Mouth taping is one of those questionable TikTok health hacks that has seemed to stick around. It's a simple intervention: Place a piece of tape over the mouth and go to bed. The idea is that the tape encourages breathing from the nose instead of the mouth at night.
Proponents of mouth taping — from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow to wellness influencers — claim it has numerous benefits. These include improving sleep, reducing snoring, boosting energy, combatting dry mouth and promoting dental health. Some even swear by mouth taping for a more defined jawline.
If you’ve been on TikTok recently, chances are you’ve seen a trend called the “morning shed," which involves sleeping in an array of skincare and wellness products, including mouth tape, and "shedding" these off in the morning to reveal a radiant, healthy look.
Mouth taping has evolved in recent years from using a piece of medical tape over the mouth to trendy products that come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Now, there is mouth tape with holes in the middle to allow for some air flow into mouth or a straw to sip water while keeping the jaw mostly closed.
Mouth tape has been subject to criticism by sleep experts, mainly around the risks of restricting airflow at night. What does the science say about mouth taping, and is mouth tape with a hole in the middle safer, since it in theory allows for some air? We spoke to experts about the potential benefits and harms.
Is mouth breathing bad for you?
It's normal to mouth breathe occasionally, especially when your nose is blocked. However, excessive mouth breathing — during the day or night —isn't recommended due to the downsides, Dr. Raj Dasgupta, pulmonologist and chiefmedical advisor of Sleepopolis, tells TODAY.com.
Breathing with your mouth open can reduce moisture in the oral cavity, causing dry mouth, Dasgupta says. Dry mouth can lead to bad breath and dental issues in the long-term.
"Mouth breathing is not good for oral health. It causes a decrease in saliva, and saliva is so protective," Dr. TriciaQuartey, dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association, tells TODAY.com. Dry mouth due to mouth breathing increases the risk of of tooth decay, cavities and irritated gums.
Mouth breathing can also worsen snoring, says Dasgupta. It's associated with sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when breathing is interrupted during sleep due to a blockage in the upper airway.
People usually mouth breathe due to a partial or complete nasal obstruction. "If you don’t anatomically have the ability to breathe through your nose, then you'd be a mouth breather," says Quartey. Underlying causes include nasal congestion from allergies or colds, a deviated septum or enlarged tonsils.
Benefits of nasal breathing
Nasal breathing is considered healthier and more efficient than mouth breathing, and offers several benefits.
"When we breathe through our nose, it filters out dust and allergens," Dasgupta says. The nasal passages are lined with cilia, tiny hair-like structures that trap debris and germs before they enter the lungs.
Inhaling through the nose humidifies the air, which is better for respiratory health. "It's beneficial, especially for asthma, because dry air can be irritating to the lungs," says Dasgupta.
It may lower blood pressure, too. "When you breathe through the nose, it produces called nitric oxide, a gas which may help relax your blood vessels and control your blood pressure," says Dasgupta. This can increase the absorption of oxygen into your bloodstream.
At night, nasal breathing can help open the airways and reduce snoring, the experts note. Compared to mouth breathing, nasal breathing engages the diaphragm, allowing you to take deeper breaths. "Nasal breathing is used as a relaxation technique, often incorporated with mediation and yoga," says Dasgupta.
The intended purpose of mouth taping at night is to encourage nasal breathing, but does it actually work?
Are there benefits of mouth taping?
Although nasal breathing is beneficial, there is no evidence that mouth taping at night improves sleep or overall health, the experts note.
It may be popular online, but mouth taping hasn't been studied extensively, says Quartey. "There is very limited scientific evidence to support its benefits or to address its risks,” Dasgupta adds.
A 2025 review of previous studies on nocturnal mouth taping in the American Journal of Otolaryngology showed that results vary greatly, and there is little consensus on its benefits. One small study on the impact of mouth taping in patients with obstructive sleep apnea showed improvements in snoring among 13 out of 20 subjects, but the results were limited and more high-quality studies are needed.
There’s no evidence that mouth taping improves the quantity or quality of sleep, says Dasgupta. "Taping your mouth does not extend your sleep and does not guarantee that you'll go into deep sleep or REM sleep, which are probably the most important sleep stages," he adds.
Additionally, there's not enough evidence showing that mouth taping improves oral health, and no proof that it helps sharpen the jawline, the experts note.
Mouth taping isn’t recommended as a solution for mouth breathing due to the lack of research showing it's effective and the possible harms. As with many quick and easy health hacks, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Mouth tape risks
“We don’t have a lot of good data on mouth taping, and that is vital to identify potential risks,” Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., a sleep scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, tells TODAY.com.
Mouth taping may not be safe for everyone. "The risk is not having adequate breathing at night. When you need to mouth breathe, cutting it off can have damaging effects," says Quartey.
If you have a nasal obstruction, taping the mouth shut will restrict air flow, Dasgupta notes. This could lead to shallow breathing or insufficient blood oxygen and increase the risk of suffocation, per the Cleveland Clinic.
"If it’s already hard for you to breathe through your nose, you should not be mouth taping," says Quartey. Instead, the experts recommend getting evaluated by an ear, nose and throat specialist, who can diagnose and treat the underlying cause.
People who snore regularly or have trouble sleeping should consider a sleep study before using mouth tape, says Dasgupta. One may assume mouth breathing is the culprit, "when in fact, it's an underlying sleep disorder that needs to be treated," says Robbins.
Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea. "You always want to rule that out because taping can make obstructive sleep apnea worse," Dasgupta adds. A 2024 study suggests forced mouth closure can worsen airflow in mouth-breathers with severe sleep apnea.
Additionally, mouth tape may irritate the lips and skin around the mouth, Quartey adds.
Is mouth tape with a hole safer?
It’s now common to see mouth tape with a small hole or slit in the middle, which is big enough to take in some air through the mouth or sip through a straw.
These products are designed to allow for mouth breathing if necessary, while keeping the mouth closed. However, there's no scientific evidence showing mouth tape with a hole is safer than mouth tape without a hole, according to the experts.
“Conceptually, the fact that there is a hole makes a little more sense, but nothing has proven that it’s safe,” Dasgupta says. Although there is a hole, you still aren’t able to breathe properly through the mouth when you're asleep, Quartey adds.
“With mouth taping, whether it’s vertical, horizontal, or has a hole in the middle ... the efficacy and safety is still controversial,” Dasgupta adds.
Tips to reduce mouth breathing
There are ways to reduce mouth breathing that don't involve taping your mouth shut, according to the experts.
When you notice yourself mouth breathing while awake, close your mouth and try consciously nasal breathing. Myofunctional therapy can also teach you exercises to work on tongue placement and train the facial muscles to encourage nose breathing, Quartey adds.
If you’re congested, try clearing the nasal passages using saline rinses or over-the-counter medicines.
"There are alternatives to address snoring, such as wearing nasal strips or using nasal dilators, and avoiding sleeping on your back," Dasgupta.
Chin straps, which are often worn by people who use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, can gently keep the mouth closed without sealing the lips. These wrap under the chin and tie above or behind the head. "It just brings your jaw up so you don't open your mouth as much," Dasgupta adds.
If you're concerned about mouth breathing or still want to try mouth taping, talk to your doctor. “It’s a trend that’s not rigorously grounded in science and something you should not try on your own,” says Robbins.
