Mouth taping

Benefits of Mouth taping

  • Nasal Breathing: Mouth taping encourages nasal breathing, which is crucial because it helps increase oxygen levels and reduce carbon dioxide buildup. This can mitigate the negative impact of apnea on hormones like testosterone and estrogen 
  • Treating Sleep Apnea: For individuals with sleep apnea or tendencies towards snoring, mouth taping offers a zero-cost, behavioral intervention. It’s essential for such individuals to deliberate shift to nasal breathing to reduce apnea and snoring
  • Cortisol Reduction: Taping the mouth shut during sleep can enhance nose breathing, which increases oxygen intake and reduces apnea. This shift from mouth to nose breathing can potentially lower cortisol levels at night, leading to better hormone balance and sleep 
  • Improved Nighttime Breathing: Mouth taping can prevent snoring and enhance nasal breathing during sleep, which is ideal unless engaging in heavy exercise or other activities requiring mouth breathing 
What the science tells us?

Nasal Breathing

Nasal breathing is crucial for overall health, as emphasized by James Nestor. He asserts that becoming a nasal breather is foundational for health, noting that around 60% of people breathe through their mouths at night, and children are often the worst offenders during the day

Nasal breathing allows for slower, calmer breaths, which are more beneficial than mouth breathing, especially during rest and moderate exercise
Nestor explains that nasal breathing filters and cleanses the air, providing six times more nitric oxide, which is vital for killing bacteria and viruses
If you are not an obligate nasal breather, you can never be healthy.
— James Nestor
He suggests using nasal dilators or strips to aid those with nasal congestion, emphasizing the importance of diagnosing the specific issue before treatment