A recurring trend on TikTok has users taping their mouths shut at night to breathe through their noses — but sleep experts are warning of “serious” health complications from this fad.
TikTok is a haven for viral fads and trends, but not all of these crazes are good for your health.
Take, for instance, the platform’s infamous ‘milk crate challenge,’ which caused a notable uptick in broken bones and sprains to the degree that doctors urged users against doing the challenge.
Now, the latest trend to come under professional scrutiny is called the ‘mouth taping’ trend… and experts say it could have serious side effects.
Essentially, the mouth taping trend aims to end snoring, daytime mouth breathing, and other effects by taping one’s mouth shut at night to breathe only through the nose.
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This trend has been circling TikTok for some time, and the #mouthtaping hashtag boasts over 23 million views, with users across the platform testifying about the results of their own mouth taping escapades.
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Unfortunately, this method can result in some undesirable consequences, according to sleep expert and self-proclaimed ‘Sleep Geek’ James Wilson.
In an interview with Newsweek, Wilson explained that “mouth taping is an extreme way of encouraging nose breathing that has some serious health risks.”
“If this is the case, then taping your mouth will make your health worse and could contribute to more serious issues like heart disease, COPD, and stroke, particularly if applied and you are a sleep apnea sufferer,” he added.
However, nose breathing definitely does have some benefits. According to Wilson, nose breathing “filters out foreign particles, humidifies the air you breathe in,” and “helps dilate your blood vessels, which can help the body circulate blood more efficiently.”
Apparently, nose breathing also helps prevent tooth decay, reduces the impact of asthma, and even helps with allergens… but taping your mouth shut at night just isn’t the way to go about getting these benefits.
This is just the latest TikTok trend to receive a word of caution, as users are also explaining that non-Hispanic/Latino people should avoid doing the platform’s viral ‘honey method’ love spell.