A viral trend on TikTok, the practice of covering your mouth with tape to sleep better, has won over influencers, celebrities, and athletes, but is it really beneficial?
The viral trend on TikTok of covering your mouth with tape to sleep better has won over influencers, celebrities, and even athletes, but is it really beneficial?
It is widely known that a good night’s sleep works wonders for health, and according to social media, using tape to keep your mouth shut while sleeping could contribute to better sleep.
For some influencers, the practice helps not only with breathing but also with dry mouth, bad breath, snoring, teeth grinding, and even jaw definition.
Erling Haaland, Manchester City player, is one of the supporters of “mouth taping”, for him, sleeping with his mouth taped shut makes him breathe only through his nose, which would be better, as nasal breathing is supposedly better for filtering the air.
In an interview for the Impaulsive podcast, Haaland shared that he uses tape to encourage his body to breathe through his nose while sleeping: “I think sleeping is the most important thing in the world. To sleep well, simple things like blue light-blocking glasses and blocking all signals in the room are really important,” he said.
“I sleep with the tape. Doing too many things isn’t good, but doing little things every day over a longer period really pays off.”
Experts agree that encouraging nasal breathing is indeed important, and research has shown that nasal breathing improves oxygenation, reduces snoring, and can even make you feel more rested.
So, in theory, tape on the mouth could indeed help, but for researchers, it’s an extreme method to encourage nasal breathing, especially for people who suffer from nasal congestion, sleep apnea, or experience discomfort from taping their mouths.
For those considering following the trend, using tape on your mouth is not necessarily dangerous, but there’s not enough scientific evidence to support the suggested benefits. Therefore, it’s advisable to consult with a doctor for an evaluation before adopting this practice.
This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
