Mouth Taping for Sleep

Sleep is such an important part of our daily lives, but it rarely receives as much attention and care as it deserves as other aspects of our day-to-day. Take, for example, those who often sleep with their mouths open, causing a host of issues that interrupt either their sleep or others (or even impact their health). As a mouth sleeper, you might deal with problems including bad breath, a partner exhausted from all your snoring, or similar issues. The good news? There’s an extremely simple solution to this problem that you might not be aware of yet: mouth taping. 

Mouth taping has been around for a long time, but recently becoming more visible because of books like James Nestors bestseller “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art”. Choosing to try out mouth tape could be the solution to some of the above or other related issues that you experience while sleeping by physically keeping your mouth sealed throughout the night. If you’re interested in mouthtape for any reason, this guide will help you better understand what it is, how it works, and whether or not it’s the right solution for sleep problems that you experience as a result of your mouth being open all night (spoiler: for the most part, it is!). 

What Exactly Is Mouth Taping?

As the name suggests, mouth taping is the practice of taping one’s mouth shut during sleep in order to encourage breathing through the nose. This practice is generally employed for those who frequently sleep with their mouth open and snore (especially those with obstructive sleep apnea). However, there are some instances in which people will use mouthtaping along with their CPAP machine in order to prevent nighttime complications caused by breathing through the mouth, which is another stellar use of mouth tape as well!

Mouth taping is a relatively straightforward practice, but it’s important to understand why one might choose to apply mouth tape to their mouths at night. Does mouthtaping actually yield any results or have any benefits? If so, what are they? 

What Are the Benefits of Mouthtaping? 

The last thing that you want to do when you start using mouth tape in your nightly routine is to discover that it actually doesn’t yield any results and continue to invest time and money into something that’s simply not working for you. 

The good news? There’s a lot of support and evidence for the benefits of mouth tape, and those who have tried it out have underlined all the ways in which it has helped them overcome a wide range of issues, whether their problem is strictly dry mouth or they deal with snoring and other issues during the night. 

Check out this guy who tried mouthtape for 6 weeks.

Of course, this comes as no surprise. Nose breathing has been linked to numerous health benefits, including bringing more humid air into your lungs and allowing you to better filter out allergens, increasing lung volume, and more. So, what exactly can mouth taping do for you? Some of the most notable benefits of using mouth tape in your nightly routine include: 

• The alleviation of ADHD symptoms during the night. 
• Improved cognitive ability. 
• The reduction of a wide range of oral health issues, including dry mouth (which leads to bad breath), cavities, and gum diseases. 
• Changes in breathing related to sleep disorders, most notably obstructive sleep apnea. 

No matter how open-mouth breathing is affecting you during the night, you should try mouth tape for yourself to see how it can positively impact your quality of sleep and life! 

Does Mouth Taping Actually Help With Snoring?

Generally speaking, most people are going to approach mouth tape with the goal of stopping their snoring. If you snore, does it work? If so, how does it help you put a stop to your snoring so you and your partner can get a better night’s sleep? The signs point to yes. In fact, there’s science that supports the benefits of mouth tape for snoring, which can be very encouraging for those who have sought out help elsewhere only to continue snoring through the night. 

According to available research, those with obstructive sleep apnea who use mouth tape can actually encourage breathing through their nose while also repositioning the palate and the tongue in the process, helping them snore less and breathe better. Might mouthtape actually help those who are snoring for other reasons? Absolutely! While those obstructive sleep apnea will benefit most from mouth taping, there’s no reason not to try out mouthtaping for yourself if you snore and find that other anti-snoring products on the market simply couldn’t help you deal with your problem effectively. Additionally, you don’t have to deal with any products on the inside or the outside of your nose to get the job done!

Are There Any Potential Downsides to Mouth Taping?

Even though mouth tape isn’t a medication or invasive, it’s always important to remember that there are potential risks to any type of activity designed to achieve a specific health purpose, even if said activity doesn’t carry incredibly problematic issues. So, are there any potential downsides to mouth taping? Some things you should look out for while mouthtaping include: 

• Experiencing irritation around the area where the tape is located (which can absolutely occur if you’re using the wrong mouthtape for sealing your lips). 
• Feeling uncomfortable about using mouth tape for snoring or having trouble breathing throughout the night (some might feel more anxious when the tape is over their mouth than others). 
• Problems sleeping as a result of discomfort or irritation caused by the tape. 
• Pain that occurs when the tape is removed, as some types of mouth tape might end up taking off facial hair. 
• And more…

Put simply, there are some mild side effects that might result from mouth taping. With that said, a lot of these problems can be alleviated by choosing out the right mouth tape. For example, mouthtape products like Hostage Tape have demonstrated that they come on and off without causing irritation or removing facial hair, are not uncomfortable to wear, and are super easy to apply. If you want to avoid any of the above, just make sure you’re using the right tape. 

What Mouth Tape Are You Supposed to Use When Mouthtaping (and Which Should You Avoid)?

The concept of mouth taping is simple, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t make mistakes along the way. Some people might apply the wrong type of mouthtape, which could further the risk of irritation or complications while breathing throughout the night. With that in mind, which type of tape is the right tape to use for mouth taping?

What you should look for is porous tape that is suitable for use on human skin. There are plenty of medical tapes out there that work for this purpose, and there are also plenty of companies out there that specifically sell mouth tape for these purposes. Hostage Tape, which we mentioned above to combat the many side effects that some claim with other mouth tapes, is an excellent example. 

But now that we’ve covered what type of tape is good to use if you don’t want to snore, we have to discuss the various types of tape that might not be so helpful if you’re looking to put an end to your snoring. What are these? Some of the choices that people might make if they’re simply looking for something around the house they can use include:

• Duct tape
• Masking tape
• Electrical tape 
• Painter’s tape
• Packing tape
• And so on…

Unless you’re looking to potentially do damage to your body while you mouthtape, it’s best to avoid any of the examples above!

How Can You Start Using Mouth Tape? 

So, how exactly do you start using mouth tape? Mouthtaping is very simple, and whether you stick to the directions here or use the directions on the mouthtape product that you purchase, you should experience very few issues along the way. Here’s how you can get started.

• ALWAYS do a test run during the day. See how you can best apply your mouthtape, learn more about the various advantages and disadvantages it might offer for yourself, and work with mouth tape until you feel more comfortable having it on. 
• There are many different types of applications and mouthtapes to try. Are you someone who prefers to apply mouth tape vertically? Do you like to apply it horizontally? Alternatively, are there products out there that keep your lips closed without physically sealing your lips (which might be uncomfortable or anxiety-inducing for some people)? See what options you have at your disposal. 
• Try it out once you’ve become more comfortable with mouthtape. You might wish to put oil over your lips to stay more comfortable throughout the night. If at any point something doesn’t feel right or if sleep is being negatively impacted, you should stop and reach out to your doctor instead. 

As long as you follow the above and make sure that mouthtaping works for you, you should be fine!

Are There Any Disorders Where Mouthtape Should Not Be Applied?

While mouth tape is a safe product to use, there are always certain considerations to make if you have specific disorders where mouthtaping might not be effective (or might even be detrimental to your health instead). Here are a few of the reasons why you might want to avoid mouth taping and see a doctor instead. 

• You have severe obstructive sleep apnea, mouth taping alone may not be a great choice. Using a CPAP with mouth tape would be best.
• You’re experiencing severe halitosis, which might not be indicative of problems caused by mouth breathing and snoring but rather by oral health problems that are continuing to grow worse with time.
• You have a sleep disorder or a condition where you might experience nausea and vomiting throughout the night, which could put you at risk of choking if your mouth is sealed with mouthtape. 
• You are an epileptic.
• You’re someone who likes to have a nightcap or more, which could lead to vomiting later on in the evening. 

Mouthtaping doesn’t seem to carry too many serious risks along with it. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you suffer from any of the above, it’s best to avoid mouth tape and to speak with your doctor to talk about better solutions to these conditions. 

Are There Any Other Alternatives To Mouth Taping? 

If you’re looking for something that might be able to tackle snoring or similar issues without having to use mouth tape, there are alternatives out there. While we won’t dive too deeply into them, here are some potential solutions that you might wish to pursue. 

• Sleeping on your side, which can help you snore less if you have obstructive sleep apnea (in comparison to people with obstructive sleep apnea who sleep on their backs). 
• Taking the steps to address asthma or allergies, which may be the cause of your snoring or lack of sleep (especially if you breathe through your mouth rather than your nose), might help you get a better quality of sleep. 
• Practicing better sleep hygiene and oral hygiene to get better sleep and tackle bad breath from snoring. This includes sleeping in a dark, quiet room at a decent hour (while practicing self-care) as well as brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and making sure that you’re going to your cleaning appointments as prescribed by your dentist. 
• Using products that function in a similar way to mouth tape, such as nasal strips. 

If mouthtaping is not for you, there are plenty of alternatives out there you can take advantage of! However, we can almost guarantee that mouth taping is a solution you’ll be satisfied with!

Start Your Mouthtaping Journey Here With Hostage Tape!

Is mouth taping something that you want to try out for yourself? If so, you can get started with Hostage Tape! Hostage Tape is a seamless mouth tape system offered in the form of a subscription offering you coverage for 30 nights. With a beside tin for easy access, elastic fabric for comfort, medical-grade adhesive that seals your lips while still offering easy removal in the event of an emergency, and breathable fabric so that you’re sleeping easy, it’s easy to see why Hostage Tape is a top choice. 

Join our Facebook Group here to have discussions and get sleep hacks with like minded people suffering from snoring, sleep apnea, and mouth breathing. 

Don’t let bad sleep take you Hostage!

The most comfortable mouth tape on the planet.