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Does Mouth Taping Really Improve Sleep? Here’s What the Science Says

Mouth taping reduced carbon dioxide buildup and mouth leaks while significantly increasing REM sleep and reducing nighttime arousals.

Written by SOOM

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Who This Is For:
If you snore, breathe through your mouth at night, or wake up tired despite getting enough hours of sleep, you’re not alone. You may have come across mouth taping—a rising trend in wellness circles—as a possible solution. But does it actually work? Here's what clinical research reveals.

What Is Mouth Taping?

Mouth taping involves applying a small piece of skin-safe tape over the lips before bed to gently encourage nasal breathing. This simple technique has gained attention for its potential to reduce snoring, improve sleep quality, and even support better oxygenation during sleep.

Clinically Studied Benefits of Mouth Taping

1. Reduction in Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

  • Study: Lee et al., 2022

  • Findings: Participants with mild OSA who typically breathed through their mouths experienced a significant decrease in both apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and snoring frequency when using mouth tape.

  • Real-World Benefit: Fewer breathing interruptions, better oxygen saturation, and more restful sleep.

2. Improved Oxygen and More REM Sleep

  • Study: Teschler et al., 1999

  • Findings: Among patients receiving nasal bilevel ventilation, mouth taping reduced carbon dioxide buildup and mouth leaks while significantly increasing REM sleep and reducing nighttime arousals.

  • Use Case: For people with CPAP or BiPAP machines, mouth taping can reduce leaks and improve therapy compliance.

3. Reduced Sleep Fragmentation from Mouth Leaks

  • Study: Meyer et al., 1997

  • Findings: Mouth leaks during sleep were shown to disrupt REM and light sleep. Taping helped minimize these disturbances.

  • User Outcome: Deeper, less interrupted sleep.

What the Broader Evidence Says

  • Scoping Review (Fangmeyer et al., 2024):
    While small-scale studies show promise—particularly for people with mild OSA or habitual snoring, the overall scientific support remains limited and mixed. Popular claims about mouth taping boosting energy, immunity, or dramatically enhancing cognitive performance are not yet well-supported.

  • Asthma Patients (Cooper et al., 2009):
    A randomized trial found no improvement in asthma control or symptoms from mouth taping, suggesting it’s not universally beneficial across all conditions.

Key Takeaway

Mouth taping may offer meaningful sleep improvements for:

  • Mouth-breathers

  • Light snorers

  • People with mild OSA

  • Users of nasal CPAP/BiPAP experiencing mouth leaks

However, if you're healthy and simply chasing "deeper sleep" or better next-day energy, current evidence doesn’t strongly support mouth taping as a guaranteed solution.

Final Word

Interested in trying mouth taping?
Choose a breathable, hypoallergenic tape specifically designed for overnight use. Monitor how you feel in the morning and consider tracking sleep metrics if you use devices like the Oura Ring, WHOOP, or Apple Watch.

Consult your doctor if you have diagnosed sleep apnea, asthma, or any underlying respiratory issues before trying it.