Does mouth taping help you sleep?
The best evidence is a 2025 systematic review in PLOS ONE. It found 10 studies, of which one was a randomized trial, and rated all ten as poor quality on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The studies were too different to pool1.
Those studies enrolled people with mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea. They didn’t test healthy sleepers on how rested they felt1. So the studies say little about the main reason most people try it, which is to sleep better.
The review’s authors concluded that the data does not support mouth taping or oral occlusion as a sound clinical intervention for the general population with these conditions. They saw possible benefit only in mild sleep apnea and the highest risk in people with nasal obstruction1. This page rates the claim that mouth taping reduces snoring or sleep apnea severity as Weak, using our evidence rating method. It doesn’t recommend mouth taping.
What studies of mouth taping found
The review searched MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar from 1999 to February 2024, in English only. Its abstract reports 213 patients, though its results table sums to 233. The designs were six prospective cross-sectional studies, one randomized trial, two cohort studies and one crossover study1.
Two studies reported a lower apnea-hypopnea index (AHI, the number of breathing pauses and shallow breaths per hour) with the mouth taped. Both enrolled only people with an AHI under 15. Three studies found no significant change in AHI1. Snoring scores fell in three studies. Mouth leak, meaning air escaping through the mouth, fell in three1.
| Study | Who was studied | What it found | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee et al., 202212 | 20 adults with mild sleep apnea, median age 38 | Median AHI fell from 8.3 to 4.7 an hour. Snoring index fell from 303.8 to 121.1 | No control group. A one-week follow-up |
| Huang et al.1 | People with mild sleep apnea (AHI under 15) | AHI fell from 12 to 7.8 an hour. Snoring and sleepiness scores also fell | Rated poor quality by the review |
| Bhat, Labarca (tape alone) and Osman1 | People with sleep-disordered breathing or sleep apnea | No significant change in AHI | Rated poor quality by the review |
| Labarca et al.1 | People wearing a mandibular advancement device | Median AHI was 5.6 with tape added, against 10.5 with the device alone | A device was worn too, so tape alone isn’t tested |
| Jau et al.1 | Oxygen desaturation index | The review’s text reports a decrease, but its Table 2 lists a rise from 16.3 to 30.5 an hour, so the direction is unclear | Rated poor quality by the review |
The study behind most mouth taping claims
Lee and colleagues at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan reviewed 20 adults with mild sleep apnea, a snoring complaint and mouth breathing. Each had a home sleep test, then a second one a week later with the mouth taped with a silicone tape. It was retrospective and had no control group2.
A study found the median AHI fell by 47%, from 8.3 to 4.7 an hour, and 13 of 20 people (65%) had their snoring index fall by at least 50%2. Mean oxygen saturation was unchanged at 95%. The lowest saturation rose from 82.5% to 87%2.
The authors list the limits themselves: a small sample, no control group so a placebo effect can’t be ruled out, a short follow-up and almost all men (19 of 20). They did not recommend taping for moderate or severe sleep apnea2. The paper doesn’t report side effects. The only tolerability note is that people whose tape came loose overnight were left out2.
Is mouth taping safe? What the risks are
The review’s authors describe a potentially serious risk of harm when people tape their mouths without being checked. Four of the ten studies discussed asphyxia or regurgitation risks1.
One study in the review cited the risk of asphyxia when the nose is blocked and advised against indiscriminate long-term home use. Another noted that stomach contents could be aspirated if a person regurgitates with the mouth taped1.
A sleep physician at CU Anschutz said in August 2025 that taping can restrict breathing in people with narrowed airways. She cited a 2024 JAMA Otolaryngology study in which some patients with the worst airflow got worse with the mouth closed, and called that potentially dangerous4. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s spokesperson said in 2023 that at worst, mouth taping can be extremely dangerous3.
The studies tracked tolerability and safety poorly. In one study, only 4 of 15 people completed a 6-month follow-up1. None of these sources reports how often harm happens.
Who shouldn’t try mouth taping
This list comes from the sources above and is not medical advice. A clinician who knows your history is the person to ask.
- People with a diagnosis of sleep apnea. The CU Anschutz physician said they should avoid it, and the Lee study did not recommend taping for moderate or severe sleep apnea24.
- People with a blocked or narrow nose or airway, since the review ties the highest risk to nasal obstruction14.
- People with heart disease or another existing health condition4.
- People who might regurgitate during sleep, because one study in the review raised the risk of aspirating stomach contents1.
- Children. These sources report no data on children, so they give no safety information for them.
What the evidence doesn’t show
None of the studies found by the review showed that taping the mouth helps healthy sleepers sleep better or wake more rested1. The evidence for any benefit is in snoring and breathing-pause counts in mild cases, from small, uncontrolled or poor-quality studies12.
Mouth taping is also a viral trend. An AASM survey of 2,005 US adults in March 2023 found 12% had tried it3. Wide use isn’t evidence that it works, and the review’s title describes its aim as breaking social media fads and uncovering safety and efficacy1.
What to read next
If you snore or sleep badly, the sources above point toward a clinician who can check your airway and nose first. For products that are about the sleeping environment, see the sleep buying guide and what the evidence shows for bed cooling, masks and sheets.
Sources
- Breaking social media fads and uncovering the safety and efficacy of mouth taping in patients with mouth breathing, sleep disordered breathing, or obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review (Rhee et al.) PLOS ONE, 2025 · systematic review
- The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study (Lee et al.) Healthcare (Basel), 2022 · cohort study
- Viral TikTok trends are not the answer for better sleep American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2023 · news
- Mouth tape for better sleep: myth or miracle? CU Anschutz Medical Campus, 2025 · news
How this was written. Written from the sources listed above, checked . It is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before acting on anything here if you have a health condition or take medication.
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