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TikTokers have offered some unusual sleep advice over the past year: Tape your mouth shut at night for deeper sleep, less snoring, and more mouth breathing. But despite its many fans online, doctors say the practice could cause more harm than good (shock).

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What does the internet claim about mouth scotch?

TikTok users claim that putting tape over your mouth before bed will force you to breathe through your nose, which will reduce dry mouth and improve your oral health. They also claim that it will prevent snoring and help you sleep better.

Note: TikTokers who advocate duct tape mostly use tape designed for this purpose or small strips of medical tape. Under no circumstances should anyone already go to bed with duct tape over lips.

But even with the right tape, you might want to avoid this trend. While this might make for a compelling video and, in theory, should reduce mouth breathing, mouth scotch tape is far more risky than beneficial, according to doctors we spoke to.

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What are the risks of month taping?

An underlying medical condition can cause mouth breathing and snoring, says Dr. Aarti Grover, medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center. Mouth tape will not solve these problems and could be dangerous.

For example, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where people have trouble breathing at night. This is sometimes due to obstructed airways, snoring being a symptom of sleep apnea. Covering your mouth won’t solve the root problem and could make breathing even more difficult.

Nasal blockages due to allergies or sinus problems can also lead to mouth breathing and snoring. “Imagine you have a blockage in your nasal cavity either due to allergies or you are congested and on top of that you stick your mouth out, this could be problematic as you are not getting enough air from your nose or of your oral cavity,” says Grover. This could prevent a person from getting enough oxygen at night.

There are other potential risk factors, even for people who don’t have trouble sleeping. “It’s a terrible idea,” says Dr. Kathryn Boling, a primary care physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. “There are a lot of TikTok [trends] I see where I’m like, ‘Thank God, where did these things come from?’ “

The lips are very delicate. Sticking them repeatedly could lead to abrasions and cuts, Boling says. Also, if you vomit at night and your mouth is taped shut, you run the risk of choking or choking on your own vomit, she says.

Are there any benefits to taping the mouth?

Tapping your mouth at night could reduce mouth breathing, says Grover. Breathing through your nose at night is healthier than through your mouth and can keep you from waking up with a dry mouth, she says.

Breathing through your nose is a more efficient way for your body to get air. Also, your nose filters the air in a way that your mouth cannot.

But Grover adds, “We don’t have a lot of data or studies on mouth scotch.”

What are the best ways to improve sleep and reduce snoring?

If you’re simply looking to get better sleep, there are (better) steps you can take that don’t involve taping your mouth.

For one, stop scrolling TikTok at night. Doctors and sleep psychologists agree that screen time is the enemy of sleep. The blue light emitted by electronic screens could hamper the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, while exciting content could wake you up rather than put you to sleep.

Instead, consider reading a paper book or listening to an audiobook, making a cup of tea, taking a bath, or meditating for an hour before bed rather than staring at your phone. lead to better quality sleep.

You can also invest in blackout curtains or a white noise machine to make your bedroom a better sleeping environment.

Most importantly, talk to a doctor if you have trouble snoring or breathing through your mouth at night, says Grover. A medical professional can help you determine if you have an underlying condition that might make duct tape useless or even dangerous.

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