Mouth tape for sleep: who is it for and how to start?

Do you wake up with a dry mouth even though you drank water in the evening? Does your partner say you sleep with your mouth open? These are the two most common reasons people look for mouth tape.

Mouth tape is a simple tool, but how you start matters. This article covers who it is for, how to get used to it gradually, and when you should not put it on. We already compared nasal strips, nasal dilators and mouth tape in an earlier guide, so here we focus only on mouth tape.

What is mouth tape and what does it do?

Mouth tape (also called night-time mouth tape) is a thin, breathable adhesive strip that you stick on your lips before going to bed. It gently keeps your mouth closed while you sleep, so the air flows through your nose. It is not a medicine and not a medical device: it simply gives your mouth a mechanical reminder to stay closed. The nasal cavity warms, humidifies and filters the air you breathe in, and mouth breathing skips all of this.

The Easy Sleep Mouth Tape is made of a woven, hypoallergenic material. It is latex-free and fragrance-free, and its adhesive also sticks to beards, so you do not need to shave for it. In the morning it comes off easily if you do it right (more on this below).

Who is mouth tape for?

Mouth tape is for people whose nose is basically clear but who breathe through their mouth out of habit while sleeping. The typical signs are a dry mouth in the morning, a parched throat and thirst during the night. In the heating season, in the dry air of a flat, this is more noticeable for many people. It can be used with a beard, and athletes also like to add it to their evening routine. With a blocked nose, however, it is not for anyone.

• People who wake up with a dry mouth. This is the most common reason, and it is also where you can most easily tell whether anything changes.
• People whose partner complains about night-time noises, and whose nose is otherwise clear.
• People who practise nasal breathing during the day, for example for sport or breathing exercises, and want to keep it up at night.
• Men with beards who have worried so far that the tape would not stick or would pull their hair in the morning.

Our view: if your nose is clear and you regularly wake up with a dry mouth, mouth tape is the simplest and cheapest thing you can try. Within a month you will know whether it is for you.

How can you tell if your nose is clear enough?

The simplest test: during the day, when you are calm, close your mouth and breathe only through your nose for a few minutes, for example while reading or watching TV. If this is comfortable and you do not feel short of breath, your nose is clear enough to start. If even this is a strain, make nasal breathing easier first, and only then move on to mouth tape.

If the test is difficult, many people start with a nasal strip: the Easy Sleep Nasal Strip mechanically widens the nostrils from the outside. Once nasal breathing is easy with it, you can add the mouth tape.

How to start: three steps to the first night

Do not wear it all night on the first evening. First try it during the day, while awake, for 10–20 minutes. If that is comfortable, move on to a shorter sleep, such as an afternoon nap. Only then wear it all night, and only if your nasal breathing is calm and clear. If at any point you feel short of breath, restless or uncomfortable, take it off.

1. Step 1, during the day: 10–20 minutes while awake, reading or watching TV. This is where you find out how the tape feels on your lips and whether it bothers you.
2. Step 2, short sleep: an afternoon rest or nap with the tape on. If you wake up and it did not bother you, you can move on.
3. Step 3, the whole night: on before bed, off in the morning. In the first few nights, many people wake up once or twice because of it; that is part of getting used to it.

How long it takes to get used to it varies from person to person. For some, even the first night feels natural; others need one or two weeks of practice. If it is still not comfortable after several attempts, do not force it.

Applying and removing, step by step

Apply it to clean, dry skin: it will not stick to skin with lip balm or cream on it. Pull the edges of the tape apart so the backing comes off, close your lips naturally (do not press them together), place the tape in the middle and press it down for a few seconds. In the morning, do not yank it off: moisten it with warm water and slowly push it off from top to bottom.

1. Wipe the area around your mouth. Evening lip balm and face cream are the biggest enemies: the tape comes off on them. If you cannot do without lip balm, apply it well before bedtime and wipe off the excess.
2. Remove the backing. Pull the edges of the tape apart, and the protective layer will separate from the adhesive by itself.
3. Place it in the middle. Your lips should be lightly closed, the way they naturally rest. Gently press it on so that it sticks everywhere.
4. Moisten it in the morning. Warm water loosens the adhesive, and the tape comes off easily when pulled from top to bottom, even from a beard.
5. One tape, one night. Throw it away in the morning, do not stick it back on.

Nasal strip and mouth tape together: when do they work well as a pair?

Nasal strips and mouth tape can be used together, and many people do so: the nasal strip widens the nostrils, and the mouth tape keeps the lips closed. Try the combination during the day, while awake, first too. If your nose is blocked, do not use the two together, and do not put on mouth tape either.

If you want to try the nasal strip and mouth tape together, the Snoring Stop Package contains both as a pair (1+1, 3+3, 6+6 or 12+12 packs), with the nasal strip in black or clear. If you are looking for a reusable nose band instead of a single-use nasal strip, our article on the magnetic nasal dilator explains how to put it on.

Mouth tape for snoring: what can you expect?

Mouth tape is not a solution to snoring and does not promise a guaranteed result. All it does is keep your mouth closed while you sleep, so you breathe through your nose. People whose night-time noises come from sleeping with their mouth open try it for this reason, and their partner will soon tell them whether anything has changed. If the snoring is regular and loud, or someone notices pauses in your breathing, that calls for a medical check-up, not a tape.

The most honest test is one month: a pack contains 30 tapes, and in that time both your morning dry mouth and your partner's feedback will show whether it works for you.

Redness, adhesion, storage

The lips and the skin around them are sensitive, so mild redness or itching may occur the first few times. In that case, apply it to clean, dry skin without lip balm, moisten it before removing, and if the skin turns red, skip a night or two. If the skin reaction does not go away, stop using it.

• Does it not stay on all night? The cause is almost always cream, lip balm or damp skin. Wash the area, wait until it is dry, and only then apply the tape.
• Does it pull on your beard in the morning? Moisten it thoroughly and slowly push it off in the direction of hair growth.
• Storage: in a dry, cool place, away from sunlight, in its original packaging. The bathroom is not a good place, because steam weakens the adhesive. Reseal the pack after opening.

When should mouth tape stay in the box?

When air does not flow freely through your nose: when you have a cold, a blocked nose or difficulty breathing. It is also not for use after alcohol, sleeping pills or sedatives, and never for children. If you have pauses in your breathing during sleep, that calls for a medical check-up, not a tape.

In summary

Mouth tape works well if you follow the right order: first a clear nose, then a gradual start during the day, and only then the whole night. The secret to applying it is dry skin without lip balm; the secret to removing it is warm water.

A pack contains 30 tapes, which is enough for a month. That is plenty of time to see whether anything changes by morning. You will find the nasal strip and mouth tape pair and our other sleep-related products in the sleep and breathing collection.