• Posted September 29, 2025

Doctors Warn Against Mouth Taping During Sleep

Taping your mouth shut before bed may seem like a quick fix for better sleep, but doctors are raising serious alarms about this viral social media trend. 

While devotees claim it can improve sleep and reduce snoring, health professionals say the practice is unproven and comes with significant risks, according to The Associated Press.

“The studies behind mouth tape are small, the benefits are modest and the potential risks are there,” said Dr. Kimberly Hutchison, a neurologist and sleep medicine expert at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. 

These risks include the potential to worsen underlying conditions like sleep apnea or, in extreme cases, cause suffocation.

The nose acts as a natural filter for dust and allergens. While nasal breathing is preferred most of the time, doctors emphasize mouth breathing is not a major health issue for most adults. 

Breathing through your mouth at night can lead to a dry mouth, irritated throat and dental problems. But, experts warn, the solution isn't to tape your mouth shut.

Dr. David Schulman, a sleep doctor at Emory University in Atlanta, said there are far safer alternatives. 

He recommends exploring options like prescription mouthpieces or a CPAP machine for those with sleep disorders. Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or losing weight, can often improve sleep quality and reduce mouth breathing, Schulman added.

Why a person is breathing through the mouth while sleeping is the key issue. It can be a symptom of a more serious condition, such as obstructive sleep apnea, where the airway is blocked during sleep. This disorder is linked to both mouth breathing and snoring and is typically treated with a CPAP machine.

“The reason sleep apnea can be bad is that any decrease in the quality of sleep can affect you day to day or over the course of your life,” said Dr. Brian Chen, a sleep doctor at the Cleveland Clinic. "Depending on how bad the sleep is, you may just feel sleep deprived or require more sleep."

Rather than risking a dangerous trend, Schulman advises people to seek a proper diagnosis. A sleep test, which can often be done at home, is the best way to understand the root of the problem. 

“It’s always better to know than not know,” he said. 

From there, patients can make treatment decisions based on the specific cause of the mouth breathing, he added.

More information

The National Institutes of Health has more on obstructive sleep apnea.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, news release, Sept. 27, 2025