Mouth taping trend poses serious health risks, says Md. doctorNothing soothes the soul like a deep sleep
Mouth taping trend poses serious health risks, says Md. doctor

Mouth taping trend poses serious health risks, says Md. doctor

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Mouth taping trend poses serious health risks, says Md. doctor

Mouth taping is when you put a piece of tape across your lips to encourage nose breathing when you’re sleeping. It’s currently trending on Instagram and TikTok, claiming to improve sleep quality, oxygen levels and reduce snoring. Dr. Jennifer Gourdin, a sports medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Silver Spring, Maryland, says there is no strong evidence to suggest this is true. Instead of resorting to mouth taping, she suggests trying a cool, calm, dark environment, limiting screen time, and turning of the television and putting your phone away before going to bed. The theory behind it is that nose breathing during sleep is more efficient.

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Mouth taping trend to improve sleep quality, athletic performance poses serious health risks, says Maryland doctor.

The social media trend of mouth taping to improve sleep quality and ultimately boost athletic performance is largely unproven, and potentially dangerous, says Dr. Jennifer Gourdin, a sports medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“Mouth taping is when you put a piece of tape across your lips to encourage nose breathing when you’re sleeping,” Gourdin told WTOP. “It’s currently trending on Instagram and TikTok, claiming to improve sleep quality, oxygen levels and reduce snoring.”

Gourdin, whose handle on Instagram and TikTok is @drjthesportsdoc, said many of those engaging in mouth taping are athletes. “This is a big deal in the sports field, because improved sleep quality is associated with improved muscle recovery and improved athletic performance.”

The theory behind it is that nose breathing during sleep is more efficient, Gourdin said.

“When you breathe through your nose, you filter the air. It’s humidified and warm, so you’re less likely to wake up in the middle of the night with dry mouth or bad breath, and you’re less likely to wake up fatigued,” she said. “However, there’s not any strong evidence currently to suggest that this true.”

And, the practice of mouth taping poses several risks to many people.

“If you have something like sleep apnea or some other underlying sleep condition, if you have nasal congestion, a deviated septum, or allergy symptoms, taping your mouth could lead to more restricted breathing,” said Gourdin. “It could also lead to dangerous drops in your oxygen levels while you’re sleeping, and in some individuals, it can also lead to panic attacks or anxiety attacks.”

A May study in the PLOS One journal, which reviewed 10 studies on mouth taping, found “very minor improvement in certain outcomes” for people with mild sleep apnea. But the research also found that “there are potential serious detrimental health outcomes to those with nasal obstruction,” who use oral taping as a means to ameliorate their mouth breathing, sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing.

Gourdin said there are currently no FDA-approved mouth tapes that are safe for people to use.

Instead of resorting to mouth taping, to improve sleep quality, Gourdin suggests trying a cool, calm, dark environment, limiting screen time, and turning of the television and putting your phone away before bed.

“Have a sleep routine that you go through every night to help you wind down. Limit your intake of caffeine or alcohol before bed. And, for some patients, sleeping on your side can help improve your breathing,” Gourdin said.

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Source: Wtop.com | View original article

Source: https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2025/07/mouth-taping-trend-poses-serious-health-risks-says-md-doctor/

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