MOUTH taping — the sleeping trend seen across social media and said to reduce snoring, dry mouth and bad breath — can lead to serious health risks, scientists are warning in an analysis of recent research studies.

For months, influencers, celebrities and countless social media accounts have been talking up the process of taping over your mouth at bedtime to promote restful sleep and reduce sleep-related breathing disorders.

But researchers who evaluated 10 studies on this trend with a total of 213 participants say that it brings clear risks and has little evidence to back it. “Taping the mouth is a current practice that is often promoted by celebrities but is not necessarily supported by scientific evidence,” says the Canadian research team.

Proponents claim mouth taping can help combat daytime tiredness and concentration problems, and even prevent facial wrinkles. Fans — among them American actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland — place a plaster, adhesive tape or special tape over their mouth at night to keep it closed to make sure they breathe through their nose instead.

“Many people are not suited to mouth taping, and in some cases, it can lead to serious health risks,” say the researchers led by ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Brian Rotenberg from the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario.

The practice aims to help combat obstructive sleep apnoea, which causes your throat muscles to relax while you are asleep, especially if you lie on your back, causing the base of your tongue to fall back and narrow your airways.

That obstruction can not only lead to snoring, but also nocturnal breathing interruptions — often dozens per hour.—The Star (Malaysia)/ANN

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2025