Hi there, it's Matt here and welcome back to the podcast. So imagine preparing for bed by

placing a strip of tape over your lips. It sounds bizarre, almost like putting training wheels on

your mouth to teach it how to behave at night. Yet, this quirky ritual known as mouth-taping has gone viral

as a purported remedy for snoring, sleep apnea, and even bad breath. Videos tagged hashtag

mouth tape have amassed over 7 million views on TikTok, and about one in 10 adults in a recent US survey admit to giving

it a try. Advocates claim it leads to quieter nights and more refreshing sleep. But does mouth

taping really work? And is it safe? In many ways, you can understand the theory behind mouth taping when you understand the

anatomy and physiology of breathing, because breathing through the nose has well-known advantages.

The nose warms, humidifies, and filters incoming air. It's like your body's built-in climate

control and air purifier all in one. In contrast,

breathing through an open mouth is like opening a window in a desert sandstorm. You get unfiltered,

dry air rushing in. mouth breathing at night often leads to a parched mouth by morning, a scratchy throat, and

sometimes louder snoring, since an open jaw can let the tongue and throat tissues collapse

more easily. The idea behind mouth taping is therefore rather straightforward. Keep the lips

sealed to encourage nasal breathing. Simple, right?

Well, perhaps not. This mentality, which you can find on the internet, often overlooks the

complex reasons why someone might breathe through their mouth in the first place. Social media

is brimming with anecdotal success stories, but medical experts have raised

serious concerns. What works for one person might not just be ineffective for another. It could be

dangerous. Seal your mouth without addressing why you were mouth breathing to begin with, and you might struggle

to get enough oxygen. Several sleep clinicians have rightly and valiantly tried to educate the

public on the fact that people with existing lung conditions or known sleep apnea should be cautious about using mouth

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