The Breathing Trend That Might Fix Your Sleep

The bedtime and morning routines of biohacker bros and crunchy moms alike have gone viral with one element in common: a piece of tape holding their mouth shut. This trend has brought together the most unlikely of health enthusiasts, and even Joe Rogan tried out the “mouth-taping” trend. But behind the absurd visuals of mouth taping is a real health hack. I would know since I’ve been on the mouth-taping bandwagon for two years. 

The social media stars claim the mouth-taping benefits include everything from reduced dry mouth to lowered blood pressure to a “looksmaxxed” jawline. Many sleep experts, however, are quick to point out that the evidence is mixed and that many of the claims on social media are extreme. But the social media buzz isn’t without cause either. The negative effects of mouth breathing are well established: dry mouth, bad breath, fatigue, hoarseness, and even jaw development issues in children — to name just a few. And the benefits of nasal breathing can include lower blood pressure, so the mouth-taping proponents might be onto something.

Two years ago, I started to see these claims and decided to test out the trend for myself. I wasn’t trying to “looksmax” my face or find a miraculous fix for high blood pressure. I just wanted a way to keep my mouth from falling open while I wore a bite guard to bed. Years of a bad jaw-clenching habit meant saving my teeth from wear and protecting my jaw joint had become top priorities. With a dental guard, waking up with a dry mouth was unpleasant, but I also knew it could cause oral health problems like an overgrowth of bad bacteria and ensuing plaque and cavities. 

What I discovered is that mouth taping not only prevented dry mouth but also alleviated some of the bruxism (teeth grinding) I was suffering with. While the research isn’t crystal clear, the claim is that forcing the mouth-tape user to breathe through his nose can improve bruxism given its link to mouth breathing. However, my own experience was that having my jaw forced shut prevented a nasty overcompensation via a tense and clamped jaw — at least for the moments my mouth wasn’t hanging open to dry out. If you’ve ever read about jaw surgery for temporomandibular joint disorders or treatments for a cracked tooth, not to mention the jaw pain from teeth grinding, then you know why I was so excited for some relief.  

With the virality that mouth taping has achieved, there are now even specialty mouth tape products marketed for the best night’s sleep. While these may work well for some sleepers, they can come with a price tag of a dollar for each night. Some options can add up to several hundred dollars every year! Fortunately, skin-safe surgical micropore tape is $11 for a large box on Amazon. 

If, like me, you’re sold on the mouth-taping trend, just tear off a 1- to 2-inch piece of tape and apply it to clean, dry skin either vertically or horizontally over your closed mouth. Peel off and readjust the tape as needed to be comfortable and to keep your mouth from opening when you relax your jaw. In the morning, just peel it off and throw it away. And if you notice any skin irritation, apply a little lotion or lip balm to the affected spots. Despite the social media and marketing hoopla, it’s really not complicated!

All that said, I’m not a mouth-taping advocate without reservations. For those among us who have sleep apnea or who suffer with other breathing conditions, taping shut one airway during sleep is obviously risky. Notably, mouth taping can supposedly help with snoring, but depending on the cause of snoring, it may similarly cause problems breathing. The one exception is those who use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to treat sleep apnea at night. As one of my family members infamous for his snoring discovered, mouth taping can be a helpful CPAP add-on to breathe properly. He uses the tape to keep his mouth shut while the CPAP nasal mask keeps his nasal airway working. However, as with any airway condition, there’s always a risk in obstructing one airway without advice from a sleep specialist. 

For me, the mouth-taping trend was groundbreaking to protect my jaw and teeth. Of course, no health hack or trend is a cure-all, and mouth tape won’t fix your problems if they stem from an underlying condition like a deviated septum or swollen tonsils. But when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, it’s no wonder that both the biohackers and “Make America Healthy Again” moms are jumping on board. And fortunately, in either camp or somewhere in between, there’s room for mouth breathers across the country to join in.

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Jordan Jantz is the assistant editor at IW Features as well as a freelance writer, editor, and website designer.

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.