Mouth taping: What's behind the new breathing trend?

Dec 6

Mouth tape nasal breathing — A small tool with great potential?

Have you ever thought about how you breathe – through your nose or through your mouth? How we breathe has a huge impact on our health. Nasal breathing is not only more natural, but also healthier. In this article, I'll show you when mouth tape can be useful, who it's suitable for, and how it can improve your breathing and health.

Why is nasal breathing so important?

Nasal breathing has many advantages that go far beyond mere habit. Here are the most important:

Air filtration: The nose filters out dust, pollen and other pollutants, ensuring cleaner air to breathe.
Moisture and heat regulation: When you breathe through your nose, the air is moistened and warmed, which protects your airways and makes them less susceptible to irritation.
CO2 balance: Nasal breathing supports a stable CO2 concentration in the blood, which is essential for an effective oxygen supply to the cells.

You can find out more about the benefits of nasal breathing in my blog post: How do I breathe healthily?.

Who should try mouth tape?

Mouth tape is a simple yet effective tool that you can use while sleeping or during relaxed rest periods to avoid unconscious mouth breathing. They can be especially helpful for:

People who breathe through their mouth at night
If you breathe through your mouth while sleeping, it can lead to snoring, dry mouth, and less restful sleep. Mouth tape helps you train your nasal breathing. It's best to start carefully by wearing the tape during the day in relaxed moments, such as while reading or cooking. This way, your body gets used to the new feeling and panic can be avoided at night.
Individuals with restricted nasal breathing
People often resort to mouth breathing because they feel their nose is blocked – whether due to a cold, a deviated septum, or dry mucous membranes. While mouth tape can help habitual mouth breathers, it's important to consult a doctor first for persistent breathing problems to clarify potential causes.
Athletes and active people
In high-performance sports, mouth tape is increasingly used to promote nasal breathing even during physical exertion. The higher CO2 level maintained by nasal breathing supports the release of oxygen from hemoglobin, thus increasing energy efficiency – a crucial advantage in training and competition.
People with stress or anxiety
Mouth breathing is often an unconscious reaction to stress. Consciously training nasal breathing with mouth tape can help calm your nervous system and regulate stress more effectively.

How does mouth tape work?

Mouth tape is simply applied over the lips to gently keep the mouth closed. The tapes are skin-friendly and designed to cover only part of the mouth. This always leaves the possibility of breathing past the tape if you feel uncomfortable or wake up at night and forget you're wearing tape. This safety solution makes it easier to get started and gives you a reassuring feeling.

Benefits of mouth tape

Wearing mouth tape offers numerous benefits, such as:

Better sleep: Studies show that nasal breathing ensures deeper and more restful sleep phases.
Less snoring: Promoting nasal breathing reduces vibrations in the palate area that cause snoring.
Better oral hygiene: Mouth breathing dries out the mucous membranes, which increases the risk of tooth decay and gum inflammation.
Optimized CO2 tolerance: Nasal breathing supports the balance between oxygen and CO2 in the blood, as I described in my blog post on conscious connected breathing.
More efficient energy production: In sports, nasal breathing ensures better oxygen utilization, thus increasing physical performance.

When is caution advised?

Mouth tapes are generally safe, but there are some situations where caution is advised. Talk to your doctor or breath coach before use if:

you suffer from chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma,
your nasal passages are blocked, making nasal breathing difficult,
or you feel uncomfortable at the thought of wearing mouth tape.

How do you get started?

Start slowly. Wear the mouth tape for a short time during the day while doing relaxing activities like reading or cooking. This allows your body to get used to the feeling. Observe your breathing: Feel how you consciously breathe through your nose, and let your body perceive the positive effects.

You can find high-quality mouth tape here, for example - even for beard wearers:
Myotape (not sponsored)

You can also find cheaper versions on Amazon, for example, or simply ask at the pharmacy for a skin-friendly tape that is not too sticky.

Conclusion: Small change, big impact

A mouth tape may seem inconspicuous, but its effect on your health and performance can be enormous. Whether for more restful sleep, better athletic performance, or as training for your nervous system – the benefits of nasal breathing are diverse. With a gentle start and conscious application, you can integrate nasal breathing into your everyday life and experience lasting improvements.

For more inspiration on healthy breathing, check out my post: How do I breathe healthily?.