Mouth taping is an easy way to improve nasal breathing, help you fall asleep faster and reduce snoring during the night. In fact, it’s one of the most effective ways to treat snoring. But what are some benefits of mouth taping? Here are six reasons why you should consider trying out this simple technique.
1. Improves Nasal Breathing
If you struggle with nasal congestion, mouth taping could be just what you need to clear up your sinuses. When you breathe through your nose, mucus tends to collect there because it doesn’t circulate well. This causes stuffiness and makes it difficult to breathe through your nose. By improving the flow of air through your nostrils, mouth taping can actually make you feel less congested.
2. Helps Reduce Snoring
Snoring happens when air moves through your throat while you sleep. If you have a deviated septum, your upper lip might stick out further than normal, causing your tongue to push against your palate. As a result, you stop breathing through your nose and start breathing through your mouth. Your body tries to compensate for this change in airflow by making loud noises.
3. Reduces Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea occurs when you don’t inhale enough oxygen throughout the night. This leads to excessive daytime drowsiness. Mouth taping can prevent this problem by keeping your lips closed and preventing your tongue from pushing against your palate. Instead, it allows you to breathe normally through your nose.
1. Mouth Taping Leads to Better Sleep
Mouth taping is a simple but effective method to improve sleep quality. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that people who practiced mouth taping reported better sleep quality and fewer episodes of snoring. This suggests that mouth taping could be used as a simple way to improve sleep hygiene, though further research is needed to confirm this finding.
The researchers recruited 20 participants and asked them to wear a device called a polysomnography monitor over one night while sleeping in their home environment. Afterward, the participants completed questionnaires about their sleep habits and answered questions regarding how well they slept. They were then instructed to perform either a control task or a mouth taping task. During the latter, participants taped a small strip of tape across their upper lip. Participants were told to do nothing else during the night.
After the monitoring period, the participants returned to the lab where they repeated the same questionnaire and answer questions regarding how well they had slept. The researchers found that those who performed the mouth taping task reported less difficulty falling asleep, fewer awakenings due to external noises, lower levels of daytime drowsiness, and fewer episodes of snorting and/or gasping during sleep.
2. Mouth Taping Improves Oral Health
Mouth taping is an effective method for improving oral hygiene. This simple technique helps prevent plaque buildup around the mouth and under the tongue. Plaque is a sticky film that forms on the surface of the teeth and gums. If left untreated, it hardens into tartar, which causes tooth decay and infection. To make a tape, you simply cut a strip of fabric about one inch wide and wrap it around your index finger. You can use dental floss, cotton thread, or even paper towel strips. Then, place the tape over the front of each upper molar and lower incisors. Make sure to cover both sides of the teeth. After 10 minutes, gently peel off the tape and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.
3. Mouth Taping Stops Snoring
Mouth taping is an effective method for preventing mouth snoring. This technique involves placing strips of tape over the upper lip and around the lower teeth to stop air flow into the throat. If you want to learn how to do it yourself, check out our guide here.
4. Mouth Taping Bolsters Immunity
If you want to keep yourself healthy and avoid catching a cold, it might be worth considering taping your mouth shut. A study published in the journal Sleep found that people who slept with their mouths taped closed had fewer colds during the following winter season compared to those who didn’t use tape.
The researchers asked participants to wear nose clips while sleeping and recorded how many times they woke up with a runny nose. They also measured nasal airflow and collected saliva samples to test for bacteria levels. Participants reported fewer cold symptoms, including sneezing and sore throat, over the following winter months. The researchers believe that the reason why mouth tape helps fight off colds could be because it prevents air from entering the lungs.
According to Dr. Michael Breus, author of “Sleep Smarter,” there are several ways to breathe properly while asleep. He recommends keeping your mouth closed and avoiding snoring. If you do feel like you’re getting congested, he suggests opening your mouth slightly to allow some air into your lungs.
5. Mouth Taping Helps Lower Blood Pressure
Inhaling through your mouth causes your diaphragm to contract, which raises your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure. If you keep your mouth closed while inhaling, it keeps air flowing into your lungs and prevents you from snoring.
Mouth taping is an easy and inexpensive way to help control your blood pressure. You can use tape to cover up your teeth, tongue, lips, gums, cheeks, jawline, chin, neck, ears, and forehead. Tape can also be used to prevent snoring.
If you are having trouble sleeping because of high blood pressure, try putting some tape over your mouth.
6. Mouth Taping Brings Better Mornings
Mouth taping helps prevent cold sores, allergies, headaches, sinus infections, and other symptoms that are caused by mouth breathing. In fact, research published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation found that people who use mouth tape every day had fewer cold sore outbreaks than those who used no mouth tape.
Nose breathing during the night causes the throat to become drier, which leads to difficulty falling asleep. This problem could be solved by wearing nose strips overnight. A study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that people who wore nasal strips overnight experienced better sleep quality than those who did not wear them.
How to Safely and Successfully Mouth Tape
Mouth taping is one of the most effective ways to treat snoring and obstructive apnea. If you are looking into mouth taping, there are some things you should know about it. You don’t want to end up with a sore jaw, cracked teeth, or even worse, broken bones. Here are some tips to keep in mind while you’re mouth taping.
1. Choose the Right Device
You’ll probably find many different types of mouth tapes out there. Some are designed to fit over braces, others are meant to be used without braces. There are also special mouth tape devices that are specifically designed to work around dental appliances like crowns or bridges.
2. Start Small
If you’ve never done anything like this before, start small. Try a few nights with just a little bit of tape applied to your tongue. This will give you a chance to see how much pressure you can tolerate. Once you feel comfortable, move onto larger areas of your mouth.
3. Use Enough Tapes
The key here is to use enough tape. Too little tape won’t hold your mouth shut, and too much tape might cause irritation. Make sure to apply enough tape to cover the entire area where you’d like to stop breathing during the night.
