The Science of Mouth Taping
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- Опубліковано 7 січ 2024
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Have you heard about this technique called mouth taping, and the claims it can cure everything from asthma to bad breath? We're here to cover what science and peer-reviewed research actually has to say about it.
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Sources:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36141...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
health.clevelandclinic.org/mo...
www.health.harvard.edu/stayin...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35277...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19285...
Image Sources:
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www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/9/1755
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One thing I can imagine it doing is stop my mouth from becoming so dry throughout the night.
That is why I do it.
Or drooling all over my pillow
Obesity once again either causes or exacerbates sleep apnea.
As someone with sjogrens syndrome, this would be a life changer
Well yeah, if you're a mouth breather it's probably gonna help, but mouth breathing can be a symptom of sleep apnea so be careful.
I didn't hear anything about mouth taping being a 'trend' until very recently. My mouth opening, and thus drying out, while I slept was making me sleep like garbage for most of my life. Due to desperation and my doctors not taking me seriously when I brought it up, I started mouth taping on my own initiative a few years ago. It has dramatically improved my quality of life through simply getting better sleep. I came across all these goofy claims recently after trying to find a better material to use. I was dumbfounded by the stupidity of it all.
Definitely sounds like you have undiagnosed sleep apnea. On my worst days I used to feel like I was hungover every morning, with extreme dry mouth and headache. Even if you found relief in mouth taping, I'd suggest to talk to you doctors about it more because a CPAP device could help even more. Though if your doctors don't take you seriously, then what can you even do...
@@-aku2805 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few months ago and was on a CPAP for a bit. Turns out my apnea was caused by histamine intolerance and the never ending post nasal drip it caused. Once that was taken care of the apnea went away but my mouth was still falling open at night so I'm back to using the mouth tape only.
@@-aku2805 I actually was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 6 months ago. Turns out it was primarily caused by histamine intolerance and the never ending post nasal drip that it caused. Once that was taken care of the apnea mostly went away but I still need to use tape given my mouth falls open when I sleep. I have done several off-on stints with using the tape since then and it makes a difference no doubt.
Use teeth aligner / mouth guard. Mouth taping sounds like someone being kidnapped.
I get that, but a doctor can't just recommend you do something completely unorthodox without a sound basis from which to direct you.
And doctor's don't always *know* about the newest research, so it's part of your role in the relationship to ask questions, offer your own findings, and seek a second opinion (from a doctor, not reddit).
PSA - if you try mouth taping, vertically use the thinnest 3M tape that is like 1/4 inch wide. In case your body reverts to mouth breathing (maybe your nose gets congested), you can still breathe out of your mouth on either side of the tape.
This is what concerns me about this. Personally, my nose gets really stuffed when I lay down. Sometimes if I toss and turn it’ll clear up again, but not always. I do try to breathe through my nose, I just can’t sometimes 😭
Then why even bother?
@@acrollieIf you sleep on your side, what usually happens is only one nostril becomes clogged. And it’s always the lower nostril. And if you roll to the other side (so that the clogged nostril is higher than the other), that nostril becomes quickly unclogged and you are breathing through both open nostrils just fine.
@@pheart2381In my opinion, the purpose of the tape is to remind you as you are consciously falling asleep and consciously waking up in between sleep cycles to breathe through your nose, and this breathing pattern continues into your unconscious sleep. And if your body happens to revert to mouth breathing during sleep (nose gets completely congested), at least you aren’t waking up to a fight or flight suffocation response with this approach.
@@timjohnson3913 but there is absolutely nothing wrong with mouth breathing during sleep in the first place. Apart from a few under medical supervision its just a dangerous fad. Of course people are entitled to tape their mouths shut while they sleep. The fewer idiots in the world the better.
Better than taping - my doctor recommended Nose Cones to me, they're small silicone things that go up your nostrils to open the airways. Has made my sleep DRAMATICALLY more comfortable and way easier to breathe through my nose instead of mouth
Those sound ridiculous, but effective, I wonder if my mom can convince my dad to try them!
As a quick fix-it, I sometimes bend a q-tip and put one end on each nostril. Keeps the nose open and works ok if you don't have other options.
Pairing it with a tape might make it better but I don't know if I should try as my apnea is pretty bad. Never heard of cones, I'll have to look for them.
It sounds nice on paper, but the truth is your nose acts like a filter. Maybe the reason your nose is closed up at night is dust in the air, so that dust is now going into your lungs at night.
If you spend a lot of time in your room, you're going to generate a lot of dust. Think about investing in an air purifier if you're gonna keep using those nose cones.
Sounds just like Breathe Right Strips
What would you do if those silicone inserts somehow get sucked into the back of your throat choking you? I’ll sleep with my mouth open - I don’t care. I’m used to waking up every two hours due to back pain, hip pain and leg pain. Can brush your teeth when you wake up for breath issues. Eat garlic. Join a s&m club since you like being dominated because you’re taping your mouth shut.
There's one other use for it: The people my sleep doc call "CPAP Cyclers", the ones who have a nasal-only CPAP (the nasal mask or the nasal pillows) and then end up having the CPAP's forced air just go in through the nose and straight out through the mouth, never really making it into the lungs so it does basically nothing for their sleep apnea. Tape the mouth shut and the air no longer has the easy escape route. Chin straps are the more common solution, but tape works too. (The best solution is to get a full face mask, which is a bit of a misnomer, it really only covers the nose and mouth, not the eyes, though there is a kind of mask that does that, albeit a rare type called the total face mask)
I can't use full-faced masks because I'm a stomach sleeper and have no intention of stopping. Also, those hybrid ones (the kind that just go under your nose, and over your mouth) made me quit CPAP until a sleep tech gave me a nasal pillow mask to try. I could not keep that damn thing sealed on my face to save my LIFE.
Unfortunately, my mouth refuses to stay shut no matter what I do--taping, chin strap, both at the same time--so that's been incredibly frustrating. Because I sleep so hot (hello, perimenopause!), I can't go so far as to use a cervical collar. Some nights are better than others, and some I wake up with a dry mouth even though the tape is still firmly attached. Sigh.
I switched from a nasal pillow mask to a full face mask because of dry mouth, I still get a dry mouth. My AHI is the same with both types of mask so I don't believe that the air doesn't reach the lungs with a nasal pillow mask
My experience so far. Started with full face mask, still had apnea because my mouth opened, added a chin strap and dry mouth disappeared. After 18 months of usage, my facial structure seems to have changed as the full face mask applied uncomfortable pressure on my lower jaw and caused TMJ. So I have switched to nasal pillows and am satisfied. I still use the strap every night.
This is why I want to try it. I have a big beard and I sleep mostly on my side and stomach… but remembering to put my mask on as I start to dose is even difficult sometimes, so getting a proper full-face seal half asleep fumbling in the dark while my gf elbows me prob isn’t the best solution either way.
That being said, I’ve tried chin straps and that’s never going to work for me, so I’m interested in the tape solution.
My gf calls it me getting “windy” and air just straight up gusts out of my mouth… most of the time now. So if I can seal my dumb mouth shut, I’m hoping I can get the actual benefits of a cpap and whatnot…
But that would mean remembering to seal my mouth shut and put my mask on while I’m just laying there trying to relax and fall asleep.
I’ve had this thing for like idk 5+ years now, and I will NEVER get used to it. But maybe this tape would help idk…
My mouth breathing INSTANTLY fixed once I started using the CPAP. My oxygen dipped as low as 60s during my sleep study, I was shocked.
As a sleep tech, I would assume taping your mouth if you have sleep apnea, would be incredibly dangerous because the reason why most people who breathe from their mouth at night do, is because their SpO2 levels are too low, so their body can sense the suffocating and opens their mouth to be able to breathe more easily. Therefore just taping your mouth just blocks you from being able to breathe and I'd be very curious to see what patients oxygen levels were at if they just taped their mouth (which is not a type of study we do). Sure, if fixes snoring, in the sense that you can fix a leaking fish tank if you just remove all the water. Ya sure, the water stopped leaking, but now the fish are dead. Well if you're already not breathing well due to sleep apnea and you snore, then just blocking your mouth isn't going to fix anything, you're just going to suffocate more in your sleep 👍
Nope, there's a whole book about this and the subject is quite counterintuitive. It goes the opposite to what you're suggesting. Absolutely fascinating to read and very well researched too so if you want to check it out its called Breath: the New Science of a Lost Art.
@@scharftalicous Oh, interesting. Ya I will. Like I said, it's not a type of study we've ever done so I haven't seen first hand what the effects are. Thanks!
@@xPershionx it literally changed my life so I'm glad that the knowledge can go on
Yep, I have sleep apnea, insomnia, and a collapsed nostril. I have THE WORST time sleeping. If I taped my mouth, I’d definitely suffocate.
@@scharftalicous I have sinus and nasal polyps I developed after being punched in the face. I can't see how taping my mouth shut, which is my most reliable opening with which to attain air, would help me breathe better.
I’ve done mouth taping on and off for over a year after reading the book “Breath.” It helps quite a lot, especially for my nose, since I have a deviated septum and am often congested. Mouth taping helps me breathe through my nose, and for whatever reason, I wake up less congested. Apparently, it forces an inhale through your nose instead of your mouth, making the air more humid as it enters the body.
If I’m too congested, I always wake up with the tape off my mouth, meaning I took it off in my sleep.
Exact same experience! No more congested nose in my sleep unless it was really extreme, in which case I take it off unconsciously. The effect is so pronounced, that often I take it off with a clean nose and within MINUTES it gets hard to breathe through my nose!
Gamechanger for chronic cloggers
Same
I've been doing it every time I plan to sleep for the past 4 years. I no longer have a sore throat from my mouth being open. Maybe it doesn't do anything else, but I enjoy it.
Mouth taping allowed me to switch from using a full face mask to a nasal pillow mask with my CPAP. I use the 3M paper tape, after making it less sticky by placing it on my forehead until I'm ready to sleep. The small amount of sebum works well. My pulmonologist is okay with it.
i have nasal pillows. they gave me a chin strap to keep my mouth closed. actually quite comfortable.
@@casjean8904 I tried that but it didn't work for me, my mouth was still open. It is like my jaw belongs to a different size skull. Tape freaks me out. I have something called a hybrid mask. It mostly works to keep my mouth shut
Nexcare mouth tape is a better choice.
blocking one of my breathing orifices allowed me to use equipment designed solely for the other orifice instead of both.
As someone with sleep apnea getting a CPAP machine was life changing. If you snore, snort or gasp in your sleep go to the DR!!! You go from super tired with no endurance to feeling like a teen again.
I have had issues with mouth breathing recently, see all my life I clenched my jaw while sleeping laying to nasty headaches. I took a long time but over a year I trained myself to stop it. I was really proud until my boyfriend at the time (husband now) told me I was burbling in my sleep. Burbling is when air flows from between your lips and they slap together really fast... Kinda like blowing a razpberry.
I talked to my respiratory tech and she got me a chin strap to gently hold my mouth closed.
They wouldn't want mouth tapping because your nose is already technically blocked. As long as the machine is working you get air but if the power goes out? You need to be able to open your mouth.
How did you train yourself to stop clenching your jaw in your sleep? I have had that problem my whole life and I've managed to reduce how much I do it during the day, but I can't control myself while I'm sleep lol
@@dont-worry-about-it- it took a long time and a much bitten tongue! As I got settled in bed I would deliberately loosen my jaw and stretch it. Then I would put the tip of my tongue between my front teeth. Sometimes I would be able to keep it there all night but sometimes I would wake with a bitten tongue. It really took a year of this but the hard work was worth getting rid of the headaches!
They had me get one and I HATE it. I can't tell you how much I hate it. I'm a side sleeper and no matter what I do or how many times I get it fitted, It won't stay on my head, no matter how tight it is. So I have to pin it to my hair which means every time I move it wakes me up by pulling on my hair. Then we had a power outage and the stupid thing turns on and off randomly, and the airplane mode won't stay on. I recently started taping and feel better than I ever did with that stupid torture machine. Plus, I can't see any difference between strapping your jaw shut to keep your mouth closed and putting a small piece of tape that leaves you the ability to still breathe, and would easily break in an emergency. That chin strap is 1000 times worse than the tape. I have tried both, and you clearly have not, so don't judge.
@@shakeyj4523 I am sorry that your respitory techs were unable to find you a mask that fit. Sadly some clinics only use masks from one company. I side sleep and have had several masks that worked for me.
The chin strap is the same kind of idea. The first one I tried was the wide white band and it was not good for me. I then got a thin black band and it works wonders, for me.
Humans are all different, we all need slightly different solutions. I am sad that you can't use a CPAP as it is considered the best treatment. I hope the taping continues to work for you. I do suggest regular testing to be sure you are breathing well during the night.
Cheers
@@shakeyj4523 agreed! I tried one of those horrible things, and while technically it did help my oxygen intake while I slept, the near constant stress and discomfort of the device was no where near worth it ...
I'm 66 and have been mouth taping for over 2 years. Before I couldn't hardly talk for about 2-3 hours after getting up. Now no more problems. I use 3M micro pore tape.
I mouth tape for over 6 years. I feel/sleep better with it. At the beginning I remember waking up in the morning feeling like I had the best sleep of my life. The amount of deep sleep was also increased (I always track my sleep, I know it's half gimmicky, but still works as an indicator).
It also allowed me to feel rested/recovered when I have less sleep.
And for my partner, she hasn't heard me snoring in a very long time.
Mouth taping helped me get over TMJ, crazy jaw pain that made that entire side of my face hurt. Not having my mouth dry out during the night was just a bonus.
How did it help with TMJ?
I clench my jaw like crazy, and try to consciously relax to help, I feel like taping would make it worse. I already have pain up into my ears from it.
@@tbella5186I’m the same as you and wake up with a tensed together jaw, although trying to relax my mouth, it usually is slightly open but teeth pressed together still. Hurts a lot and I haven’t found much that helps. :/
@@tbella5186 Individual experience etc etc, but personally can highly recommend a combination of masseter botox (I see a neurologist for it) and a splint to sleep with. Has improved my pain I'd say 80%, I can still physically clench my jaw but not as hard as I used to where I would grind my teeth away lol!
I’m a massage therapist and I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that you sleep on the side that your face with hurting. Trust me try sleeping on the other side or sleeping on your back.
Everyone manually breathing while watching this.
Why you gotta attack me like that
Works for some people. Terrifying for others. If you have certain conditions, then preventing yourself from breathing through your mouth can send your body into fight/flight thinking you're suffocating. This is not fun.
Ye there’s definitely a chance I’d wake up and freak out because half asleep me does remember the tape
Sleep apnea?
i can already feel it just reading and talking about it. i guess i better go now. nite nite.
@@kbee225Definitely sleep apnea.
I have a deviated septum and can’t get enough oxygen through my nose alone so even just thinking about this elevates my heartrate. Also I wonder what happens if you get a stuffed nose?
I did mouth taping for a while some two decades ago. A medical professional instructed me to do this. The intention was to get me to breath through my nose despite its limited air flow, especially at night, but also in general.
I don't remember what other things we did, but the whole ordeal did make me breath through my nose. Exclusively. I now breath through my mouth a lot less than most people.
That's my experience with mouth taping. Which is of course completely anecdotal and in no way a substitute for talking to a medical professional.
I didn't try tape. Growing up I liked to sleep on my stomach but I hated how much I drooled. So, I started tucking a bit of sheet or blanket under my chin and found that my lips didn't part and I stopped drooling. Slept so often like that, I can no longer sleep with my mouth open. Even on side or back and I have to tuck a sheet or pillow or even my hand, under my chin, for me to keep my mouth shut while I sleep.
Interesting what we can get used to, isn’t it?
@@DawnDavidson I also taught myself to laugh like Axel Foley from Beverly Hills Cop and burp like Booger off of Revenge of the Nerds. Gotta love that 80's influence
I tucked one of my fists under my chin to keep my mouth closed at night for more than a year. I had to stop due to a rotator cuff tear forcing me to sleep in one very specific position, and mouth stays closed unless the allergies hit hard & my sinuses close in the night. Side bar: do NOT tear your RC, it is excruciating just to exist, much less to sleep, and it feels like it will never heal.
I take a bath towel and roll it lengthwise and then wrap it around my neck and tuck the ends under my chin. It keeps my jaw closed and prevents getting a stiff/sore neck. I look forward to try mouth tapping also.
I fixed a lot of these problems for myself by going without my pillow when I'm sleeping on my back. It also helped with a lot of shoulder and neck pain. My snoring went away and I found while I was relaxed without the pillow my jaw stays closed more naturally. I still need a pillow when I roll over to my side but for that I tend to use a stiffer thick foam pillow to help keep my neck aligned with my spine.
It's videos like this that make me glad I'm totally oblivious to some of what gets spread around on certain social media sites.
Why would you be glad about being oblivious?
Personally, I am extremely happy I found out about this about 3 years ago. I tried it, not expecting it to actually work (but making sure that the risk involved is basically zero), and it helped me a lot. In particular, I no longer have a dry mouth in the morning, and I also no longer wake up from having a dry mouth. Whether any of the other benefits apply remains to be seen, but that one alone is worth a lot.
@@highdefinist9697 I mean, I was also oblivious to this being a thing. And while I don't plan on trying it (have a hard enough time breathing through my nose when i'm conscious), their's plenty of things it's good to be oblivious about, such as misinformation. Or being oblivious about "remedies" that do provably more harm than good.
@@InsaneFoxx So let me get this straight: You are on a science channel, arguing that ignorance is better than knowledge?
Now, I understand that this channel is not aimed at a scientific audience, but I am still a bit surprised to find such antiscientific takes with so many upvotes around here.
Just to be clear: More knowledge is always better than less knowledge - even with regards to misinformation. Because the only way to disprove misinformation is through even more information - which just so happens to be the foundation of science as well.
@@InsaneFoxx not breathing through your nose is what gives it congestion... I know that sounds backwards but the congestion you're experiencing is actually your body trying to maintain its carbon dioxide levels.
You start by tapping your mouth while conscious and the first one or two breaths feel impossible but then suddenly your congestion disappears and breathing is fine. You might get a tingling sensation on the top of your head but that is a good thing as it's your body getting used to having the correct amount of carbon dioxide in the body which gives you much better regulation of most of the bodies subconscious functions like heart rhythm.
If you want the non-social media trend on this than check out the very well researched book by James Nestor called Breath: the New Science of a Lost Art. Absolutely mind blowing and tapping your mouth while sleeping is just part of the information it discusses.
I haven't actually seen this on social media but I've been tapping my mouth closed while sleeping for 4 years now since reading the book. This is actually quite a disappointing video from Scishow by comparison as the focus is really whether we should be breathing through our mouths at all.
These last few episodes Savannah seems so much more comfortable and relaxed in their presentation. It's been great to see them grow, just like it was with Hank, I feel like they're putting their own -- something -- out there. So great!
Seeing the title and thumbnail for the video, I thought this was going to be a joke. I had no idea this was a real thing. 😶
This seems like more of a cure all for when people are awake
😂😂😂
I think you might be my soul mate.
Your comment is proof against that claim.
I've been on CPAP for a decade and mouth-taping for most of that time because of the inbound air pressure exiting my mouth direct from my sinuses causing ineffective treatment. Full taping keeps that from happening.
I spent several months at the beginning of the pandemic training myself to breathe only through my nose unless absolutely necessary (what else was there to do). I did it based on "mewing", but pretty quickly gave up on the whole "trying to reshape my jawline", and became much more interested in how much better my breathing was overall. I never used tape, instead I just self corrected whenever I found that I was breathing through my mouth, awake or asleep. It became like a mindfulness practice. Before, I always felt stuffy, especially at night, but since relearning how to hold my tongue and breathe through my nose, I sleep better, and generally feel better.
I use the rectangular tape specifically designed for this. It goes around the mouth, not over it. It helps me to not wake with sore throat.
what brand do you use?
@@VAGjew Myotape
For sleep apnea, be caution with considering things with this (talk with doc). There are 3 separate types (general umbrella types, not limited to) of sleep apnea, each with different general etiologies. This includes obstructive (type shown/discussed in video is obstructive), central, and complex. Depending on the general (and potentially further specified) type of sleep apnea, things like this may not be the best (potentially harmful). -Edit: There are additional potential complications as well that need to be considered when looking at things like this.
I've tried this a few times, every single time without fail the tape ends up somewhere completely different than where I put it.
I've been taping my mouth shut for the last 20 years to stop my snoring and it's worked great for me and those sleeping within earshot
Need to get my dad to try this
My dentist told me it was bad to mouth breathe at night since your mouth driest and allows more bacteria to grow. I started to tape my mouth at night and my dental health improved !
I was really excited to see this video, as I have had severe sleep apnea since I was a child and since I have some serious anxiety/claustrophobia issues that make it so I don't get good rest with a CPAP machine (a machine used by people with sleep apnea to force them to breathe) my doctor told me to try mouth taping just under a year ago. It was a rough couple months and I would constantly wake up in the middle of the night having pulled it off my mouth in a panic. However, I think the concept is pretty cool and worked better for me. I do hope to see more sleep apnea research in the future and what they might say about mouth taping and it's effectiveness vs CPAP
Masks have improved greatly... I use CPAP *and* mouth tape, I'd die without CPAP. If you have severe OSA I can't understand how you survived without it... severe is defined as more than 30 incidents per hour... mine is over 100. Give yourself another chance... at least wear a recording O2 monitor to bed and see how bad you're getting at night... it's just a ring, I have the O2Ring.
I have been doing that for more than 2 years. It works for me
Same here.
I used to get nosebleeds nightly when I slept with my mouth closed, so by the age of ~10, I had trained myself to stop breathing through my nose during sleep.
My lower incisors have little fractures throughout them from drying out.
Maybe try a humidifier?
Watched this while connected to my CPAP machine! It's changed my life in the month I've had it.
I wear a CPAP every night to help with my sleep apnea. I don't like full face masks, so I tape my mouth shut to use the nose cup while I sleep. Chin straps, etc. don't work as effectively, so tape it is! I use light medical tape which is strong enough to keep my mouth shut when it's relaxed, but weak enough to pop open if I need to get air quickly (if my nose is stuffy, or whatever). It's been working for me for years.
I have severe sleep apnea and have been using CPAP for many years, with a nose mask. I started sealing my mouth completely shut with skin friendly "kinesiology" tape a couple of months ago and it's been great - it's stopped almost all air leakage (leaks make CPAP treatment less effective), it's stopped my nightly "motor boating" mouth noises (which used to drive my significant other crazy), it's preventing my mouth from drying out (which ought to be a bonus positive for my dental health), and I generally feel better in the morning.
So, for CPAP users with nose masks or nose pillows, I'd say it's a good idea in general (provided there actually are problems with leaks etc that need fixing).
The downsides of course being that it's wasting tape (not that it's expensive, but still wasteful), I have to cut a strip for each night, it adds another step to the sleep preparation procedure, and the tape usually leaves a sticky residue on the skin (severity varying between manufacturers - the one I'm using right now is very mild in that respect, practically a non-issue).
For excersise, I was told to breathe in thru the nose and out thru the mouth.
You get all the benefits of filtration and moisture, and it "warms up the air" when it's cold outside or something - but then when you exhale you get all the co2 out as fast as possible, since you can move more air thru your mouth.
I like it just because it makes you focus more on breathing while excersising, and its rythmic.
@@onlytruefalcon Dude I have read your response like 3 times and I still think you are, like deeply misunderstanding how bodies work, that or I just can't follow what you are trying to say.
The idea is you breathe in thru your nose, which has all its benefits, slowly. The whole time your body is converting o2 to co2. An entire lungs-full amount.
_Then,_ when there is _no o2 left,_ you breathe all the air out. the same volume. You used all the o2 and made all the co2. The excange has happened.
_BUT_ the same _volume_ has to get out, you can't slowly increase the total air inside your body or you would be a balloon.
Now you just need to get it out so you can start the cycle again, and the fastest way to do that, is to breathe out thru your mouth.
@@onlytruefalcon You are increasingly sounding like a psudo-science bro my dude.
Thank you for the deep-dive into the concept of body-oxygen levels.
Please explain how the way you breathe matters, which was the point.
As far as I can tell, slow in thru nose will still increase body-oxygen.
I bet this would be effective in preventing talking in your sleep.
Not just in sleep, but the waking hours too!
Yeah, and even better, it increases the chances of sleep mmphing.
I love your glasses! Gives me Mizu vibes from Blue Eye Samurai!!
I was having very bad sleep apnea for a while so I finally got an at home sleep study, by the time I received it I had begun using mouth tape. The sleep study came back I had no sleep apnea because the mouth tape worked so well for me.
same story, i don't know why this video was presented so conservatively like its such a crazy new trend when there is actually a fair amount of science on the subject and there are people that have been doing it for decades.
My apnea is upper airway, so I need pressure support i.e. CPAP to nose-breathe. That's the most common I believe.
I was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and given a cpap machine. I use nasal cushions. As someone whose breathed through his mouth all his life when sleeping and sometimes while awake, I've had to grow accustomed to placing my tongue against the roof of my mouth and swallowing twice to create a seal that allows me to keep my mouth shut when I'm sleeping. This works, but it's not the best solution. Even if my tongue doesn't move, my mouth will relax and come open on its own. I'd tape, but I have a beard.
The solution is a head-wrap that goes beneath the jaw to apply minor pressure to keep your mouth from opening in the middle of the night unless it's intentional. Even by themselves, these can help reduce snoring, but if your soft palate still falls back you'll find it's not as effective.
I shaved, moved to a full-face mask, and still tape for jaw-drop and drooling. I used to not need tape but after I got over 60 I started waking with the dreaded dry mouth... took me a while to connect it to mouth leaking... thanks Uncle Nick and Lanky Jason!
I suffer from sleep apnea and wore a CPAP machine for 5 years during the mid 90s. I had surgeries where they fixed a deviated septum, then removed my soft palette and uvula, the dangly bit. The nasal surgery helped me breath better but the uvula surgery did nothing to help the apnea but maybe made my snoring less loud. I still had to use the CPAP. I then had jaw surgery which moved my jaw forward by 1 cm. This fixed my sleep apnea completely until recently where I have apnea once more. I am back on CPAP but because I don't have an uvula, the air comes into my nose and just blows out my mouth. So I tried mouth taping. The best tape I tried was 3M tape for sensitive skin. It comes off easily but does the job of sealing my mouth. Unfortunately, it only comes in 8 yard rolls which does not last long. Also, the tape is only 1 inch wide which is not ideal. Then I tried "Hostage Tape" for mouth breathers. It is not wide enough or long enough for me and in Canada, really expensive. I then looked into what that tape is made of as it was really good tape. Come to find out it is KT Tape Pro used for athletes as seen on Kerri Walsh Jennings, the American beach volleyball player. This tape is amazing. It normally comes in a box containing ten, 9 inch strips. I cut them into 4 inch strips. They are 2 inches wide and work much better then 1 inch wide tape. I was wasting 2 inches of tape on each strip as i only needed 4 inches. I then found that KT Tape Pro comes in a 125 foot roll. I now just cut off a 4 inch strip each night, round the corners with scissors and my CPAP unit is much more effective. The tape is a bit porous so you can get a bit of air in and out. It comes off easily and I have a moustache. The tape stretches side to side but not up and down. Only use the KT Tape PRO as it is synthetic and does not absorb moisture. I got mine on Amazon for $99.00 CAD. The roll should last me for a year. I hope this might help someone else.
Wow! Thanks for the information. I was recently introduced to Hostage Tape, through a random UA-cam ad. I’d never heard of mouth taping before, and it truly intrigues me, as I’ve suffered for years with my husband’s snoring. I actually look forward to his business trips so that I can get a good night’s sleep. Hostage Tape is very effective; however, I welcome an alternate source that is more cost effective. Many thanks for the suggestion of using the KT Tape PRO.
surgical tape medical grade, dollar store. cut to whatever size. '-) @@probablynot1368
When I had apnea (requiring a bi-pap), I tried mouth-taping and it helped a ton. My only problem was when I was fighting a full nose due to allergies.
I assume you tried this but just in case: a good saline rinse right before bed might help you. You could also try a xylitol nasal spray like Xlear but I'd try the saline only option first since it's way cheaper. I get the Arm & Hammer saline sprays at Costco where you can get 3 cans for $13. It's more expensive than making your own but it's always ready to use whereas making your own requires you to boil water first to remove pathogens.
Me and Afrin have a thing going on... for decades. You lost weight? Got operations?
My experience with snoring:
- my then-elementary-school-aged (and VERY petite) daughter snored like a jackhammer! Turned out that her adenoids almost completely blocked her airway when she was lying down. One adenoidectomy later, snoring completely gone! So parents, if your kid snores, get your doctor to check them out (so, unlike me, you can avoid adding, “Should have talked to the doctor sooner” to your list of guilt-inducing decisions)! 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤣🤓
I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea in April of last year. I wear a full-face mask with my CPAP, and the results are miraculous! Sometimes I wake up with a very dry mouth. I've considered mouth taping. I tried it once and found it annoying. I'm going to talk to my respiratory therapist about some kind of mask that only covers the mouth and causes breathing resistance, thereby encouraging nose breathing through my CPAP. No clue where it will go, but my CPAP is my Teddy Bear for my later years. I LOVE IT!!
There are chin straps for this as well.
I tape with FF mask (Simplus)... best of both worlds... no jaw-drop, no drooling, no dry mouth either. I use Cover Roll Stretch Tape, cheapest and best I've found.
I sleep with both CPAP machine and mouth taping . The mouth taping helps my oral/dental health.
As David Bowie said in "China Girl" : "Oh baby, just you shut your mouth!"
I like your shades. Thanks for the video!
Good book on this called Breath: New Science of a Lost Art. Lot of cited research. Goes into the religious and mystic reasons, then breaks down all of those claims with science.
This is quite interesting and reminds me of something when I was very very young, when I was around 4, I'd sleep on the same bed as my mom, but sometimes she'd just snore quite a lot, and she used to tape her mouth, I always assumed after getting older and looking back on that, that she was just like... coming up with a pretty cartoonish way of making me believe it was doing something, like a sort of placebo, which was weird because ever since she started doing it, I don't remember it being an issue after, you might think it may be faulty memory, but I remember clearly the tape because of that, so yeah, while I always thought it was some sort of weird placebo, it might be that it actually did something...
Thank you!
Pressing my tongue against the roof of my mouth clears my sinuses, soothes my throat & prevents coughs.
Doesn’t do anything for me
I can like suction it to the roof of my mouth which keeps it closed throughout the night
Which I assume is what animals do because when my dog opens it’s mouth after sleeping it kinda sounds like pulling a sucker off
Mouth taping at night really helped me get better sleep. I often tape my mouth when walking or gardening, as I unconsciously start to mouth breathe, and doing just nasal breathing really helps my asthma be under better control. In terms of exercise, the point is to WORK UP to being able to exercise without mouth breathing, not force yourself to do so with taping. The books by Patrick McKeown are a good reference for how changing our breathing habits can have a profound benefit for our health.
Mouth taping stopped me habitually mouth breathing during the day & cured my constantly stuffed up nose. It also seems to have helped with my asthma in general
I'm an allergy sufferer and when things get extra bad I mouth breathe - especially in the spring pollen blast. My doctor said don't mouth tape. Instead she found me a better allergy med that opened up my nasal passages better.
Love this. the TLDR version is that when done properly (to avoid choking on vomit should that happen) it alleviates snoring. Bad breath is a bacterial problem, and Asthma is never going to get anything but worse of you tape your mouth shut.
The bacterial problem of bad breath happens frequently due to dry mouth, which is due to breathing through your mouth while sleeping. Saliva is naturally anti bacterial, keeps opportunistic bacteria levels in check, people with dry mouth issues have far higher levels of these microbes.
I have been doing this for around four years now. It's amazing. I basically can't breathe through my mouth anymore, it just feels wrong. It took a while until I was used to it but ever since, I just feel better.
The major thing I've noticed is that my face just looks better. My chin is more defined and it looks more proportional. Also, I've suffered all my life long from a nearly constantly blocked nose. Haven't used a nose spray in three years now even though I'm allergic to dust mites. My nose stays open even when I'm ill.
I've seen some people saying you'll risk suffocating. But it's not like you're sewing your mouth shut, just use a little bit of medical tape just under your nose (makes you look a bit like some German dictator). You can actually still breathe through your mouth this way through the sides when your nose is completely blocked and believe me, when that happens (hasn't in years now for me), your body will simply rip the tape off fully automatically. Again, it's just a bit of medical tape. I've been as drunk as it gets and still used the tape, in the morning it simply wasn't on my mouth anymore. By now I could probably also sleep without it because my body is so used to just using the nose to breathe.
Also, it's not as if these findings are new. Breathing through your mouth has been shown for decades to be bad for you, lots of studies to back this up. But It really does take a while to adjust. If you've been breathing through your mouth, especially at night, for years and years then it won't happen over night. Take some months, it's worth it (random guy from the internet obviously, but trust me bro).
The nose isn't just some left over backup thing to breathe, it's actually damn good at this and using it properly has loads of advantages (body temperature regulation, making the air we breathe a bit moister, keeping airborne bacteria and viruses at bay....). The mouth is our backup to breathe, not the nose.
Sorry, I'm just a bit excited to write about this but it really... changed my life :D I'm not snoring anymore, which is another cool thing.
Yet another really cool thing you can do with a bit of tape: smile or even grin as extreme as you can while putting it on your mouth. Keeps you smiling, forcefully, all night long which helps me a lot with falling asleep (less pronounced anxiety, more dopamine production= more melatonin production).
Only drawback I see: I've used around four whole 3m medical tape rolls throughout these four years. Obviously not a huge amount of waste but still. And if you don't throw it into the garbage immediately, it sticks to your bed sheets and your books and sometimes even somewhere on your body which can be a bit annoying. If you don't drink enough water then it can also tear your lips but this also gets better with time.
I mean it's great that it works for you, congrats you sound very happy. But your anecdotal experience isn't going to be universal and it's not close to being a reputable scientific study. We can't guess why it worked for you because there are too many variables to control for so there's no guarantee anyone else will or won't have the same experience as you.
Also as an aside, boldly proclaiming there's no risk is why mouth taping evangelists make people like me so dubious. There are so many different conditions that could be exacerbated with mouth taping that it's simply wrong to act like it's without risk. It's, at best, not risky for you, which is again great. Totally glad you feel better. That's not the same as being risk free or reliable medical advice. It's like claiming peanuts helped you lose weight and you can't imagine anyone dying from peanuts so everyone should eat more peanuts. Allergies exist, sleep disorders exist, lung issues exist. The wrong combination for a credulous teenager unable to gauge risk trying to fix their asthma or boost their work outs could end in tragedy. Advising people to get medical advice and not rushing into a new fad just because people on the internet swear by it should be everyone's default, including proponents.
@@cupguin Experience is perse anecdotal, isn't it? There are though reputable scientific studies done on this topic. Universal is quite a big word and I didn't claim my experience is so. If I take an aspirin, there's also no guarantee I won't get an anaphylactic shock. Yet I gladly take one when I have a headache because it's on average safe and effective. I agree that there are certainly people who should be careful, but that might be universal advice for everything one tries. Risk free is nothing. I am not an evangelical when it comes to taping my mouth because I share the positive experiences I have with doing so. It's simply me sharing something I experience. That is what a comment section is basically here for. Do I profit from this or state I have a medical degree and you totally should trust me? If not, I don't get your point. If someone does something because of a UA-cam comment, I am really sorry for that person. You don't need a scientific study to share an experience, it's just an opinion.
And maybe as an aside, if you do have a medical condition, you should check with a doctor for basically anything that might be risky. This doesn't however mean, everyone should always do that with everything they try. It's about considering how risky something is, and as I have stated, for the majority of people this simply is not risky.
It's also not a new fad. Breathing through your nose is healthier, again for people with no medical conditions connected to it, which is indeed well proven (if you want to, I can gladly send you some papers I did read on this). On the contrary, I have yet to find one that proves it is dangerous or bad for the majority of the population.
I'd be glad to continue this conversation, but I check my UA-cam comments rarely so it might take a while until I can answer you.
I started mouth taping about 6 months ago, after I had surgery to correct a deviated septum. it has changed my life, as I sleep through the night without needing to drink a ton of water, i don't snore at all anymore, and I wake up feeling much sharper. I try to run with my mouth closed but it doesn't feel as good as when I use both my nose and mouth. it is not a cure-all by any means, but the effect it has had on my sleep is no joke!
Thank you ms/mr healthy, active guru genius PHD med student 😊
With my nose obstruction problems I'd probably just choke and die if i taped my mouth like that. As always, thank you for your well documented videos.
Same, idk why but most of the time my nose just doesn’t want to work lol
Hello Savannah, may I ask why you are wearing coloured glasses? Is it maybe for medical or sensory issues? As a person with light sensitivity issues myself, I am curious to find alternatives to the dark tinted sunglasses I usually wear.
I do like the look of your glasses and am intrigued how it is to see the world through coloured glasses.
Sorry if this question is too personal or simply weird, I am just a curios neurodivergent person from across the pond.
Maybe doing it for Irlens Syndrome? One of the treatments is to wear tinted glasses, and they do some kind of test to decide what colour tint to give you. But the tint they give isn't like sunglasses, it's much easier to see through. I do want to warn you that there's limited evidence that Irlens is even a real medical condition. It's more likely an overlap of mild forms of several conditions, including dyslexia, autism, and ADHD, and falling into the Irlens trap may prevent people from getting a proper diagnosis and specialized help. The test and glasses are super expensive too, and a lot of insurance plans don't cover it so it's entirely out of pocket. But if you're looking for tinted glasses that aren't as dark or obstructive as sunglasses, that might be one place to start. Just approach the whole thing with cautious skepticism, because the people pushing it are a little culty and snake oily about it. My sister was "diagnosed" with Irlens as a kid, and although she's actually most likely on the autism spectrum and was misdiagnosed, she did find the glasses helpful with the sensory issues she had with the bright, fluorescent lighting at school.
If you want a cheaper solution, my brother has heart shaped glasses that have a pink tint, from EyeBuy Direct. They're not as dark as sunglasses so he wears them in a variety of settings if he wants something funky to wear. I'm pretty sure you don't have to get the heart shaped ones to get the pink tint in the glasses, you can put them in most frame shapes, and they provide prescription or non prescription options. Super affordable as glasses go, as well. I recently got one of their cheaper frames so I could have some basic prescription glasses to keep at my office for when I forget to bring mine (I only really use them for the computer). The glasses only cost $40 CAD total for the frames and prescription lenses, and I could have gone even cheaper if I wanted. Not sure what countries they ship to, though.
Oddly, I've found using some... mechanical method of holding my jaw shut when I sleep, such as bunching a blanket up under my chin... reduces a handful of issues I have. I have allergic reactions to the adhesives used in most bandages, sadly. Thinking about just wrapping my head in ace bandages and seeing how that goes. Lol.
Welp. This proves it. I am finally old enough to have no idea about most fads. Finally. Lol.
I tend to be a mouth breather if I'm not paying attention, which leads to me drooling while I sleep. I got tired of waking up and having to dry off my face, so to solve this, I just keep my mouth closed. It sounds simple, and it is. If I deliberately keep my mouth closed while I'm falling asleep, it stays closed while I'm sleeping somehow.
well now, a first for me, finally something on this channel i have never heard of, ever.
Interesting video. I’ve never taped my mouth (just not into that), but changed my posture and head angle when I sleep. On my back with shallow pillow under my neck, head back, closed lips, jaw slack and place some pillows under my arms to keep me in that position. This keeps me from snoring and having dry mouth. I breathe deeper and slower, and my nasal passages alternate opening and closing keeping them moist. I sleep better and have more energy when I wake up. This works for me. And I don’t grind my teeth, but have a silicone mouth guard available just in case.
never heard of this - now I know all I might need to know about it. :D
I have been taping my mouth shut for about 15 years. I started because when I got a CPAP. Once I fell asleep, my mouth popped open and then I snore and wake up feeling awful. I tried using chin straps, but they didn't work well enough. But 3M Micropore tape does help. Now I use a full face Dreamware mask, but I still tape. BTW, I use the 2" tape, but I apply carmex first. I also use a UPS on my CPAP.
Thank you
I've worn a soft disposable face mask over my mouth (not my nose though) loosely when my dry mouth was severe and making it hard to sleep. Instead of taping my mouth shut completely. My nose is always at least a little stuffed up, so I can't do that, but the loose fitting soft mask greatly improved my mouth moisture and sleep. Kind of a halfway version for people who can't rely solely on their nose.
Been doing this for a year or longer now mostly with scotch tape. Haven’t had any issues found it beneficial, and I notice the difference says where I forget and wake up. 😮
I can only speak from personal experience but it worked pretty well for me. After taping my mouth shut for a couple of nights (maybe it was for a few weeks, maybe only one, idk it's been almost 10 years) my body just learned to keep it shut on its own. At the same time I also tried fixing my tongue posture to keep it at the roof of my mouth by default, so blocking off the airway with the back part of the tongue came pretty naturally.
Now I don't find dried dribble on my face and pillow in the morning anymore, and nobody sleeping next to me has ever complained of snoring or sleep-talking again, which I used to do all the time.
If you sleep with an open mouth I suggest you just try it out yourself for a while. You can wear the tape for a couple of minutes before going to bed to get used to the feeling. Definitely check that you could get it off easily by just opening your mouth in case your body wants to do that at night. During the days, consistently breathe through your nose and keep your tongue at the roof of your mouth to get your body acquainted with the position. It took me a couple of nights until I kept it til morning. This should be your default anyway when not using your mouth. Also sleep on your side with a flat pillow or just on your arm, it's the position that least blocks the airways as studies suggest (also all traditionally living indigenous people and almost all mammals sleep on their side by default)
I recommend trying nasal dilation strips first, they were a big improvement for me and without taping my mouth shut, I don't mouth breath anywhere near as much in my sleep anymore. They have the upside of also not suffocating you if you are congested or have a deviated septum
i tried it just because and here were my unintended consequences:
- TMJ almost vanished with a huge reduction in jaw pain and grinding/clenching (lifelong teeth grinder). my maseter muscles have shrank considerably
- feel a lot better waking up because i don’t have that “morning sore throat” that i would get
thats mostly it! ive always been a sound sleeper so i dont notice a huge improvement in my sleep quality but it’s enough to keep me doing it.
I've been doing it for a couple of years now and I sleep so much better it's not even a question. The quality of my sleep when I don't have tape around plummets. I have a sore throat in the morning and definitely go into constant apneas. For me it definitely works.
In deep sleep, I relax so much that my jaw falls open causing me to breathe through my mouth. As a result, I have a problem with my lips chapping. I seldom snore and when I do it is probably a throat snore rather than a nasal snore. In addition, I have a deviated septum which impedes the passage of air through my nose. I use Mouth Strips (an inexpensive X-shaped tape) that keeps my mouth shut but does not seal my mouth. I also use Hale nasal dilators for more airflow through my nose. I believe I sleep better and therefore am healthier because of what I do.
One problem not covered was TMD. With problems in the Transmandibular Joint keeping your moth closed is very important. Mouth closed, tongue on mouth roof and teeth slightly parted is the resting position of the mouth important to the joint health. Keeping your mouth closed then is very important so taping might come in handy. I’d like to see a episode on this, is it true or not.
As you age, you lose muscle tone during REM... I never had a problem with dry mouth CPAP until I passed 60yo. You can also prop/tuck your chin, use a strap/cushion, etc. I use a full-face CPAP mask and tape my mouth too.
I think following mother nature is probably a better choice. There's a reason we have two ways to get air into our lungs. Especially when we are sleeping, when we are most vulnerable, I like my chances of actually waking up if I've got 2 options.
if you're following Mother Nature then your mouth is not intended for breathing... exhaling through your mouth for speech is a thing but using your mouth for breathing is actually not very effective, particularly with maintaining the appropriate amount of carbon dioxide in your blood which regulates the cardiovascular system. i don't know why we aren't taught as kids that noses are for breathing and mouths are for talking and eating.
The reason you can breathe through your mouth is because when you Run and Exercise. When you need big lungfuls of air to cool the body. But what does the modern human do? Rarely does it need to breathe through the mouth since we don't exercise in the same manner.
It's like eating with open mouth, a bad practice.
@@Helveteshit even the running and exercise bit is debatable. This failure of the nose in these conditions is also attributed to processed food diminishing the development of our face and you'd have had to religiously use the nose for breathing your entire life. When scientific conclusions are based on numerous what ifs I tend to be more sceptical. The anecdote it derives from is that beyond thermal regulation no other animal with a nose uses their mouth for breathing no matter how hard they exert themselves. That thought gives me a funny image of a whale lying on its back, mouth in the air gulping for sweet oxygen after a big dive.
I'd sure hate to discourage people from taping their mouths shut. 😂
😂😂😂
it depends but most of the time its sleep apnea that causes people to have open mouth when sleeping i used to have it so bad that in the morning id wake up with dry mouth, dry like the desert. i actually ended up going for a sleep specialist and taking a sleep study to realise i had a bad case of sleep apnea that was finally fix with a cpap and now i dont have to worry about open mouth anymore
I read somewhere that the positioning of the tongue while sleeping is very important, especially during adolescence. I think the taping of mouth might help with securing the tongue in place too.
If you rest your tongue in the correct place according to dentists and orthodontists, it is basically impossible to breath through your mouth whether it is open or not.
@@timseguine2 As you age you lose more muscle tone during REM... at least for me, about 62yo is when the dry mouth started. CPAP plus tape equals good sleep for me.
Can I share my personal experience?
I used to snore and also had halitosis, and sleeping with my mouth closed helped me with both. But I never used any kind of tape, I simply sleep on my side hugging an extra pillow holding my mouth shut. And even when I have a cold and can't properly breathe, I don't suffocate because my body wakes me up and makes me breathe through my mouth whenever my nostrils are blocked.
No tape - and no life threat - needed, just a soft extra pillow.
My doctor, who teaches & also uses Buteyko method on himself, recommended this (the last step after learning some breathing exercises/mindfulness to breathe through the nose). For me, it has helped a lot and if my tape is still on when I wake up, I’m sure that I wake up without allergies & I have more energy throughout the day. But I’ve never seen tape being used like that, since my mouth is fully covered with tape… the images here are new to me. I didn’t even know it had become some sort of trend. And, yes, talk to your doctor before trying this!
I taped my mouth as a child on my own initiative before there was a readily available internet, because I hated the feel of warmth from my own breath washing back across my face when it hit my blankets. I MUST have cool air on my face. It trained me to breathe through my nose in my sleep. But again, this was as a child, under the age of 8, and for several years.
It is Buteyko method. I am doing it for more than 10 years. It just helps me sleep better. And no dry mouth either. I have asthma..but it doest help in asthma.
I used a sleep tracker app for 2 weeks to get a baseline score and I had 10-15 apnic episodes a night and just as many snoring episodes. Then I mouth taped and tracked with the same sleep tracker and both apnic and snoring esisodes decreased by 80% and my sleep
score improved a ton. That was enough to convince me. Your mileage may vary.
The video forgot to mention one additional benefit of mouth taping: You’ll stop accidentally eating a bunch of spiders in your sleep 😂😂😂
I slept with a loose mask during cold months and it did help a lot.
I'm curious if it might help with teeth grinding
I have a mostly unrelated anecdote. For clarity: I never have nor do tape my mouth.
One time I slept with a totally congested nose.
Had a nightmare in which I was plainly casually suffocating, unable to breath through my nose or open my mouth. I was only able to open my mouth and start ventilating perorally after waking up.
I have a deviated septum on both sides (left lower down, right higher up), I keep getting ads for a brand selling mouth tape that covers your entire mouth. I would genuinely die within an hour.
Could you do a video on "earth grounding"
This video has convinced me of the benefits of mouth-taping.
It's good for a mild case of sleep apnea. It helps my sleep, my dental health and heart health.
I love your glasses 👓
Buteyko Breathing technique taught this as *part* of a control your asthma course I went to.
It is not for everyone it can help people who wake up with sore throats from mouth breathing. For some asthmatics it can reduce / prevent asthma attacks at night that are caused from mouth breathing. That was about 15 years ago. I hate it when people make things trendy and " the cure-all " .
A Ukrainian doctor, Konstantin Buteyko, created the Buteyko breathing technique (BBT) in the 1950s. This therapeutic breathing method uses breath retention exercises to control the speed and volume of your breath. This helps you to learn to breathe more slowly, calmly, and effectively.
* people with asthma breathe differently than people without, MOST OF THE TIME. Change that and we can reduce the number of asthma attacks.
I went to the course *very* skeptically, took notes and the Australian Asthma foundation books with me. AND had a brilliant result.
Would suggest you get a trained practitioner if you are interested in learning. It sounds simple, but it is easy to get it wrong ---- which will just not work.
Dope shades 😎
I don't use mouth tape -not really effective if you have a beard- I bought special (and cheap) headgear that has a chin strap that keeps your mouth shut. Works well, even if it looks a little weird. I also have silicon nostril enlargers (my primary problem is narrow air passages), and those help as well. Total cost for both was like 20 bucks. This is after I did a sleep apnea test and the results were that I have restless sleep (I wake up frequently), but the rate of airflow and breathing cessation probably didn't warrant a full-on CPAP machine.
Interestingly I know people who do this to help them sleep purely for therapeutic reasons. With the addition of some soft restraints, some people who suffer from severe anxiety at night find the restrictiveness on the body to be relaxing, like being swaddled in a weighted blanket...just more-so.
In that same token however, others, like myself, find that a bit TOO stimulating for sleeping. Also having a goatee makes it a bit impractical, at least as far as tape and adhesives are involved. I have slept with a blanket or sheet over my head though, and as long as it's not too warm it sometimes helps.
I also know people in the furry community who sometimes sleep in their fursuits because of how warm and fluffy they are. I'd be tempted to try that myself someday though getting up to go to the washroom would take a bit longer.
The anxiety is probably caused by low carbon dioxide levels in the body which makes the cardiovascular system operate erratically. When this happens the body can interpret the emotion of an erratic heartbeat as the feeling of anxiety. This is why old-timey movies show a person breathing into a paper bag to calm down as it boosts the carbon-dioxide levels calming the heart in turn calming the whole body down. It is funny to think we have all of these medical developments going on but something as basic as breathing is not being covered, mouths are for eating and speaking, noses are for breathing.
I have sleep apnea and use a cpap machine with a full face mask. I rest better if I can breathe through only my nose while sleeping because far too often I used to wake up and realized that I have drooled into my mask (yes, yuck!) I now sleep with a pillow against my chest that is high enough to keep my mouth closed and that seems to have eliminated the problem for several years now.
I use FF mask *with* mouth tape... best of both worlds!