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There are many benefits of mouth taping at night. Taping your mouth at night improves the microbiome of the mouth and gut, increases daytime energy, improves sleep, snoring and allergies, and calms anxiety.Mouth taping can help reduce dental plaque, stop nighttime salivation and improve your breath.
Better Sleep with Mouth Taping at Night
I’ve been mouth taping at night (every night) for more than 15 years.
The first of many benefits of mouth taping was my sleep improvement. I’d never really snored, but my mouth tended to come open and would dry out.
During the night I might wake up swallowing or coughing a bit trying to regulate the moisture in my mouth and throat.
I stopped doing this as soon as I learned to wear the right kind of tape properly. There are many copy-cat mouth tapes sold but Somnifix is the best. I started with 3M Micropore but it can be a little harsh on the face. And it does not have the tiny “moisture vents” Somnifix has.
Here’s a picture of Somnifix. You can’t see all the features in this image though. Finish this article then read more on their website .
Stop the Snore!
When the jaw drops open during sleep, the airway can get compressed. Snoring results. Sometimes just for a moment, and sometimes for long periods.
If severe, this can become sleep apnea – where we stop breathing for too long, too many times during the night.
Sleep Arousals – Mild to Moderate
I tested myself with a wrist and finger-worn Oximeter with memory feature that measured my heart rate during the night.
When I was disturbed, my pulse rose. These are called “sleep arousals”.
These arousals were due to snoring or restrictions in my airway. In reading my report, some were probably turning over in bed. But the rest were likely due to my body trying to breathe better.
I was surprised to see so many arousals before I started mouth taping at night. My results were nowhere near the “Sleep Apnea” range, but as we know in Functional Medicine, you don’t have to have a “diseased” state for things to be out of balance.
Primal Diet – Modern Health Podcast on Mouth Taping at Night
This Primal Diet – Modern Health podcast gives details on how and why to tape and other ideas to reduce snoring and allergies. There’s more info here in this blog post as well. (Note that that article’s picture is meant to be humorous – you DON’T use masking tape to tape your mouth at night!)
Use the podcast player above or find my show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Your Nose or Your Mouth – which is Meant for Breathing??
Key Concepts:
The mouth is for eating.
The nose is for breathing.
Taping your mouth at night is the natural and correct way your body wants to breathe
Maintaining Carbon Dioxide Balance is Good Chemistry
When we snore or breathe through the mouth we deplete carbon dioxide – an essential blood gas that needs to be in balance with oxygen. Slowing the breath and breathing through the nose help increase carbon dioxide and can improve whole body chemistry.
In many ways!
Want proof of the life-giving properties of our own exhaled carbon dioxide? When you do Mouth-to-Mouth Breathing to revive someone unconscious, you are breathing your carbon dioxide into their lungs! True!
Nitric Oxide and Long-Term Health
Nitric oxide production helps reduce blood pressure and aid with recovery from workouts and stress. When we breathe through the mouth (day or night), we breathe too fast and exhale too much CO2. Our blood then has lowered oxygenation and reduced nitric oxide production. This can lead to cardiovascular and cognitive problems.
Topics in this Podcast on the Benefits of Mouth Taping:
- Why you get deeper sleep and less snoring
- How taping your mouth can improve asthma and allergies
- Improving dental health and breath
- Achieving a calmer mind by slowing your breathing
- The benefits of Nitric Oxide and Carbon Dioxide
- How to tape and the types of tape available
Links to things I mention:
- Treat your allergies with Quercitin or D-Hist, and homeopathic Histaminum. Handle the allergens in your environment too, such as the cat that sleeps on your pillow. More on allergies here.
- If you have a chronic sinus infection Nutribiotic Nasal Spray may help.
- Here’s a podcast I did with the world’s top trainer of Buteyko Breathing. It’s really helpful to learn more about how breathing affects your life! Especially if you snore or have asthma…
- I used to use 3M Micropore tape on Amazon but absolutely prefer SomniFix now. I get it on Subscription every three months.
- Sleep herbs in my Online Store to help your mind and body relax and rest: Systemic Formulas N3 Relaxa; Designs for Health Pharma Gaba; and Passion Flower Tincture.
