From the Guidelines
Mouth taping during sleep can be beneficial in reducing arousals and increasing the amount of REM sleep, as evidenced by a study where taping the mouth substantially reduced arousals and increased REM sleep in patients on nasal BPAP with symptomatic mouth leak. This practice may help address issues related to mouth breathing during sleep, such as oral dryness and reduced tidal volume due to high leak 1. Some key points to consider when implementing mouth taping include:
- Using specialized medical tape designed for skin, such as paper or surgical tape, to gently secure the lips closed
- Applying the tape to dry lips and starting with short periods to adjust
- Potential benefits of mouth taping, including reduced snoring, improved sleep quality, and decreased dry mouth and throat irritation
- Importance of consulting a healthcare provider before trying mouth taping, especially for those with nasal obstructions, respiratory conditions, or sleep apnea
- The mechanism by which mouth taping works, which involves retraining breathing patterns over time to encourage nasal breathing, even during sleep 1. It is essential to weigh the potential benefits of mouth taping against individual circumstances and health conditions, ensuring that this practice does not exacerbate any underlying issues 1.
From the Research
Benefits of Mouth Taping
There are no direct research papers on the benefits of mouth taping. However, some studies discuss the importance of nasal breathing and oral appliances in treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which may be related to the concept of mouth taping.
- The nose plays a crucial role in regulating nasal airway resistance and stimulating ventilation during sleep 2
- Nasal obstruction is common in sleep apnea and contributes to OSA, interfering with tolerance of OSA treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or oral appliances 2
- Oral appliance therapy, including mandibular advancement devices, is an effective treatment for OSA, improving the Apnea Hypopnea Index and symptoms in 92% of subjects 3
- Combination therapy with CPAP and oral appliance may be a beneficial alternative for patients with incomplete responses to oral appliance therapy alone and those who cannot tolerate high CPAP levels 4, 5
Related Concepts
- Oral appliances, such as mandibular advancement devices, are efficacious in reducing the severity of OSA, although to a lesser extent than standard therapy using CPAP 6
- The health outcome of mandibular advancement device therapy is similar to that of CPAP, probably due to the inferior compliance of CPAP compared to oral appliance therapy 6