No Drying Out of the Oral Mucosa

Taping the mouth shut at night to solve sleep problems initially sounds like a bizarre TikTok trend. The video about "Mouth Taping" was indeed published on TikTok, but in this case, the author is US health expert Coryl Rodriguez. Taping the mouth forces nasal breathing, which is much healthier than mouth breathing. But is a mouth strip really the only help, and is taping the mouth not dangerous? We took a closer look at this supposed health tip.

Where does the method of Mouth Taping come from?

The hype around the method of taping a patch on the mouth at night is now followed by many celebrities. Not only younger people are encouraged to try it. The method originates from the Buteyko breathing technique, named after the Russian doctor and scientist Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko.

About 70 years ago, he discovered that chronic stress negatively affects breathing and researched a solution. The result is a breathing technique that focuses on reduced inhalation to improve oxygen supply to the cells. People with asthma have frequently used this method since then, but healthy people also train nasal breathing in various ways for disease prevention.

What does the mouth strip do?

In so-called Mouth Taping, one does not tape the mouth shut at night with simple adhesive tape but with a special mouth strip (colloquially also called lip or snoring patch) that is breathable. Only a small piece of the patch is needed. It is placed in the middle of the mouth so that it cannot be easily opened. Taping the mouth shut at night is said to bring the following benefits:

• No drying out of the oral mucosa
• Less germ load in the mouth
• Reduced snoring
• Training of nasal breathing

Furthermore, our health condition is said to be permanently improved by this. The reported positive effects include the following:

• Strengthening of the immune system
• Increased concentration ability
• Reduced bad breath
• Healthier teeth and gums
• Lowering of blood pressure
• Healthy digestive tract
• Promotion of natural weight loss
• Less head and back pain

The information is based on reports from people who have followed the trend for a certain period and taped their mouths shut at night.

Is nasal breathing healthier than mouth breathing?

Many doctors state that nasal breathing is the only completely healthy form of breathing. This is scientifically proven, regardless of the trend of taping a patch on the mouth at night. This is partly because our nose naturally cleans and conditions the air we breathe, as our nasal hairs catch the smallest dirt particles, i.e., possible germs, directly. Our mouth does not have such a function, so air flows almost unfiltered into our circulation.

Occasionally breathing through the mouth is completely normal. However, it should become a habit to take most of our breath through the nose. The effects mentioned in the previous section have been proven in relation to nasal breathing. Our oral flora is healthier with nasal breathing, the oxygen content of our blood is also improved by the technique, and we even train our bronchi. The idea that more oxygen can be absorbed through the mouth is a misconception because the Bohr effect necessary for our body actually fully occurs with nasal breathing.

How can you tell if you breathe through your mouth at night?

Good question, you might think. After all, breathing is automatic, and you certainly don't realize it during sleep. But beware, especially if you have an existing illness, it is often different.

• One of the most common signs of obstructive sleep apnea is loud snoring. The snoring noise occurs when our airways close. You probably know this from a severe cold, where you almost automatically switch to mouth breathing. Back sleepers are particularly affected because in this position the tongue and throat muscles relax especially well. Anatomical predispositions such as jaw misalignment or crooked nasal septa also lead to this effect and can promote obstructive sleep apnea.
• Do you suffer from severe daytime sleepiness, concentration problems, or headaches? These and other symptoms can be warning signs of a sleep-related disorder or breathing disorder. In sleep apnea, there are many breathing pauses of several seconds at night. When they occur, our brain center puts the body into a kind of SOS emergency state and forces it to wake briefly to take in oxygen. These waking phases are often not consciously perceived by those affected but often lead to massive complaints in everyday life.
• A dry mouth and throat can be further signs that you primarily breathe through your mouth at night.

Can taping the mouth shut also be dangerous?

You do not have to fear suffocation, at least when using a special mouth strip. Our body has a natural protective mechanism that wakes us up if we get too little air. This also happens during breathing pauses caused by obstructive sleep apnea.

Therefore, if you have existing sleep problems or suffer from health complaints or limitations, a physical examination by your general practitioner, ENT specialist, or lung specialist is strongly recommended. It is important to get to the bottom of existing complaints to rule out any health risks. You can also comfortably test your risk of sleep apnea at home with the portable mini sleep lab Sleepiz – for a one-time cost of only 119 to 199 euros.

Train nasal breathing instead of Mouth Taping

Experts doubt the sustainable effect of taping the mouth shut at night. After all, Mouth Taping forces nasal breathing, but this is not trained naturally. The chance is therefore high that you will continue to breathe through your mouth during the day or at night without a mouth strip. Other methods may therefore be more efficient.

To train nasal breathing in everyday life, it is especially important to consciously pay attention to your breathing and focus on pure nasal breathing during the day – even during sports. Useful tips to prevent mouth breathing can be found, among other places, on the website of the Seegarten Clinic or in our article on this topic. The breathing technique taught in yoga can be very supportive if you have problems breathing through your nose. You can find a sample video at this link.

The FaceFormer is an effective training device to strengthen nasal breathing. It is a training device developed from neuropsychological perspectives. Among other uses, it is also applied in temporomandibular joint disorders. In cases of severe health problems such as sleep apnea, other devices are used under medical supervision, such as the CPAP breathing mask, snoring splint, or tongue pacemaker.

Conclusion

Patch or not? Just try it once! Using a special mouth strip – often also called a snoring patch – to tape your mouth shut at night is generally not harmful according to doctors. Taping the mouth does train nasal breathing, which clinically is the best breathing technique. However, the sustainably positive effect of pure Mouth Taping has not been proven.

If you have breathing problems, are a snorer, or experience other complaints such as severe daytime sleepiness, it is advisable to see a doctor. These complaints may hide a breathing disorder that can lead to serious secondary diseases without treatment. Taping the mouth shut at night is not a common treatment for sleep apnea; this requires long-term treatment under medical supervision.

You can quickly and easily determine your personal sleep apnea risk with Sleepiz. Order Sleepiz One+ to your home today and receive your results in just a few days.

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