If you’re someone who’s considered a “mouth breather” or a habitual “snorer” when you sleep, the action of taping your mouth while you sleep might get you out of this “sticky” situation.
What is Mouth Taping?
According to sleepfoundation.org, “mouth taping” is defined as, “an increasingly popular home treatment used to encourage nose breathing during sleep.”
Essentially, taping your mouth at night is a way to switch from mouth breathing to nasal breathing while sleeping.
Although many Tik Tok influences swear by it and claim this has a ton of benefits, that might not be entirely the case. With few experiments and little research, “mouth taping” might not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
In this Tik Tok video, the user claims that taping her mouth at night helps with puffiness, sleep, decreases cavities, anxiety, elongates her chin and lowers blood pressure. While this could be true in her instance, it’s important to point out that there’s little science behind the effects of “mouth taping.”
The main concern of “mouth taping” is its safety and being able to breathe correctly. Whilst it might work for some people, it can definitely be a hazard for some. Understanding yourself and asking your doctor first, can help you come to the decision if this is something you want to experiment with.
Photo from Pintrest.com
Benefits of Mouth Taping
Alleged benefits of “mouth taping” include reducing: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, sleep-disordered breathing, dry mouth, cavities, gum disease and bad breath.
According to the New York Times, a small study in regards to sleep apena found that “researchers found that among 20 patients who slept with their lips taped shut, 13 snored less with the tape than they did without it.”
Negative Effects of Mouth Taping
Those with these issues might be ready to cut that tape, but be wary of some of the negative side effects this could result in. Sleepfoundation.org warns that this can cause irritation on or around the lips, disrupted sleep due to irritation from the tape or difficulty breathing through the nose, anxiety (for those who feel uncomfortable having their mouth taped shut), discomfort or difficulty breathing.
In the event that you decide to try “mouth taping” it’s best to refrain from the household tape in your drawer, but rather aim to use a porous tape that’s designed for the skin to avoid any irritation. VIO2 tape is an option that’s specifically for your mouth. VIO2 tape promotes better sleep, better oral health and better immunity by taping your mouth at night.
So, what’s your consensus? Can a little piece of tape be the answer to a better sleep?
Help us bust this myth by tweeting us @VALLEYmag on twitter with your thoughts!
