“Mouth taping improves sleep quality”

## What We Know Mouth breathing during sleep is associated with poorer sleep quality, dental problems, and in children, impaired facial development. Encouraging nasal breathing has physiological rationale: nasal breathing produces nitric oxide (a vasodilator), filters air, and regulates airflow more optimally. One small observational study (Huang et al., 2015) in *CHEST* found that oral airflow was reduced in mild OSA patients using tape, but this was not a general health population and was primarily a measurement study. ## Why the Evidence Is Insufficient No well-designed RCT has tested mouth taping versus control in healthy adults measuring validated sleep outcomes (PSG-measured sleep architecture, AHI). Most claims come from anecdote, social media influencers, and a handful of non-randomised or uncontrolled studies. ## Safety Concern For people with undiagnosed moderate/severe sleep apnoea, obstructed nasal passages, or who consume alcohol, mouth taping could restrict emergency airway access during an apnoea event. It should not be used without medical clearance in at-risk individuals.