To Tape or Not to Tape? When Humans Need Help Remembering How to Breathe
We breathe all day, every day, and yet…
Many of us are doing it all wrong.
Even when we sleep.
Why Our Breathing Needs a Reboot
According to Dr. Michael Breus in his book Sleep, Drink, Breathe, the average person takes 20,000 breaths per day.
And 9 out of 10 of us have forgotten how to breathe properly.
Dr. Breus writes –
“Many of us have developed suboptimal breathing patterns that compromise our health.
We breathe too shallowly, too rapidly, or too high in our chest.
We unconsciously hold our breath during concentration, and we switch to mouth breathing when our bodies are designed for nasal respiration.”
Think about it: your nose is basically a sophisticated air filtration system with built-in humidification and temperature control.
Every breath gets filtered by the mucus in your nasal passages to catch pollutants and antigens.
Meanwhile, mouth breathing is like bypassing the air purifier and just sucking air through a straw.
Dr. Breus notes that nasal breathing creates a “wind tunnel effect” that leads to “an increase of up to 20 percent oxygen intake” compared to mouth breathing.
My Experience with Mouth Taping
Yes, I tape my mouth shut at night. No, it’s not as wild as it sounds.
And honestly? I love it.
I first heard about mouth taping from a fellow naturopathic doctor friend. Then I read the book Breath by James Nestor (highly recommend!). Once I understood the impact of nasal breathing, I decided to try taping my mouth at night.
By not giving my mouth the opportunity to EVER open during sleep, I’m forced into perpetual nasal breathing, which has genuinely improved my sleep quality. When I skip the tape, I notice the difference—I don’t sleep as well (confirmed by my Fitbit watch).
My husband, witnessing my new sleeping superpowers (“out like a light”), decided to try it too.
Same result.
In fact, he’s become such a convert that he brings extra tape on golf trips to share with roommates.
He’s creating mouth-taping evangelists one golf buddy at a time!
(We started out with Somnifix tape and that’s what I recommend starting with because there’s a little screen area in the middle so you can inhale if you need to, kind of like training wheels.)
The Science Behind It
While formal research is still emerging, preliminary studies show that mouth taping can:
✨ Improve blood oxygen levels
✨ Support parasympathetic nervous system function (a.k.a. rest + digest)
✨ Reduce snoring
The vast majority of research cited in mouth taping articles isn’t actually about mouth taping itself, but rather about the broader benefits of nasal breathing versus the problems with mouth breathing.
So while the physiological principles are solid, the specific practice of taping your mouth shut? That’s still in the “promising but needs more research” category.
A Few Words of Caution
Please don’t try this if you:
⚡️Have moderate to severe sleep apnea and haven’t been evaluated
⚡️Can’t breathe well through your nose
⚡️Have chronic congestion or sinus issues
If you’re curious to try it, use a gentle, skin-safe tape like Somnifix or micropore medical tape. Apply it vertically (like a small strip in the middle of your lips), rather than covering your entire mouth. Start slow and see how it feels.
And please—no duct tape. For the love of all that’s holy. Never ever.
Warmly,
Dr. Krista
Olive Says:
I have to say, I’m rather pleased that you have discovered mouth taping!
Your improved sleep means better rest for everyone in the house. Though I must admit, watching humans tape their own mouths shut each night does make me wonder about the peculiarities of your species.
At least when I sleep on my back with my mouth open, it’s because I’m completely relaxed—not because I’ve forgotten how to use my nose!