Mouth Taping Sounds Freaky—But There Are Benefits

The reaction when anyone finds out I’m trying out mouth taping at night is typically a mix of shock and horror. What is it, you ask? “Mouth taping is a simple and surprisingly effective way to encourage nasal breathing while you sleep or work,” New York-based facial sculpting expert Joseph Carrillo tells me. “A little strip of tape on your lips not only keeps your mouth closed but also helps you relax facial tension you didn’t even realize you had.” He also likes to tape during the day to catch himself clenching. “Over time, your jaw and tongue posture starts to align better, and your face feels lifted and balanced…like Pilates, but for your face.”

Perhaps you’ve seen the practice on TikTok (Spate counts it as one of the 10 fastest-growing wellness trends of 2024), or noticed Gwyneth Paltrow talking about it as part of her sleep routine, or even shopped it on the shelves of Erewhon (they offer Dryft, made with medical-grade materials). Users are touting benefits like enhanced sleep quality, reduced snoring, fresher breath, and sharper profile pics. “It’s for getting a snatched jaw,” I hear someone announce to friends collectively questioning a tin of mouth tape. For me, though, it’s an investment in my future: My dentist recently told me I’m a mouth breather, and that it’s a problem.

“The consensus is mixed on the systemic health benefits of mouth taping, but there are clear benefits from an oral health standpoint,” says Samantha Rawdin, a board-certified prosthodontist at Gallery57Dental in New York City. Breathing through your nose maintains a balance of good and bad bacteria in your mouth, which you definitely want: “If we’re mouth breathing during sleep, we become deficient in the amount of saliva needed and it leads to an overgrowth of the bad bacteria that causes bad breath, gum disease, and cavities. If we can promote nasal breathing, like with mouth taping, we can better stabilize our microbial equilibrium, leading to a better, healthier oral environment.”

Yet, searching “mouth taping” on any virtual engine will reveal sleep apnea-related risks or adhesive allergies, and about a quarter of the population may be right to avoid it. “Not having a straight septum can prevent patients from taping their mouths,” says Chicago-based double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Anil Shah, MD, FACS, who has a background in ENT. Facial plastic surgeons often begin their careers in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat medicine), meaning they have specialized training in the anatomy of the head and neck. “The benefit of mouth taping is that you’re using the part of your body that’s designed to breathe: Your nose,” says Shah, who notes that the nose itself is lined with endothelium, where the body makes nitric oxide, “important in relieving stress” and responsible for relaxing blood vessels. “Think about a yoga class, the first thing they say is breathe through your nose,” he says. “Ayurvedic medicine has known for centuries that nasal breathing is a foundational element to optimum health.” This isn’t new, it’s just a new way to encourage something we should already be doing.

“If you’re going to tape your mouth, try it during the day and see if you can do it before doing it at night,” Shah suggests. “At least 25% of the population just can’t do it because of their internal nasal anatomy. If it’s comfortable during the day, then there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to sustain this at night and make this a healthy habit for you to switch to nasal breathing.” By the time he gives me this advice, I’ve already been testing it at night for a few weeks with no issues. I like Dream Recovery strips that just cover the center of my mouth–it’s supportive, not scary, like a bra for the jaw. I do find that I’m remembering more dreams when I wear the tape, which could mean that I’m sleeping better. “Airway health impacts sleep quality because if you don’t breathe through your nose, eventually you’ll snore,” says Shah. “Snoring has been associated with potentially eight years of loss of life.”

Heading home to Texas for Thanksgiving, I skip taping during my window-seated nap because I’m too shy. What if someone gets freaked out at the sight of it? Soon, I wake up with my mouth completely agape, for all to see, and decide this is actually more embarrassing. “Redirecting air through the nose by mouth taping during sleep can benefit most healthy people,” according to Dr. Ed O’Malley, PhD, FAASM, a sleep science expert and advisor to Helight. “Nose breathing ensures that inspired air is warm, filtered, and moist,” he says, and “specifically, it can reduce, or completely resolve dry mouth in the morning (for mouth-breathers, snorers, and most people in reasonably good health).” Anyone struggling with sleep apnea should consult a doctor, he warns, which is advice that I receive after I hear my husband snoring more loudly than usual and ask him, while asleep, if he wants me to tape his mouth shut. (I should add that he had already tried it with full consent!) Once he groggily confirms, I apply a small strip and he sleeps silently throughout the rest of the night, waking up with rave reviews like “I loved it!” and “I did not feel gagged or smothered!” and “I did have vivid dreams!” Admittedly, it will take some kind of reminder to wear it at all, though. I keep it next to the bed for this reason.

On my flight back to New York, I bravely apply the tiny Dryft tape and pull a balaclava so far over my head in hopes no one will ever see it. Unfortunately, I sleep so soundly that I don’t hear the flight attendant ask me to raise my seat to its upright position, and the 2 women sitting next to me physically shake me to tell me it’s time. This is not a normal depth of sleep for a 3-hour flight, which seems like a good thing. While my goal isn’t deeper sleep, it may be an added bonus. “The biggest question to ask yourself prior to mouth taping is why you’re doing it,” says Rawdin. “If you’re snoring and you’re trying mouth-taping to improve that, it’s worth exploring the cause behind your snoring. Do you have upper airway resistance syndrome or sleep apnea? It’s important to diagnose these medical conditions and not just put a (literal) Band-Aid on it.”

If mouth taping is a practice that you want to try after asking these questions, Carillo has created a friendly beginner’s guide below:

1. Start with clean, dry lips.

2. Use hypoallergenic tape like Myotape or medical-grade paper tape.

3. Apply a small vertical strip across your lips. Just enough to guide them closed, not to silence your dreams. I like the SkinGym mouth tape, It already comes shaped like lips, and has a hole for water or in case you need a quick mouth breath.

“Mouth taping isn’t just about better breathing, it’s about letting your face relax, resetting bad habits, and waking up refreshed,” says Carillo. “Release the tension, and give those overworked muscles the break they need and deserve. Let your face do the talking (but only after the tape’s off).” Eventually, I’d love to get to the point where I’m so used to sleeping with my mouth closed, I don’t need the tape at all. Some brands, like Vio2 Unscented Mouth Tape, call their version a “mouth trainer,” which is how I’d like to think of it. One day, I’ll be a gorgeous nose-breather, too.