Mouth taping for shift workers and daytime sleepers

Mouth tape works the same whether you go to bed at 10 p.m. or 10 a.m. It keeps your lips together so you breathe through your nose, and none of that depends on the clock. What changes for shift workers is everything around the tape: a bedroom that's light and noisy during the day, a schedule that moves, and a body clock that wants you awake.

Does mouth tape work the same for daytime sleep?

As far as we can tell, mouth tape works the same for daytime sleep, though nobody has studied it. We couldn't find any research on mouth taping in shift workers. The best-known study, a small 2022 study of mouth breathers with mild sleep apnea, found snoring roughly halved after a week of taping (the research). Nothing in how that tape works depends on the time of day.

The evidence on mouth taping is still early overall. A 2025 review in PLOS One found 10 studies with 213 patients in total. So it's a promising, low-cost habit to try rather than a proven one, and that applies to day sleepers as much as anyone.

If you nap rather than sleep in one block, the same applies. Our guide to mouth tape for naps covers shorter sleeps.

Why is sleeping during the day harder?

Sleeping during the day is harder because your body clock is working against you. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) explains that your body uses light, and the absence of light, to decide how much melatonin to make. With shift work, melatonin may be released when you need to be alert, and sunlight can stop you making it when you're trying to sleep. It says people with shift work disorder may sleep up to four hours less than the average worker.

This is common. Cleveland Clinic says about 20% of the full-time US workforce does some form of shift work, and that shift work sleep disorder affects 10% to 40% of people who work nontraditional shifts. Mouth tape won't fix a body clock problem. What it can do is give you one less thing waking you up, if mouth breathing, snoring or a dry mouth are part of why your daytime sleep is broken.

How do you fit mouth tape into a shift work routine?

Make it part of a fixed pre-sleep routine that happens whenever you go to bed, not at a set time. AASM advises keeping the same schedule on workdays and days off where you can, because a routine helps your body know when to sleep. Cleveland Clinic also recommends bedtime rituals and a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends.

A routine for a night shift worker might look like this: wear sunglasses on the way home, as AASM suggests if you need to sleep during the day; wash your face; brush your teeth; put the tape on clean, dry lips; then lights out. Keeping the tape by the bed means it's one step you don't have to think about when you're tired.

Before your first sleep with tape, practice while you're awake. Sleep Foundation suggests testing the tape during the day to make sure you can breathe easily through your nose. Our first-week plan walks through the build-up, and our nose test is a quick check before you start.

If you're picking a tape for your bedside, our pick is the Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape. Titan says it is made from bamboo silk that is soft, breathable and moisture-wicking, and suggests 20 to 30 minutes of daytime practice before the first night.

What about rotating shifts?

Rotating shifts are where routines tend to fall apart, so it helps to plan. AASM suggests asking your manager for a clockwise rotation, where each new shift starts later than the last, because it's easier to stay up late than to go to bed early. It also suggests shifting your sleep time a few days before a big schedule change, so your body has time to adjust.

Mouth tape can move with you through those changes. Whatever time your sleep starts, the steps are the same: clean, dry lips, tape on, lights out. AASM also recommends moderate caffeine on the job but stopping in the later part of your shift so it doesn't disrupt your sleep when you get home. Coffee won't affect the tape, but broken sleep will make it harder to tell whether the tape is helping.

Can you tape for a nap before a shift?

You can tape for a nap before a shift if you're comfortable with the tape. AASM suggests a nap during a break or before reporting for a night shift, and says even a nap of 20 to 30 minutes can improve alertness on the job. If you snore or wake with a dry mouth from naps, tape works there the same way it does for a long sleep.

Give yourself a minute after waking to peel the tape off slowly before you rush out. Our guide to removing mouth tape covers how to do it gently.

How do you set up a daytime bedroom?

A daytime bedroom should be dark, quiet and cool. These matter for any sleeper, but they take more work when the sun is up and the rest of the house is awake.

Keep it dark

AASM recommends avoiding morning sunlight if you need to sleep during the day, and Sleep Foundation's sleep hygiene advice includes sleeping in a room free from light and noise. Blackout curtains or an eye mask are simple ways to get there.

Keep it quiet

Cleveland Clinic suggests asking the people you live with to wear headphones for music or TV, to skip vacuuming and dishwashing while you sleep, and to put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. AASM makes a similar point: let others in your home know your schedule so they keep it quiet. White noise can help cover what's left.

Keep it cool

Sleep Foundation puts the best bedroom temperature at about 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Its tips include reducing heat build-up during the day and using a fan or air conditioning in hot climates, which matters when you sleep through the warmest hours. A cooler room helps the tape too: 3M's guidance on medical tape says tape should go on clean, dry skin and that taped skin should be kept clean and dry. Our guide to the best bedroom temperature for sleep has more ideas.

What if you're always tired anyway?

Feeling tired all the time on shift work is worth taking seriously. AASM lists excessive sleepiness, trouble concentrating and headaches among the symptoms of shift work disorder, and says a sleep study may be needed if a doctor suspects something like sleep apnea is behind some or all of them.

That matters for mouth taping. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute lists breathing that starts and stops, frequent loud snoring and gasping for air as signs of sleep apnea during sleep, and daytime sleepiness and dry mouth as symptoms you may notice yourself. Sleep Foundation says people with sleep apnea who aren't using CPAP shouldn't use mouth tape. If those signs sound familiar, see a doctor first, because mouth tape isn't a treatment for sleep apnea. Our safety page explains more.

And whatever your sleep is like, AASM advises arranging a lift or taking a bus or cab after a night shift if you're drowsy, rather than driving.

Our pick (paid partner)

For a tape that lives by your bed for whenever you sleep, our pick is the Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape.

Read next

• Mouth taping tips for a better first week
• Napping tips
• The mouth tape guide

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.