Mouth tape in dry climates: humidity, a comfortable nose and tape that sticks

Mouth tape suits dry climates well when your morning dryness comes from sleeping with your mouth open, because breathing through your nose lets it add moisture to the air before it reaches your throat. But in a desert, at altitude or in a heated winter bedroom, the nose and lips dry out too, and dry, flaky lips make tape harder to keep on. The fix is to treat the room, the nose and the lips together, then add the tape.

Why does dry air leave you so parched at night?

Dry air leaves you parched at night because every breath pulls moisture from the lining of your nose, mouth and throat, and in low humidity there's little to replace it. The EPA says humidifiers are commonly used to relieve the physical discomforts of a dry nose, throat, lips and skin, and notes that winter heating brings its own dry-air nuisances.

Cleveland Clinic says dry air can irritate your nose and lungs. It adds that when your airways are dried out, you're more likely to snore and more likely to have your sleep interrupted by things like nosebleeds and dry mouth.

How you breathe makes a big difference. The NHS lists breathing through your mouth at night as one of the main causes of a dry mouth, and says it can happen if you have a blocked nose or sleep with your mouth open. In a dry climate, an open mouth means air that's already dry goes straight to the back of your throat.

How does nose breathing help in dry air?

Nose breathing helps in dry air because the nose warms and moistens the air you breathe in, and it does a lot of that work right at the front. A 2000 study in Rhinology measured humidity and temperature at different points inside the noses of 23 volunteers as they breathed. It found a large rise in both humidity and temperature in the front section of the nose, with a smaller further rise deeper in. The authors concluded that the front part of the nose conditions inhaled air within a short distance.

Mouth breathing skips that step, and it changes the mouth itself. A 2016 study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation fitted 10 healthy adults with a small sensor behind their front teeth. On nights when they wore a nose clip to force mouth breathing, the average pH inside the mouth during sleep fell to 6.6, compared with 7.0 on normal nights, and it stayed low for longer. The authors noted that a drop in mouth pH has been proposed as a factor in tooth erosion and decay.

That's the case for mouth tape in a dry climate. If your mouth falls open at night, keeping the lips together sends air back through the nose, the part of your body built to deal with dry air.

What humidity should you aim for in the bedroom?

Aim for indoor humidity between 30% and 50%, the range the EPA suggests. Its mold guidance says to keep indoor humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% and 50%, and its humidifier guidance says not to humidify above 50%, because higher humidity can encourage the growth of biological organisms such as mold and dust mites. Cleveland Clinic also cites the EPA's 30% to 50% range and suggests running a humidifier whenever your home falls below it.

A hygrometer is the only way to know where you stand. The EPA says they're available at hardware stores, and its mold guide puts the price at around $10 to $50. Some humidifiers have a built-in humidistat you can set.

The EPA's cleaning advice matters as much as the target:

• Empty the tank, wipe all surfaces dry and refill portable humidifiers daily.
• Use water with low mineral content, such as distilled water.
• Clean portable humidifiers every third day.

Our guides to humidifiers for sleep and choosing a humidifier if you snore go into types and placement.

How do you keep your nose comfortable in dry air?

Keeping your nose comfortable in dry air is mostly about moisture inside the nose as well as in the room, since tape only works if nose breathing feels easy. Cleveland Clinic explains that the septum's blood vessels are very sensitive to dryness, and that when the lining of the nose dries out, those vessels are exposed and can bleed. Low humidity at home is one of the causes of nighttime nosebleeds it lists.

Its suggestions are simple. Drug-free nasal moisturizers, such as saline spray, soften mucus and make it easier to clear. Running a vaporizer or humidifier in the bedroom puts more moisture in the air. And for "double defense," its expert suggests using saline spray and then some ointment before bed.

Our guides to dry nose at night and how to use a saline rinse cover the routine step by step. If you're sleeping somewhere high and dry, sleeping at altitude covers the breathing changes thin air brings.

How do you keep mouth tape on in dry, cold air?

Keeping mouth tape on in dry, cold air comes down to the condition of your lips. We couldn't find any research on how mouth tape sticks in cold or dry conditions, so this section is practical rather than proven.

The American Academy of Dermatology names cold, dry weather as one of the reasons lips get dry and chapped. Flaky skin gives adhesive a poor surface, and the balm you use to fix chapped lips can leave a film that tape won't grip. Titan's own instructions start with clean, dry skin. A routine that handles both:

1. Treat chapped lips during the day. The AAD suggests products with ingredients such as petrolatum, shea butter, ceramides, dimethicone or mineral oil, ideally fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, and suggests swapping lip licking for a non-irritating balm.
2. Wipe your lips clean and let them dry before taping at night, so no balm sits under the tape.
3. Press the tape on from the middle outward and hold it for a moment so the edges lie flat.
4. Fold one corner, as Sleep Foundation suggests, so it comes off easily in the morning.
5. Put balm back on after you take the tape off.

Our guide to lip balm and mouth tape has more on timing. For a tape that Titan describes as soft and breathable, our pick is Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape.

What does the research say about mouth tape and dry mouth?

The research on mouth tape doesn't measure dry mouth directly, but it does show tape keeping the mouth closed in people who breathe through it at night. In a 2022 study in Healthcare, 20 mouth breathers with mild sleep apnea who woke with a dry throat had a baseline home sleep test, then a second home sleep test a week later on a night with their mouths taped. Their median snoring index fell by 47%, and 13 of the 20 cut it by at least half.

The study was small and had no control group, and it didn't measure humidity, climate or dryness as an outcome. So the honest summary is this: tape helps keep the mouth closed, nose breathing conditions the air, and the rest of the dry-climate benefit is a reasonable expectation rather than a tested result.

How do the dry-climate fixes fit together?

The dry-climate fixes work best as a set, because each one deals with a different part of the problem. The table shows how they fit.

The NHS suggests keeping some water by your bed at night and taking regular sips during the day if your mouth is dry. If your mouth still feels dry with tape on, our page on why your mouth is dry with mouth tape covers the other causes. And if you want a single nightly routine for a clear nose and closed lips, Titan designs its TitanAir Nasal Strips to pair with its bamboo silk mouth tape.

Who shouldn't use mouth tape?

Mouth tape isn't for everyone, whatever the climate. Sleep Foundation says people with obstructive sleep apnea who aren't using CPAP, anyone with nasal congestion or blockage, people with asthma or COPD unless a doctor advises it, and people with anxiety or panic disorders shouldn't use it. It suggests testing tape during the day to make sure you can breathe easily through your nose. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

When should you see a doctor?

See a doctor if your dryness doesn't improve with humidity and simple care, or if it comes with other symptoms. The NHS says a dry mouth that doesn't go away may be caused by a condition like diabetes or Sjögren's syndrome, and that medicines are a common cause, so check the leaflet that comes with yours.

Get checked for sleep apnea if you snore loudly and wake gasping or choking, a partner notices pauses in your breathing, or you're very sleepy during the day. See a doctor about a nose that's blocked most nights, or nosebleeds that keep coming back. If you're pregnant, ask your clinician before trying mouth tape.

Our pick (paid partner): Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape

Our pick for dry climates is Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape. We haven't tested or ranked tapes ourselves; this is our recommendation, and it's one part of a dry-air routine, not a treatment for dry mouth.

Titan says the strip is bamboo silk rather than kinesiology tape, and describes it as soft, breathable and moisture-wicking. It's one oval size, 76 by 38 mm, worn horizontally across the lips, with no printed logo or ink on the side that touches skin. For sensitive skin, Titan suggests easing in by wearing it for an hour while awake first, and stopping if there's irritation. Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and its 30-night guarantee refunds you if your sleep isn't better after 30 nights.

Read next

• 9 tips for breathing easier at night when the air is dry
• Why your nose dries out at night and what helps
• Does a humidifier help you breathe better at night?

* 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.