No evidence mouth taping is effective and could be harmful for some, new study says – CTV
May 21, 2025
Researchers in London, Ont. say there’s no evidence that mouth taping has any health benefits and warn that it could actually be harmful for people with sleep apnea.
Some social media ads and influencer claims say that putting tape over the lips can help people breathe through the nose while sleeping, and thereby reduce snoring and improve rest.
The senior author of a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One said mouth taping could be dangerous for people with sleep apnea, and many may not even realize their breathing stops and starts while sleeping.
“There’s a large proportion of people out there who have undiagnosed sleep apnea, possibly severe sleep apnea,” said Dr. Brian Rotenberg, who is an otolaryngology specialist at London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Western University.
“When you literally tape your mouth shut and your airway is already being blocked somewhere behind that, you’ve now blocked off basically half of your airway,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
