Ok, I know what you’re thinking. What the hell is mouth taping?
Well, ever since we learned that there are tons of benefits of breathing more through the nose & less through the mouth, we’ve been making a conscious effort to change up our breathing habits. And this includes mouth taping at night.
So welcome to another day at The Skinny Confidential blog where we talk about door signs, but also vaginal steaming, boob jobs, lube & yes, taping your mouth at night. Never a dull day.
Mouth taping is an easy home remedy for treating mouth breathing when you sleep & it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
Mouth taping is the process of placing porous, medical grade tape over your lips while you sleep at night. This literally FORCES you to breathe through your nose throughout the night & can have positive effects on your health.
Breathing through the nose is the way that the human body optimally functions. And of course, we can make a conscious effort to close our mouths when we are awake. But, when we sleep it’s a whole different story. We lose that ability when we are asleep.
Mouth breathing is associated with a variety of health concerns like increased symptoms of asthma, dental conditions, yellow teeth, obstructive sleep apnea, sore throat, etc. So we’ll breathe through our noses please & thanks.
The benefits of nasal breathing are reduced colds & illnesses, increased blood flow, increased stamina, improved lung functioning, & the list goes on.
So today, we’re going to talk about the many benefits of mouth taping at night & answer all your questions about how to tape your mouth before bed.
Benefits of Mouth Taping At Night
♡ Improved sleep:
Studies show that mouth taping can greatly improve quality of sleep for those that deal with mild sleep apnea, asthma, & other common sleep disorders. Breathing through your nose can help you establish a stable breathing pattern, which can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, have a deeper sleep, AND wake up feeling more refreshed.
♡ Improved immunity:
All those little hairs in your nose serve a purpose. And that purpose is to prevent the introduction of viruses, bacteria, & other gross things into the body. Mouth breathing while sleeping makes it so much easier for these yucky things to enter the body. But, the good news is your nose was literally MADE to be one of the body’s first lines of defense from any & all sickness.
♡ Reduced snoring:
Mouth breathing at night is one of the most common causes of nasal congestion & that annoying sound we call snoring. Not only can snoring disrupt your breathing pattern throughout the night, it can also really annoy your SO.
According to the Sleep Foundation, mouth taping changes the angle of your palate & tongue, and thus, prevents snoring. No snoring = better sleep = better LIFE! (P.S. another super handy hack to prevent snoring is The Skinny Confidential x Canopy Dehumidifier.)
♡ Improved oral health:
Ok, guys. This one gets a little gross…but we’re gonna go there anyway. When you breathe through your mouth at night, it can cause dry mouth, bad breath, cavities, yellow teeth, gum disease, & tooth decay. It can also introduce yucky bacteria & viruses to your oral microbiome and long story short…it’s NOT GOOD for your oral health. You will see an instant increase in oral health by mouth taping at night. For more on oral health you have to check out this post, there are so many good tips.
♡ Lower blood pressure:
Sleep disorders & major disruptions in breathing throughout the night can have some seriously negative health effects. These effects can include stroke, heart attack, high blood-pressure, & other cardiovascular issues. Mouth taping will help you regulate your breathing, which will help prevent spikes in blood pressure & adrenaline.
♡ Increased nitric oxide production:
Nitric oxide is produced in the nostrils of all humans. So, when we inhale through the nose, the nitric oxide goes all the way through the airways & deep into the lungs. This promotes everything from relaxation to expansion of blood vessels to the destruction of some bacteria & viruses.
How To Tape Your Mouth At Night
Say goodbye to your mouth breathing life. It will take some getting used to, but the benefits of mouth taping at night far outweigh the cons.
As you can see, there are tons of benefits of mouth taping. But, to be completely thorough, let’s take a super quick look at the possible negative side effects of mouth taping…
Negative side-effects might include: skin irritation from tape, a little pain from removing tape the next day, & anxiety from having your lips taped shut.
Claire Grieve who has been on the podcast & on the blog is a big fan of taping her mouth shut at night. With a few key tips, you can make sure that you’re unaffected by these side-effects.
So, let’s talk about how to properly tape your mouth at night.
♡ Shave your face! (*if you want*)
A common side-effect of mouth taping is a little bit of pain when removing the tape the following morning. This is because you’re ripping the tape off of all those little lip hairs. You can avoid this by shaving your face & getting rid of all those little hairs before you apply the tape. THE HOT SHAVE RAZOR is THE perfect tool for this job. It improves skin texture, gently exfoliates the skin, & is very easy-to-use.
♡ Prep your face and lips
Go ahead & complete your normal night-time routine. This might include washing your face, applying creams & oils, etc. You’ll want to take care of this before you start taping anything.
♡ Apply your tape
Ok, time to get your tape ready. The most important thing to remember here is that you can’t use just any old tape. Your lip tape should be porous & medical-grade…think surgical tape. We recommend this tape. It’s breathable, flexible, latex-free, hypoallergenic, and sticks really well throughout the night ( even with oily skin ).
Cut off a small strip of tape about the length of one or two postage stamps & place it in the center of your lips, over the top & bottom lips. DON’T cover your whole lips, just the center portion in the middle.
Now, you’re good to go – all taped up and ready for bed. Fun. LOL.
Mouth taping for the win
Mouth taping can help you snore less, get better sleep, & make your mouth feel healthier & cleaner. It’s a great addition to your nighttime routine.
At first, taping your mouth might seem a little weird & uncomfortable. But, after a few nights, you’ll get used to it & see all the benefits.
Oh, and if you’re looking for more night-time hacks you can check out Lauryn’s normal night-time routine, here.
+ stalk Lauryn’s other wellness practices here.
++ check out this post for optimal relaxation & sleep.
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