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12. Lip Taping

In addition to learning how to breathe through your nose during the day, it is imperative that you only breathe through your nose when you sleep. 

If you continue to mouth breathe during sleep you will essentially reverse all the good training you did during the day as well as reduce your body’s ability to oxygenate. This is crucial for the cellular repair that should be occurring during sleep. 

Not sure if you are a mouth breather at night and don’t have anyone to give you feedback about your sleeping patterns?

 

Telltale signs that you may be mouth breathing at night is if you:

  • Wake with your mouth open
  • Snore
  • Wake up with a dry mouth or tongue
  • Wake with chapped lips
  • Wake and are typically thirsty

 

A simple, inexpensive solution to ensure consistent nasal breathing during sleep is to tape your lips.

There can be a myriad of reasons why nose breathing is a problem for you as well as different solutions to restore appropriate breathing. This article explains some. It is very important for your health to address any issue you may have with nose breathing. 

Equipment needed:

  • We recommend using the hypoallergenic tape like this unless you find a pre-cut product you like:

Instructions:

  1. Cut a piece of tape that is shorter than the length of your lips.
  2. Purse your lips together and smile as wide as you can. (a no-teeth smile, keep your lips together).
  3. Place the tape over your lips while in the smile. Then relax. 
  4. Make sure that when you apply the tape, the width of your nostrils does not narrow. See the images below of wide versus narrow nostrils. 
    • You may need to adjust the tape to ensure your nostrils stay wide and open for breathing. 
  5. Apply this at night before bed and wear to sleep.

  Χ -Narrow Nostrils                     √ -Wide Nostrils 

If you do not tolerate this or end up taking it off at night, then you will need to address the underlying breathing restrictions through your nose. Some people have such a hard time breathing through their nose that they can feel nervous when trying lip taping or feel suffocated. Refer here to learn more about chronic nasal congestion.

  • Lip taping may not be for you right now.
  • If it is your first time, place the tape and rest in bed while awake to get used breathing through your nose and relaxing your mouth and jaw with the tape. If you are comfortable sleep with it. If not, remove it and consider other things limiting your nose breathing.

If you need more help learning to nose breathe safely and comfortably we suggest:

 

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