By now, you've probably seen at least one video of someone going to bed with their mouth taped shut and claiming they woke up feeling like a whole new person. That practice is called "mouth taping," the latest bedtime ritual that's taken over #sleeptok. Ahead, we break down what this trend is, where it came from, and if it's actually a good idea to seal your lips like an envelope before snoozing.
What Is Mouth Taping?
Mouth taping is exactly what it sounds like: you put a piece of tape over your mouth before bed to keep it closed while you sleep. The goal? To force yourself to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. Online creators are claiming it gives them deeper sleep, stops their snoring, clears up their skin, and helps sculpt their jawline.
The idea of promoting nasal breathing isn't exactly new-it's been a thing in the holistic health world for years. But the trend started popping up on TikTok thanks to health and wellness creators who turned it into a cute multi-step lil' bedtime ritual.
What Are the Benefits of Mouth Taping?
Here are some of the supposed benefits of putting tape over your mouth before drifting off to dreamland:
- Better sleep: Nasal breathing is said to help you stay in deeper sleep stages longer.
- No more snoring: For some, mouth breathing equals snoring, so taping would result in absolute silence
- Drooling no more: If you have a tendency to drool in your sleep (no judgment here), mouth tape is apparently the way to go.
- Oral health perks: Mouth breathing can dry you out, so nasal breathing may help keep things fresher all around.
- That jawline, though: Some claim keeping your mouth shut encourages "proper tongue posture," which, in turn, can apparently help you score a snatched jawline.
Dr. James Mojica, clinical director of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Today that while nasal breathing is ideal, taping your mouth shut could be problematic-especially if you have a medical condition like sleep apnea and don't know it.
The Cleveland Clinic also raised a giant red flag, warning that restricting your ability to breathe literally while you sleep isn't something to experiment with unsupervised. WebMD added that there's no solid clinical evidence that mouth taping improves sleep, and it might even be dangerous.
Don't hop on this trend without talking to a doctor, especially if you deal with allergies, sinus issues, or sleep disorders. If you do get the go-ahead, use medical-grade, skin-safe tape recommended by your doctor and monitor how you feel. The second you wake up gasping for air or with lips that feel like they've been waxed off, it's time to put those mouth tapes away.
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