Gluing Your Mouth Shut for Better Sleep? Here’s What Doctors Say.
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A recent trend circulating on social media platforms like TikTok suggests using adhesive tape to close the mouth during sleep, purportedly to improve sleep quality, lengthen sleep duration, and reduce snoring. However, medical professionals strongly advise against this practice.
The claims, often promoted by individuals connected to companies selling related products, lack scientific backing.”The studies behind the adhesive tape are small, the benefits are modest and there are potential risks,” explains Dr. Kimberly Hutchison, a neurologist and sleep medicine expert at Oregon Health & Science university.
The practice carries meaningful risks, including the potential to worsen existing sleep disorders like sleep apnea, and, in severe cases, even lead to suffocation.
Why Nose Breathing is Preferred
Experts agree that while mouth breathing in adults isn’t a major health concern, nasal breathing is preferable. The nose functions as a natural filtration system, trapping dust and allergens before they reach the lungs.
Breathing through the mouth during sleep can result in a dry mouth, irritated throat, bad breath, and contribute to oral health problems. It’s also frequently linked to increased snoring.
Mouth Taping: Unproven and Possibly Hazardous
Despite the benefits of nasal breathing, experts caution against resorting to mouth taping as a solution. Current evidence does not demonstrate that it improves sleep. Limited studies have shown minimal or no effect, and their small sample sizes prevent definitive conclusions.
“There is no clear evidence that it improves sleep,” the article states.
Dr. david Schulman, a sleep doctor at emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, highlights safer and more effective alternatives. These include prescription mouthpieces designed to open airways, and CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway pressure) devices – a ventilation therapy that supports patients with irregular breathing patterns by applying air pressure. Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and smoking cessation, can also be beneficial, especially for those who are overweight.
Identifying the Root Cause of Mouth Breathing
The safest approach is to determine why someone is breathing through their mouth. This could indicate an underlying issue, such as obstructive sleep apnea – a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep due to airway blockage. Sleep apnea is often associated with mouth breathing and snoring and is typically treated with a CPAP device.
“Sleep apnea can be bad because any deterioration in sleep quality can affect everyday life,” says Dr.Brian Chen, a sleep doctor at the Cleveland Clinic. He notes that disrupted sleep from snoring can prevent individuals from reaching deeper, restorative sleep stages, leading to daytime exhaustion and even dangerous situations like falling asleep at the wheel.
dr. Schulman recommends considering a sleep test, which can even be conducted at home.”It is always better to no something than not know,” he states. “And if you know that something is wrong and you decide against therapy, at least you know that you make a justified decision.”
