Every notable mouth taping study, explained

There are only a handful of mouth taping studies, and the most encouraging results are for snoring in people who breathe through their mouths at night. Two small studies found large drops in snoring once the lips were kept closed, and a 2025 trial found tape helped people on CPAP use their machines more. Here's each study in order, with what it found and where it falls short.

Which mouth taping studies have been done?

This table lists each mouth taping study and review covered below, with who took part, what was measured and the main result.

The early studies

The 2009 asthma trial

What it tested: whether taping the mouth at night, as practiced in the Buteyko breathing method, improves asthma control. The authors started from the point that nose breathing makes sure inhaled air is warm, filtered and moist.

Who took part: 51 adults with symptomatic asthma in Nottingham, UK. Each spent 4 weeks breathing as usual at night and 4 weeks taping with microporous tape, in random order, with outcomes measured by staff who didn't know which period was which.

What it found: 50 people finished, and they taped for a median of 26 of 28 nights. Thirty-six said taping was very or fairly acceptable. There was no difference in morning peak flow, symptom scores or any secondary measure.

Limits: it only looked at asthma control. It's still one of the better-designed studies on this list, and a useful reminder that tape isn't a remedy for asthma. Our article on mouth tape and asthma covers it in more detail.

The 2015 porous patch pilot

What it tested: a porous oral patch made of silicone, polyurethane foam and polyurethane film that held the lips closed during sleep.

Who took part: 30 adults in Taiwan who habitually slept with their mouths open and had mild sleep apnea.

What it found: all 30 slept with their mouths closed while wearing the patch. The median snoring index fell from 146.7 to 40.0 an hour, and snoring loudness fell from 49.1 to 41.1 decibels. Scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a questionnaire about daytime sleepiness, dropped from 8.1 to 5.2. X-rays showed more space behind the soft palate and the tongue while people wore the patch. The researchers also recorded a lower median apnea-hypopnea index, from 12.0 to 7.8 events an hour.

Limits: there was no comparison group, and the patch was a purpose-built device rather than ordinary tape.

The recent studies and reviews

The 2022 Healthcare study

What it tested: a week of sleeping with silicone, hypoallergenic tape over the lips.

Who took part: 20 adults in Taiwan with mild sleep apnea who breathed through their mouths and could tolerate having their mouths sealed.

What it found: 13 of the 20 cut their snoring index by at least half. Across the group, the median snoring index fell from 303.8 to 121.1 an hour, a 47% drop. The home sleep test also recorded a lower median apnea-hypopnea index, from 8.3 to 4.7 events an hour, and fewer dips in blood oxygen. People who snored most at the start tended to see the biggest change. Our article on whether mouth tape helps snoring walks through it.

Limits: 20 people, one week, no placebo group, and only people with mild sleep apnea.

The 2024 scoping review

What it tested: everything published on mouth taping during sleep, plus 50 TikTok videos about it. It was published online in December 2024 in the American Journal of Otolaryngology.

What it found: of 177 studies screened, 9 met the criteria. The authors said some research indicates mouth taping may be advantageous for snoring and for mouth leak during bilevel ventilation, while the asthma study found no benefit. Better sleep and oral health were the benefits most often claimed on TikTok, and few of the TikTok claims had been studied.

Limits: the authors called the literature markedly heterogeneous and said there's little consensus on the benefits.

The 2025 PLOS One review

What it tested: a systematic review of mouth taping and similar methods, searching studies from February 1999 to February 2024.

What it found: 10 studies with 213 patients in total. All three that measured the snoring index reported a significant drop, though one of those used a chin strap rather than tape. Four studies warned that sealing the mouth could pose a serious risk of asphyxiation if the nose is blocked, and many excluded anyone with nasal obstruction.

Limits: the reviewers rated every study as poor quality, and concluded the data don't lend strong support to mouth taping for sleep apnea. Our guide to whether mouth taping is safe covers who should skip it.

The 2025 CPAP trial

What it tested: adding silicone, hypoallergenic mouth tape for people who breathe through their mouths while using CPAP. It was a randomized crossover trial published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Who took part: 62 people in Thailand with obstructive sleep apnea who used CPAP. Each spent 30 days with tape and 30 days without, with a one-week break between.

What it found: with tape, average CPAP use rose by 51.8 minutes a day, and people reached at least 4 hours a night on 17.6% more days. Daytime sleepiness, snoring ratings, mouth and throat dryness and night awakenings also improved.

Limits: the tape was used with CPAP, never in place of it, and the authors reported adverse effects. Read mouth tape and CPAP before trying it, and ask your sleep doctor first.

The 2026 OTO Open meta-analysis

What it tested: how a blocked nose affects breathing during sleep, along with a short look at mouth taping. It was published in August 2026.

What it found: in studies where the nose was blocked, breathing disruptions measured by the apnea-hypopnea index rose by 13.78 events an hour. The authors said this underscores the importance of nasal breathing. There was too little data on mouth taping for a meta-analysis, so they described two studies in words.

Limits: the mouth taping part rests on two small studies, and the authors said differences between the studies limit how widely the findings apply.

What research is still under way?

The registered trial NCT06587256

What it will test: a single piece of silicone tape placed vertically over the lips each night for 3 months, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University.

Who will take part: about 100 adults who snore, have a bed partner and have either no sleep apnea or a mild case on a previous sleep study.

What it will measure: a snoring and sleep survey answered with input from the bed partner, along with ease of use, sleep quality and a home sleep test. It's listed as recruiting, with an estimated completion date of October 2030.

Limits: it's a single-group study with no placebo, so it will compare people with their own starting point.

What do the studies add up to?

The studies so far point in a positive direction for mouth-breathing snorers. They're small, mostly lack comparison groups, and focus on people with mild sleep apnea. Mouth tape isn't a treatment for sleep apnea, and Sleep Foundation says it shouldn't be used by people with untreated sleep apnea, chronic nasal congestion or difficulty breathing through the nose.

If you'd like to try it, check that you can breathe easily through your nose first with our nose test, then read our first-week guide. More research summaries are on our mouth tape topic page.

Our pick (paid partner)

If you've read the research and want to try tape, our pick is Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape from Titan Recovery. This is our recommendation, not the result of testing or ranking products ourselves.

Titan says the strip is bamboo silk rather than kinesiology tape, with an adhesive designed to grip through stubble and beards without tugging hair. Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and it offers a 30-night guarantee that refunds you if your sleep isn't better after 30 nights.

Read next

• Does mouth tape help with snoring?
• Is mouth taping safe? Who should try it and who shouldn't
• Mouth taping claims from social media, checked against the research

* 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.