Can Mouth Taping Improve Energy Levels?
You know that feeling. Your alarm sounds, and before even looking at the clock, you think to yourself, 'I only slept six hours, and I'm already needing my second cup of coffee before nine'. If this rings any bells, you're not alone. Millions of American's go to bed at a reasonable time and get what should be a full nights rest, but when their alarm finally goes off, they are left feeling groggy and tired. What these people may not realize is that their subconscious is doing something it shouldn't while they sleep. Between the moment they fall asleep and the moment they wake up again, their mouths are slowly opened, their breathing transitions from nose to mouth, and their bodies are robbed of the deep, restful sleep they need to function at their best.
In recent years, mouth taping, a new trend going around the internet, has been making its rounds and has spiked popular interest. With searches for mouth tape for snoring, sleep mouth tape, and sleeping mouth tape becoming increasingly popular over the years, questions about the effectiveness of mouth taping and whether it can truly improve your energy levels the next day are being asked. Here is everything you need to know about the science and what's really happening inside our bodies when we sleep with our mouths taped shut to encourage nose breathing.
Why You Might Be Tired Even After a "Full" Night of Sleep
Total hours in bed is only part of the sleep equation. What matters just as much is sleep quality, meaning how much time you actually spend in the deep, restorative stages of your sleep cycle versus how often you're pulled out of them by small, forgettable disruptions.
Mouth breathing is one of the most common and most overlooked causes of these micro-disruptions. When your mouth falls open at night, several things happen at once:
- Airflow becomes less efficient, so your body works slightly harder to get the oxygen it needs
- The soft tissues in your throat are more likely to vibrate, which is what causes snoring
- Your mouth and throat dry out, which can trigger brief awakenings you don't even remember
- Your nervous system stays in a lighter, more "alert" state instead of settling into deep sleep
None of this necessarily wakes you up completely. But it chips away at the quality of your rest, night after night, which is exactly why you can log eight hours and still feel like you got four.
The Mouth-Breathing Energy Connection
Here is the part few will tell you about. The fact is that your nose does not only allow you to breathe; it actively participates in the entire process. The air that goes from your nose to the lungs is purified, warmed up, and dehumidified. In addition, breathing through the nose increases the amount of nitric oxide by about 20%. This gas is produced by the sinuses and opens blood vessels.
On the contrary, oxygen levels are reduced while breathing through the mouth. Moreover, this method is less efficient, and, according to research, mouth breathing during sleep results in decreased oxygen levels compared to nasal breathing. Essentially, the ability to receive sufficient amounts of oxygen during the night is reduced, which makes a person feel more tired than usual after a full night's sleep. As a result, he wakes up tired and heavy.
This is when mouth taping comes to the rescue. By preventing the mouth from opening at night, the technique forces the body to use the nasal breathing method to normalize the levels of oxygen in the blood.
What Does the Research Actually Say?
There are two things that we should probably acknowledge before diving deeper into this topic. Firstly, mouth taping as a practice has only been studied recently, and most research into it has been dedicated to exploring the potential benefits it may have on snoring and mild cases of sleep apnea. Secondly, while the information we currently have is rather compelling, there are still several limitations to most of these studies.
The study that was published in the healthcare journal Healthcare, for example, was carried out on only twenty patients who had mild cases of OSA, and the positive results it reported were found after a week of taping the mouths of the participants during sleep. A notable result found by the researchers was the significant reduction of daytime sleepiness in the group of patients whose breathing was most disrupted before the trial began.
Since the ability of the deep stages of sleep to restore the body is intimately linked to the amount of energy that a person feels they have when waking up, some doctors and researchers believe there to be a connection between the reduction of disrupted breathing episodes during the night and the increase of energy levels reported by these patients. However, as we already mentioned, many of the studies conducted are small-scale, preliminary, or involve only participants with mild forms of breathing-related sleep disorders, and the practice has yet to be officially recognized as a method of improving energy levels or reducing tiredness during the day.
Therefore, it is hard to deny that mouth taping may have potential benefits for people with sleep apnea, but it is also too early for anyone who suspects they may have a breathing issue to jump to the method. Consulting a medical professional would be the best option for those with symptoms of sleep apnea or snoring issues.
How to Try Mouth Taping Safely
If you and your medical provider decide to try out the idea, ease into it, as this helps more than you think. I have a very easy and safe method that you can use to ease into this change and see for yourself if the tape really can be useful for you. Let me explain:
1. First off, test run it during the day! Before you tape up your whole mouth for a full night's worth of sleep, try sticking the tape on your mouth for a bit while you're simply doing your favorite relaxing activity to see how easily you can breathe through your nose and not feel panicked or claustrophobic.
2. Make sure to use hypoallergenic tape, NOT duct tape, surgical tape, or any other types of tapes that aren't designed for the skin. Pick up a special breathable sleep tape if you'd like, preferably with a mild adhesive that won't leave you with red, itchy patches when you take the tape off in the morning.
3. Try applying a small strip of tape vertically across your lips, instead of taping your mouth up fully and keeping your lips shut during the whole night. It's good to encourage the lips to stay shut, but it's also healthier to not have your mouth taped so securely.
4. Make sure to keep a glass of water next to you during your first few nights with the tape, just in case you wake up with a parched throat.
5. Finally, keep in mind that it can take some days or even weeks to really notice a difference. Most who stick to using the sleep tape notice a lack of dryness in their mouths after waking up, a less snore-inducing sleep, and more energy throughout the day, after using the tape for at least a few nights.
6. And lastly, keep in mind that you should peel the tape off slowly in the direction of where your skin naturally goes, and make sure it's not too sticky to remove, as you may have to wet it with some water and remove the adhesive beforehand.
Who Should Skip Mouth Taping
Mouth taping is not suitable for everyone, and I believe it would be irresponsible not to list some of these reasons why. In short, you shouldn't tape your mouth if you:
- Suffer from chronic congestion, allergies, or a cold
- Have a deviated septum or suspect nasal obstruction of any kind
- Have untreated or uncontrolled obstructive sleep apnea
- Have or are at risk of developing asthma, COPD, or other respiratory issues
- Are particularly prone or susceptible to panic attacks or anxiety involving shallow breathing;
Have heavy facial hair, which will be hard to shave for mouth taping (or consider a bearded alternative). If you find yourself loudly snoring, gasping for breath, choking or feeling very tired during the day, it might be a sign of sleep apnea, which should be diagnosed and treated properly.
Ready to Try It for Yourself?
If you ever have trouble with mouth breathing, snoring, or not being able to get good rest at night, then a simple solution might be right around the corner. Medisupplis has developed a medical grade mouth tape made of an ultra-soft breathable adhesive that is great for sensitive mouths and is easy to remove in the morning. Get some of our nasal strips for extra air support or our neck stretcher to help relieve tight muscles that make it hard to fall asleep.
Shop Medisupplis Anti-Snoring Mouth Tape
Small changes to how you breathe at night can add up to noticeably better mornings. Start tonight, and see the difference for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can it make you have more energy?
It can! It can indirectly make you more energetic by enhancing your deep sleep and lowering nighttime disturbances, but in no way has it ever been proven as an alternative source of energy.
2. Is it safe to tape your mouth every night to breathe through your nose?
Yes, it is, as long as you have no chronic nasal congestion issues and/or sleep apnea. Of course it is always best to consult with your doctor before trying any new techniques involving your health.
3. How quickly do the effects of taping your mouth while you sleep develop?
In as little as just a few nights, you could see a dramatic decrease in the amount of dryness you experience in your mouth in the morning. It may take around a few weeks to see a real difference in the overall quality and/or quantity of your sleep.
4. Does taping your mouth help with snoring?
Yes, according to research done in 2022 on people who snores primarily with their mouth open. There has been a significant difference, in people with mild sleep apnea between people who wore the mouth tape and breathed through their nose while they slept, and those who didn't.
5. Can taping your mouth cure sleep apnea?
Unfortunately no, taping your mouth will not cure or even help with sleep apnea on its own. There have been studies, however, showing promise to mild cases of sleep apnea when paired with another method of treatment, so as long as your doctor approves it, it's definitely worth a shot to try and improve your overall sleep quality.
6. What kind of tape should I use on my mouth?
There are specially made tapes for this very purpose; you should only use skin-friendly tapes such as hypoallergenic tapes made especially for sleeping. Never try using duct tape, regular masking tape, or anything else that isn't made for sensitive skin on your face as it could cause a rash or a severe allergic reaction.
7. Who shouldn't try mouth taping?
Anyone with congested nasal passages, a deviated septum, untreated sleep apnea, asthma, COPD, claustrophobia, or panic disorder shouldn't really try mouth taping or at the very least, should consult with their doctor before attempting any mouth taping.
8. Does it help with getting a six-pack?
Unfortunately no, it doesn't help with anything related to getting a six-pack or any other muscle building. The only reason mouth taping was ever used is because it helps you breathe easier and deeper while you sleep, not for the sake of your jawline or anything similar.
9. Can it make dry mouth worse?
As mentioned before, it will only work as intended if your nasal passages are clear. In fact, it can make things significantly worse if you try to use the mouth tape while you have a cold, stuffy nose, or any congestion whatsoever. Only taping your mouth is a good idea if your nose is clear. You should avoid any mouth taping while you have a cold or allergies unless advised otherwise by your doctor.
10. Is there any scientific proof that this works
There are some small-scale but reliable and credible studies that have proven the effectiveness of mouth taping in reducing snoring in people who tend to keep their mouths open while they sleep. There are even some studies showing mild reductions in the severity of sleep apnea in a few patients, but overall more research and larger-scale clinical trials are needed to really confirm any of the benefits we think mouth taping has.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you experience loud snoring, gasping during sleep, or persistent daytime fatigue, please consult a healthcare provider or sleep specialist before trying mouth taping.