{"id":16566,"date":"2022-10-20T10:41:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T15:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=16566"},"modified":"2022-10-24T16:16:39","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T21:16:39","slug":"is-it-safe-to-use-mouth-tape-for-sleeping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-it-safe-to-use-mouth-tape-for-sleeping\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it safe to use mouth tape for sleeping?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s easy to tell when you get good sleep. You feel rested, alert and ready to tackle the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But good sleep quality isn\u2019t always easy to achieve. For some people, they breathe through their mouth, which might lead to trouble sleeping.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mouth breathing can be a nuisance. It can cause a dry or scratchy throat, bad breath and snoring. Some people who have trouble breathing through their noses while sleeping turn to a practice called mouth taping.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People tape their mouths shut while sleeping in order to force themselves to breathe through their noses. And while over-the-counter mouth tape for sleep product is sold, it begs the question \u2013 is it a safe and effective practice?<\/span><\/p>\n

Is mouth tape dangerous?<\/h2>\n

Mouth taping not only doesn\u2019t help you to breathe through your nose, it\u2019s also highly dangerous. It can cause obstructed breathing and create other more serious sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and sleep disruption.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re supposed to breathe in and out through your nose, but mouth taping is not safe at all,\u201d said Kaninika Verma, MD, clinical sleep director at OSF HealthCare. \u201cThis is nothing a physician would ever recommend to a patient.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Why people use mouth tape<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not uncommon to breathe through your mouth when you\u2019re sick or stuffed up. You don\u2019t need to resort to taping your mouth closed. Taking medications can help unclog that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Need to talk to a professional?<\/p>\n

Find a primary care provider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

People often use mouth tape for snoring, as well. According to <\/span>Johns Hopkins Medicine<\/span><\/a>, about 45% of adults snore occasionally. For those people who have trouble sleeping because of snoring, there may be something more going on. But mouth tape isn\u2019t a solution for reducing snores.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If mouth breathing is a chronic problem you\u2019re experiencing, talk to your doctor instead of turning to this unsafe practice. Your doctor can help you find safe and effective solutions for how to sleep with your mouth closed without tape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding the reason for mouth breathing<\/h2>\n

According to Dr. Verma, mouth breathing is a symptom of a bigger issue. It\u2019s more important to figure out why you\u2019re sleeping with your mouth open and get to the bottom of that issue than it is to force yourself into nasal breathing with tape. Some things that may be making you breathe through your mouth include:<\/span><\/p>\n