Will You Shut Your Mouth? The Benefits of Breathing Through Your Nose When You Sleep

Michael Hauf, his wife Kate, daughter Eleanor and son Quinn with their mouths taped.

Wanna hear something pretty strange? For the last few months, my wife and children have been taping their mouths shut while they sleep. Seriously. They take a small piece of 3M Durapore Tape and place it vertically over their mouths before bed.

The first time they tried it, I went up to bed to find them sleeping peacefully with a piece of tape over each of their mouths. I used my phone light to illuminate their taped faces and it was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. They have continued the practice, of their own volition, for a few months now. I am getting used to the sight.

My wife got the idea after reading the book “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor. Properly inspired, she took a deep dive into all things breathing – from podcasts to books by breathing practitioner Patrick McKeown.

“Breath” is described by “Eat Pray Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert as “a fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe – and how we’ve all been doing it wrong for a long, long time.” According to the book, nasal breathing espouses such benefits as a reduction in snoring, lowering of blood pressure, and reduction in sleep apnea, and can aid in asthma, allergies, and overall dental health. Sounded interesting (and a little crazy).

My wife has also been sharing her experience with friends, family, and of course, Instagram followers. Reports are pouring in about people trying this wacky ritual and having tremendous relief of dry mouth, improved sleep, reduction in headaches, and beyond.

So, I did some research. As it turns out, this is not new information, and my wife might really be on to something.

As early as the end of the 16th century, Dutch physician Lemnius Levinus’s book, “Occulta Naturae Miracula,” references the deleterious effects of sleeping with an open mouth. In about 1870, George Catlin dedicated an entire book to the superiority of nasal breathing during sleep titled “Mal-Respiration of Sleep.”

The research just continues to become more robust from there.

A study by California dentist Juliette Tamkin, “Impact of Airway Dysfunction on Dental Health,” states that “the function of the nose is to take in air, which is then warmed, moistened, and filtered. Small amounts of nitric oxide, which play a role in killing dust mites and helps reduce inflammation, is added to the air before going into the lungs. Mouth breathing unfortunately provides none of these benefits.”

The study goes on to say, “Mouth breathing directly affects dental health by causing the drying of oral structures and the decrease of saliva production. Saliva acts to neutralize acid in the mouth and helps to flush away bacteria. Without saliva and its beneficial protective mechanisms, risk of decay and periodontal disease, the pathological inflammation of the gum and bone support surrounding the teeth, increases. During sleep, mouth breathing decreases intra oral pH as compared to normal breathing. This lowered pH can lead to erosion of tooth surfaces, increased sensitivity of the teeth to temperatures and susceptibility to tooth decay.”

Mouth breathing, caused by an obstruction of the upper airway, can result in enlarged tonsils and adenoids, bruxism (grinding) causing wear and fracture of teeth, temporo-mandibular disorder of the jaw joints, myofascial pain, erosion of the teeth, malocclusion, periodontal disease, caries and impacted teeth.

I have found many studies confirming the claims in the book, and a lot of them have to do with nitric oxide. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule in many physiological and pathological processes. NO is a vasodilator decreasing blood pressure, increasing blood flow to organs (thereby also aiding in erectile function), prevents blood clots, regulates release and binding of oxygen to hemoglobin, as well as supporting the immune system by helping to combat viruses and parasites. NO is produced in the paranasal sinuses and is excreted continuously into the nasal airways. This NO will normally reach the lungs with inspiration, especially during nasal breathing. Breathing through the mouth greatly decreases the amount of NO that reaches the lungs.

Tamkin’s study also notes that, “Beyond the dental implications, upper airway obstructions can lead to sleep disturbed breathing which causes headaches, snoring, difficulty sleeping, neck, jaw, or ear pain. Chronic diseases such as obesity, ADHD, asthma, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea develop from sleep disturbed breathing and thus affect the quality of life and life expectancy.”

So, you can imagine mouth breathing for the eight hours you are asleep can have some severely detrimental effects on your health. My daughter was having an issue with allergies that we were treating with Zyrtec once a day. If not treated, she would be up at night coughing. Since beginning the mouth taping, she has not had to take the medication at all. No coughing, and much better sleep.

Another interesting study I found, published May 6, 2020, is titled “Could nasal nitric oxide help to mitigate the severity of COVID-19?” The study again references the production of NO in the paranasal sinuses and supports the benefits of nasal breathing.

“Studies indicate that NO may also help to reduce respiratory tract infection by inactivating viruses and inhibiting their replication in epithelial cells. In view of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), clinical trials have been designed to examine the effects of inhaled nitric oxide in COVID-19 subjects. We discuss here additional lifestyle factors such as mouth breathing which may affect the antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2 by bypassing the filtering effect of the nose and by decreasing NO levels in the airways. Simple devices that promote nasal breathing during sleep may help prevent the common cold, suggesting potential benefits against coronavirus infection. In the absence of effective treatments against COVID-19, the alternative strategies proposed here should be considered and studied in more detail.”

People have not been taping their mouths since the beginning of time and they did not suffer from the same issues modern people are experiencing in terms of improper breathing. While it would take another lengthy article to examine what brought us to this point with the evolution of the human palate and the problems it presents, there are still steps you can take to combat the issues today.

One of those steps may be as simple as taping your mouth shut while you sleep. I have not tried the mouth taping yet. I blamed it mostly on my beard and the fact it wouldn’t really work taping my beard hair. However, now I have shaved and am writing this article, so I feel obligated. So, if you see me on the street, you can ask me how the mouth taping is going because I plan on my first tape tonight.

Give it a try yourself and let me know if you receive any benefits. If you decide to convince your spouse to tape his or her mouth shut, lead with the benefits, and don’t suggest they try it during the day, too. It won’t end well.