Mouth breathing can lead to several issues. While this action can be controlled when awake, it is more challenging to control when sleeping. Many people involuntarily sleep with their mouths open, leading to bad breath, dry mouth, and snoring. Here is where mouth tapes come in. These tapes are designed to tape a person’s mouth shut during sleep to encourage nose breathing. Read on to learn more about the uses and benefits of mouth tapes.
What is mouth taping?
The idea of mouth-taping slowly grew popular as a home remedy to prevent breathing via the mouth during sleeping. The idea of the step is to tape the mouth shut to encourage nose breathing, which is known to have several positive effects on one’s sleep. Mouth tapes are small tapes that are specifically designed for this purpose. They are easy to apply and safe for the skin.
Uses and benefits of mouth tapes
Applying mouth tape over both lips right before sleeping helps one keep one’s mouth shut while sleeping. Its benefits include:
Reduces snoring
Snoring is a major sign that indicates mouth breathing. Snoring can not only disrupt one’s own sleep but can also affect one’s partner’s sleep. Mouth taping can prevent snoring by keeping a person’s mouth closed and encouraging nasal breathing.
Prevents dry mouth
Nasal breathing ensures that the mouth does not lose its moisture. Oral breathing leads to the drying up of the moisture and saliva present inside the mouth, which can further cause a lot of discomfort. It can also disrupt the sleep. Mouth taping can prevent oral breathing, hence preventing the mouth from drying up during sleep.
Prevents allergies
When one breathes through the nose, the nasal pathway filters allergens from the air, further preventing allergic reactions. The hair in the nose, called cilia, also prevents pollutants and tiny insects from entering when one breathes through the nose. However, oral breathing does not assure that protection. Hence, by ensuring nasal breathing, mouth tapes can prevent allergens and other unwanted entities from entering the body.
Prevents bad breath
Oral breathing can dry up the saliva in the mouth and also disrupt its flow. Since saliva is essential to keep the mouth clean, this disruption can cause bad breath.
Prevents sore throat
Nasal breathing ensures that the air a person breathes gets humidified and moisturizes the throat and the lungs. Oral breathing does not humidify the air, and hence, leads dries up the throat. Due to this, a person can wake up with a sore throat in the morning. Mouth tapes ensure nasal breathing, hence preventing sore throats.
Before using mouth tapes, it is important to consult a doctor and take their advice for the same. Persistent snoring or a prolonged sore throat, bad breath, etc., also require professional attention, and one must consult a doctor at the earliest for these issues.
