Mouth Taping. By: Dr. Nishita Ondhia

Mouth taping is the practice of sealing the lips shut with tape during sleep or exercise.  It promotes nasal breathing which in turn, betters breathing, sleep quality and overall health.  However, at this time, the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of mouth taping is limited.

The American Journal of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Medicine and Surgery issues an article in 2025, Surgery 46 104545 titled, “Nocturnal mouth-taping and social media: A scoping review of the evidence” and the highlights were:

• Current research evaluating mouth-taping during sleep is limited
• Mouth taping may benefit obstructive sleep apnea, snoring and ventilation
• Most TikTok mouth-taping claims are not supported by the literature
• Additional high-quality research is necessary to clarify clinical applicability

The potential side effects and risks are:

• Discomfort or anxiety for those unaccustomed to nasal breathing
• Restricted airflow as passages may be blocked by allergies, congestion or anatomical issues
• Skin Irritation/allergy reaction from the adhesive used on the tape
• Accidental Ingestion
• Removal Difficulties in the event of an emergency (ie. vomiting)

Despite the above, many people do find mouth taping beneficial in promoting nasal breathing.  If you decide to mouth tape, please keep all the key points in mind.

I would like to thank Dr. Audrey Yoon for her lecture on mouth taping in the 2025 course in Mastering Pediatric Sleep Medicine; the above information is from her slide deck.

By: Dr. Nishita Ondhia