WTF is Mouth taping? Sounds weird right?
Well, listen up because it’s actually legit and, believe it or not, can make a big difference to your health AND your appearance. 😉
We love a good health hack, so get excited and let’s discuss why mouth taping is beneficial and why you should probably be doing it.
Mouth taping is exactly what it sounds like. You literally put a piece of specialized, porous tape over your mouth at night to promote nasal breathing while you sleep (*Important: DO NOT use just any tape). The tape serves as a gentle reminder for your body to breathe properly through the nose. It’s not as dangerous as it may sound because the tape will easily pop off if you open your mouth.
But why would anyone WANT to tape their mouth shut while sleeping?
Our bodies are naturally designed to breathe through the nose. So if you are mouth breathing at night (or anytime), it’s a big deal because you are going against nature. Plus, nose breathers generally have a more defined jawline, defined cheekbones and better posture (yes please). Try googling mouth breather, the results are crazy.
Nose Breather vs. Mouth Breather
Maybe now you’re thinking, do I breath through my mouth? Most likely, you do! If you snore, drool, have frequent bathroom trips, grind your teeth or have sleep apnea, there is a high chance you are a mouth breather and this post is for you.
My Mouth Taping Journey
My journey discovering mouth taping started a couple years ago when I was seeing a functional dentist for TMJ. She noticed that I was mouth breathing during my visits. That was news to me! Until now, I hadn’t paid much attention to how I was breathing and I bet you haven’t either. I’m thankful for her teaching me how important breathing through my nose is, both during the day and at night. Once I became more aware of my breathing, I made a conscious effort to change my breathing habits (except during workouts lol, it’s freaking hard to nose breathe while doing a cardio or a HIIT workout). Now I use mouth tape every night and have noticed a big difference in my sleep quality. I’m no longer waking up super tired and groggy with huge bags under my eyes.
So What’s The Big Deal?
Even when realized I was occasionally mouth breathing, I didn’t fully understand why it was so bad. So what’s the big deal if I snore or mouth breathe a little bit?
Our entire society seems to be sleep deprived and stressed out these days. Unfortunately, snoring and mouth breathing are seen as normal but guess what? They’re not! Mouth breathing can cause cavities, bad breath, gum disease, anxiety, allergies, worsening asthma, yellow teeth, sleep apnea and more. Believe it or not, mouth breathing is actually one of the top causes of cavities, even above diet or bad oral hygiene. Breathing through your mouth all night (or even part of the night) dries out your oral microbiome. The oral microbiome contains hundreds of beneficial bacteria in your saliva that protect you. When they dry out, they can’t do their job and the “bad” bacteria wreak havoc on your teeth. So if you are consistently getting cavities, mouth breathing could be to blame. But there is good news, mouth tape can help.
If you are curious about learning more, I highly recommend these books:
The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox
The Oxygen Advantage
Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic
The Benefits
Deeper Sleep:
Proper breathing allows the body to fall asleep faster and get more deep sleep, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed instead of drained from a night of inconsistent breathing.
Improved Immunity:
Breathing through your nose helps keep pathogens out of your body. Your nose hairs not only warm the air you breathe, but also filter the air to prevent bad bugs from entering the lungs and making you sick.
Reduced Snoring:
We can all agree that snoring is obnoxious. Mouth breathing actually increases congestion in the nose, making it harder to breathe through the nose and causing a vicious cycle making snoring even worse. Taping your mouth encourages proper tongue positioning and stops the snoring. Having a good pillow with proper neck support is also key. I love using this pillow that has a cutout, since I am a side and back sleeper.
Reduced Teeth Grinding & Disordered Breathing:
When your mouth falls open, your tongue can obstruct the airway, leading to sleep apnea and/or teeth grinding. When the airway is obstructed, your body goes into survival mode and fights to get air any way it can, preventing quality sleep. Proper breathing gives your body the vital oxygen it needs without struggling, allowing you to relax and sleep well.
Improved Oral Health:
Mouth breathing causes dry mouth, which in turn gives an environment for the bad bacteria to thrive. So when we nose breathe, our saliva keeps our mouth protected from the bad bacteria decreasing the likelihood of cavities, yellow teeth and gum disease.
Lowered Blood Pressure:
When your body thinks it is in danger, it goes into fight or flight mode, preventing you from getting adequate rest. By removing the sense of danger, nose breathing can reduce spikes in blood pressure and help regulate adrenaline spikes.
Increased Nitric Oxide:
When you breathe through your nose, your body produces more nitric oxide because it is produced in your sinuses. There are many benefits of increasing nitric oxide such as: enhanced memory, improved sleep quality, more regulated blood pressure, reduced anxiety and depression and improved immune/gut function. Learn more about nitric oxide and oral health here.
Getting Started
First off, don’t be scared. At first it will take some getting used to, especially if you have been mouth breathing for a while, but it will be worth it. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself ripping it off in the middle of the night while you are adjusting (I am guilty of this too). It can take a few weeks for your body to get adjusted. Just be patient, it will get easier.
After you finish your bedtime routine, just apply the mouth tape right before bed and you’re good to go. Just watch the amount of face cream and lotion because the tape needs to be able to stick to your skin. And yes, it does look super cool – LOL. It’s all in the name of health and beauty right. 😉
Tips
My favorite functional dentist influencer, Dr. Mark Burhenne (aka Ask the Dentist), recommends that if you are scared to start taping at night, start slowly by taping during the day and make sure you can first breathe through your nose comfortably. This is also a great way to get children used to mouth taping (*Not for very young children or babies). This mouth tape is best for kids, since it goes around the mouth. Children mouth breathing is especially problematic as it can cause issues with facial development, speech impediments, sleep apnea or ADHD. If you are a parent who is concerned about a child mouth breathing, check out this article written by myofunctional therapist, Sara Hornsby, on how to address these issues. Sara also has a wonderful informational YouTube channel. This book “Sleep Wrecked Kids” is also a great resource for parents to help diagnose any sleep problems.
Now if you already struggle to breathe through your nose, then I would look into seeing an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat) specialist, allergist, functional dentist (who specializes in airway) or sleep medicine physician right away to help diagnose any potential breathing or sleep issues before you start your mouth taping journey. If you find yourself taking it off in the middle of the night, some common problems could be allergies, dusty bedroom or a deviated septum. Products that can help with a stuffy nose are nose strips, natural nasal spray (this spray is magical! I use this every night before bed), nasal rinse and a good humidifier and/or an air purifier.
After all, you can’t have a healthy body without a healthy mouth. Proper breathing can allow us to live a fuller and longer life so I challenge you to try it for a week and see what happens. Hopefully you will be adding mouth tape to your bedtime routine for good. Just be patient and stick with it.
You Got This!
Let us know if you try out mouth taping, we would love to hear about your experience.
If you interested in the science behind how to breathe correctly, check out this podcast episode by Huberman Lab, one of my favorite podcasts.
+Check out our most loved non-toxic toothpastes
++Or the sleep products to upgrade your sleep quality
Hope you give mouth taping a try!
Gina