Mouth Taping: For a better night's sleep

I want to share something that often raises an eyebrow at first… but can make a remarkable difference to your sleep. 

Mouth taping.

Yes, really.

Before you scroll on, this isn’t about sealing your mouth shut or doing anything extreme. The version I recommend is gentle, safe, and designed to simply encourage one thing:

A closed mouth and steady nasal breathing throughout the night.

Why does this matter?

Because how you breathe at night has a huge impact on how well you sleep. Mouth breathing is linked to:

• Snoring

• Dry mouth on waking

• Stuffy nose

• Broken or restless sleep

• Feeling unrefreshed (even after a full 7–8 hours)

When we switch to nasal breathing, everything changes. The body settles. The nervous system calms. Sleep becomes deeper and more restorative.

This simple practice can be especially supportive for:

• Children aged 5+

• People with ADHD

• Insomnia sufferers

• Snorers

• Many forms of sleep apnea (alongside appropriate guidance)

• Anyone waking with a dry mouth or blocked nose

• Those who feel tired despite “good” sleep on paper

Now, let me be clear — I don’t recommend full mouth taping.

Instead, I use two safer, more comfortable approaches that achieve the same result without feeling restrictive. These allow the lips to stay gently closed while still feeling easy and natural. You can still take a drink of water or 'mouth puff' in the night.

This isn’t just theory for me — it’s something we do at home.

My husband, my (almost) 6-year-old son and I all mouth tape at night. My daughter is still too young, but she’s a chronic mouth breather — often a sign of a slightly activated nervous system. It’s something we’ll gently explore with her in a couple of years using the more playful, child-friendly options. What’s interesting is that she appears to sleep long nights on paper… but wakes tired and has noticeable energy dips every 2–3 hours through the day. That kind of pattern can really impact mood, focus and emotional regulation — in all of us, but even more so in a young child whose prefrontal cortex (the brain’s logic centre) is still developing.

This is one of the more risqué sleep tools I share with clients… but it’s also one of the most effective. It’s something I’ve been trained in by Patrick McKeown, breath expert and founder of Oxygen Advantage and Myotape. I’m now one of his Advanced Oxygen Advantage Instructors, and this work has had a profound impact on my own sleep, and that of many of my clients.

If you’re curious (or slightly sceptical!), I’ll be covering this in more detail at my upcoming talk:

Transform Your Sleep 

19th April 

Arrive from 630pm for a 7pm start 

Egypt Mill Hotel & Restaurant

We’ll explore practical, realistic tools you can start using straight away — including how to try mouth taping safely and comfortably.

You can get your tickets HERE.

If you're already booked on, I'll see you there!

Purchase Myotape mouth tape strips

Designed by global breath expert, Patrick McKeown. Suitable for adults and children aged 5+ - just choose your size and style!

Use code MYO10 for a 10% discount. Purchase here.