Mouth taping touted by some for better sleep as experts cite safety concerns

Mouth taping has again become a popular bedtime trend on social media — just as it trended a few years ago.The idea is to tape the mouth shut at night to promote nasal breathing, which some experts claim can have health benefits.Others, however, warn of potential risks and questionable results.The Sleep Foundation, based in Seattle, Washington, says the benefits of mouth taping are “mostly anecdotal,” with few studies backing up the benefits.“The main proposed benefit of mouth taping is promoting nasal breathing, which helps filter and humidify air and may reduce snoring or dry mouth for some individuals,” sleep expert Wendy Troxel, Ph.D.— a RAND Corporation senior behavioral specialist and licensed clinical psychologist in Utah — told Fox News Digital.Breathing through the nose helps people absorb more oxygen, according to Todd Anderson, sleep and wellness expert and founder of Dream Performance & Recovery in Nashville.When you breathe out through your mouth all night, you’re expelling most of the carbon dioxide in your body, Anderson said — but it can be beneficial to have some CO2 in the system.“When you start exercising, you’re under stress and your CO2 starts to rise,” he told Fox News Digital. “So the more comfortable you are with carbon dioxide in your system, the more adaptable to stress your body is.”Anderson said breath is like the “steering wheel” of the nervous system, as breathing through the nose promotes longer exhalations and relaxes the body.“Your nose [also] produces nitric oxide, which you breathe down into your lungs.

That expands your blood vessels and relaxes your cardiovascular system,” he said.“Top to bottom, it calms your body down.

That’s why it impacts sleep in such a positive way.”Some claim that using the tape could also help achieve a more defined jaw structure and could protect dental health, Anderson noted, as mouth breathing leads to dryness and more acidity, which can break d...