and the Buteyko method that doctors have recommended for asthma and sleep apnea patients – encourage nasal breathing to improve CO₂ and O₂ balance in the body. ENT specialists add that breathing through the nose increases CO₂ levels slightly, which can dilate blood vessels and nasal passages, potentially reducing congestion in people who chronically mouth-breathe. In other words, once you switch to nose breathing, your nose might actually work better (those swollen turbinates in your nostrils may shrink a bit).

However, it's important to stress that all this physiology doesn’t automatically mean mouth taping is a miracle cure. Yes, nasal breathing is generally healthier at night – but simply taping your mouth shut is a rather extreme way to achieve it, and it may not be necessary for everyone.

Let’s examine what benefits people are actually seeing (and whether the evidence backs them up).

Claimed Benefits of Mouth Tape (Versus the Reality)

If you scroll through TikTok comments or wellness blogs, you’ll see a laundry list of benefits people attribute to mouth taping.

Some of the most common claims include:

• Stops snoring: This is perhaps the number one reason people try mouth taping. By eliminating open-mouth snoring, it could quiet that nighttime buzz-saw. Some users say their partner’s snoring vanished once they taped up. Indeed, early research and anecdotal reports indicate snoring episodes can be reduced when mouth breathers switch to nose breathing.

• May ease mild sleep apnea: As mentioned, a small study in 2022 found taping helped mild OSA sufferers, halving their breathing pauses during sleep. Some dentists and doctors theorize that if your OSA is partly due to mouth breathing collapsing your airway, keeping the mouth closed might help as a temporary fix. However, this only seems to hold true for mild cases – it’s not a treatment for moderate or severe apnea (more on that later).

• Deeper, better sleep quality: Many proponents report that they wake up feeling more rested. By preventing mouth breathing, you might avoid that dryness and discomfort that can cause micro-arousals at night.

  
  

• No more dry mouth or morning breath: If you’ve ever woken up with a tongue like sandpaper and dragon breath, you know mouth breathing is the culprit. Taping forces you to keep your mouth closed, so saliva doesn’t dry out. Many users love that they no longer get a parched mouth at 6am.

• Possible oral health improvements: Chronic mouth breathing can contribute to gum disease, cavities, and even misaligned growth in children’s jaws.

• Energy and immunity boosts: Some fans of mouth taping say they have more energy in the day, fewer colds, or even improved athletic performance.

  
  

Now, what does the actual science say about these benefits? Frankly, not much, not yet. And most of it is inconclusive.

How to Tape Your Mouth Safely (Tips for Beginners)

Remember to stay hydrated

Ready to experiment with mouth taping? Before you do, it's crucial to approach it safely and comfortably. The last thing you want is to panic in the middle of the night or trade one problem (snoring) for another (skin irritation or anxiety). Here are some techniques and tips to get started with mouth taping in a smart way:

1. Make sure you can breathe through your nose first. This sounds obvious, but it’s rule number one. If you have a completely blocked nose from a cold, allergies, or a deviated septum, do not tape your mouth – you’ll struggle to breathe.

2. Use the right kind of tape. Do not grab the nearest roll of duct tape or hardcore adhesive – this is your face, not a DIY project! You want a gentle, skin-safe tape that won’t leave you raw in the morning. Many people use medical paper tape (like 3M Micropore or surgical tape from the chemist) which is breathable and not too sticky.

3. Tape in a way that’s comfortable (you don’t need a full seal). There are a few methods to tape your mouth, and you might need to experiment. Some prefer a small vertical strip in the middle of the lips (from just under the nose down to the chin area) – this is what Julia Bradbury described doing. Others use a strip horizontally across the lips, but just covering the central part of the mouth (not cheek-to-cheek).

4. Position yourself for success. If you typically snore, you might already know that sleeping on your back makes snoring worse. Mouth taping won’t magically fix a bad sleeping position. Try to sleep on your side if possible, or use a pillow or wedge to keep your head slightly elevated. The NHS and sleep experts often recommend the old trick of sewing a tennis ball to the back of your pyjama top to discourage rolling onto your back.

5. Keep some water and tissues at your bedside. A common funny (or not so funny) side-effect of mouth taping is excess drooling. Since your mouth is closed, some people find they slobber a bit on the tape – not exactly glamorous, but it happens.

6. Start slow and pay attention to how you feel. The first few nights of mouth taping can feel odd. You might even find the tape on your pillow in the morning because you subconsciously pulled it off. That’s okay! Give yourself time to get used to it.

7. Consult a professional if you have any medical conditions. If you have known sleep apnea, COPD, or any serious respiratory issues, check with your GP or a sleep specialist before attempting mouth taping.

   
   

By following these tips, you can minimize the risks and discomfort associated with mouth taping. Essentially, you want to set yourself up so that taping is a gentle nudge towards nasal breathing, not an exercise in nighttime torture. Now, speaking of risks and discomfort, let’s debunk some misconceptions and discuss the concerns people have about this practice.

Final Thoughts: Should You Tape Your Mouth at Night?

Mouth taping for sleep is one of those trends that straddles the line between ingenious and absurd. On one hand, it’s a low-tech, low-cost hack that can encourage a healthy habit (nasal breathing) and possibly improve some sleep-related woes like snoring and dry mouth. On the other hand, it looks a bit like a prank – and if done carelessly, could cause more harm than good.

If you’re considering trying it, take stock of your situation. Are you often waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat? Does your partner nudge you about snoring or gasping? Do you notice yourself mouth-breathing at night (or even during the day)? If yes, mouth taping might be worth a shot – provided you’ve ruled out serious nasal obstruction or sleep apnea.

Give it a cautious trial with all the safety tips in mind. It could be a game-changer or just a mildly interesting experiment.