Mouth taping for sleep: is it safe, and does it work?

A trend with a lot of marketing

Mouth taping is mostly a social media phenomenon. An analysis of 390 Instagram reels tagged #mouthtape found that 94 percent endorsed it, more than half came from companies, and only 12 percent from medical professionals.¹ On TikTok, the videos mostly promise better sleep and healthier teeth. Very few of these claims have been studied.²

What the research shows

A 2025 systematic review found only ten studies on closing the mouth during sleep, with tape or a chin strap. All of them studied adults with sleep apnea or mouth breathing, about 200 people in total. None studied healthy people, children, or pregnant women. The quality of all ten was poor.³

1. A 2025 review found ten studies, each with 9 to 71 adults with sleep apnea or mouth breathing. None in healthy people.
2. Only two small studies without a comparison group found changes. The rest found no difference.
3. Four research teams explicitly warn of a suffocation risk, for example with a blocked nose or vomiting.
4. The quality of all ten studies was poor.

Play again

Only two small studies without a comparison group found changes; the rest found no difference. The authors’ conclusion: the data don’t support mouth taping as a sound measure.³ A second review from 2026 also found only those two studies.⁴ For the social media promises, like more energy, a stronger immune system, or a different jawline, there are no studies at all.²

The risks

Four of the ten research teams explicitly warn that a closed mouth can become dangerous if your nose is blocked or you need to vomit. That’s why many studies didn’t include people with nasal obstruction in the first place.³

Also, mouth breathing during sleep isn’t always just a bad habit. Sometimes it’s a detour your body needs. In a study of 54 people with sleep apnea, the ones who breathed through their mouth the most during sleep got less air, not more, when their mouth was closed.⁵ If you breathe through your mouth at night, it’s worth finding out why first.

What to do instead

• Practice during the day. You can train nasal breathing during calm moments. How is covered in Nasal breathing: how to switch without gadgets.
• Get your nose checked if it’s always blocked. For a nose that’s stuffy for a while, there’s a separate exercise; see the article on Nasal Clear.
• Take snoring seriously. Only a sleep study can show whether you have breathing pauses during sleep, not a questionnaire or a self-test.⁶

Common questions

Is mouth taping dangerous?

With a blocked nose or vomiting, several research teams warn of a suffocation risk.³ People who breathe heavily through their mouth during sleep may get less air with their mouth closed.⁵

Does mouth taping help with snoring?

There’s no study in healthy people who snore. Loud snoring should be checked by a doctor, because only a sleep study shows whether breathing pauses are behind it.⁶

Does mouth taping improve sleep, teeth, or your jawline?

There are no studies on that. These claims come from social media, a large share of it from companies that sell tape.^{2, 1}

What about gentle tape that leaves a small gap?

No study has compared different kinds of tape. The warnings apply to any way of closing the mouth.