Social media fad of nighttime mouth taping to treat mouth breathing may pose serious risks

An evaluation of 10 previously published studies suggests that a recent fad of taping one’s mouth shut while sleeping to prevent mouth breathing may have little benefit and could pose serious asphyxiation risks. Dr. Brian Rotenberg of Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on May 21, 2025.

When the nasal passages are blocked, breathing switches from the nose to the mouth. Mouth breathing has been linked to sleep-disordered breathing, which includes conditions ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnea, where breathing stops and starts frequently during sleep. A recent trend amplified by social media has some people taping their mouths shut at night in efforts to treat sleep-disordered breathing by preventing mouth breathing.

Despite this fad, the safety and effectiveness of nighttime mouth taping has been unclear. To help clarify the existing evidence, Rotenberg and colleagues at St. Joseph's Health Care London and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute systematically reviewed studies that have explored the practice. Their analysis included 10 studies that employed different research methods to evaluate the potential benefits of sealing the mouth shut—using tape or other devices, such as chin straps—for a total of 213 patients.

Out of the 10 studies, two suggested that, amongst a subset of people with mild obstructive sleep apnea, mouth taping may be associated with some slight improvement in a standard measure of sleep apnea severity known as the apnea-hyopopnea index. However, other studies found no evidence that mouth taping might help treat mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing, or sleep apnea. 

Four of the 10 studies included discussion of a potentially serious risk of asphyxiation posed by sealing the mouth shut during sleep for people whose mouth breathing is caused by serious restriction or blockage of nasal airways. Serious nasal obstruction could result from conditions such as hay fever, chronic rhinitis, deviated septum, sinonasal disease, or enlarged tonsils.

On the basis of these findings, the authors conclude that existing evidence does not support nighttime mouth taping as a treatment for sleep-disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnea. However, they note that further research is warranted, as the existing literature is limited with inconsistent study methodology.

The authors add: “Mouth taping is a contemporary practice that is often celebrity-endorsed, but is not necessarily scientifically accurate. Many people are not appropriate for mouth taping, and in some cases it can lead to risk of serious health harm.”

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: https://plos.io/42LfIFY

Citation: Rhee J, Iansavitchene A, Mannala S, Graham ME, Rotenberg B (2025) 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. PLoS One 20(5): e0323643. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323643

Author countries: Canada

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.