Why I Started Taping My Mouth at Night ― The Change I Didn’t Expect

Oh my goodness. Growing up I always breathed through my mouth—open mouth, especially at night. I didn’t even realize the impact that small habit had on my body, my nervous system, my emotions, or my energy. My body was almost always in a state of stress, and that stressed state was absolutely not good—for my health, for my emotional state, or for feeling alive in my body.

Then I discovered James Nestor’s book Breath and something shifted. He describes how nose breathing is so much more than just “better” than mouth breathing—it’s essential for health. In fact, he points out that nasal breathing filters, warms, and humidifies the air; it presses it into the lungs more efficiently; it increases nitric oxide production; and it supports the parasympathetic (“rest & repair”) nervous system rather than the constant “fight or flight” of mouth-breathing.

Mouth breathing, by contrast, releases more stress chemicals, throws off oxygen/CO₂ balance, dries out your mouth, disturbs your sleep, and keeps your nervous system more “on” than “off.” Nestor even describes a mini-experiment where mouth breathing increased snoring, increased sleep disruption, and hindered his respiratory function.

So why mouth-taping at night?
During the day, yes — I can consciously remind myself: “Close your mouth. Nose breathe.” But at night, when my muscle tone relaxes and my guard drops, my mouth would fall open and the old pattern would win. That meant my body stayed in a more stressed, less restorative state even when supposed to be sleeping and healing. Enter: a small piece of surgical tape vertically down the middle of my lips. It’s a reminder, it’s a habit cue, and over time it became an anchor: “It’s time to sleep. Time to restore.”

Since I started this nightly habit (it’s been a full year now) I’ve seen real change. I sleep deeply. I wake up feeling rested. My oral health improved—no more bleeding gums when I floss (formerly a regular thing). My jaw line is more defined (I was losing definition, now it’s coming back). I don’t snore anymore (my husband confirms!). I have less nightmares. I feel more in control of my anxiety and emotions (yes, that’s also thanks to the right minerals via my work with the Root Cause Protocol and Bean Protocol—but sleeping well and staying calm matters so much). The mid-afternoon crash I used to get is mostly gone. My energy is smoother through the day.

Nestor mentions that indigenous cultures train their babies to breathe through their noses—mouth closed, nose engaged—because they intuitively understand the benefits. So many biological reasons exist to prefer nose-breathing: improved oxygen absorption, better immune support, calmer nervous system, better oral environment (less dry mouth, cavities, gum issues), better sleep architecture.

My takeaways & how you can try it

• Get a strip of skin-safe surgical tape. Place a vertical piece down the centre of your lips (so your lips keep touching). This isn’t about gluing your mouth shut—it’s about cueing your system.

• Use daytime checks: Are you breathing through your nose now? Mouth closed? If not, remind yourself.

• Sleep is the hour of restoration. When your nervous system is calm, your body can repair.

• This is simple, affordable, and sustainable. The tape costs pennies and the habit costs minutes. Yet the health returns are big. If I can feel this better in a year, I believe so can you.

Final thoughts
We are built to breathe through our noses. Our natural, healthy state is calm, restorative, balanced. Mouth-breathing is a sign our system is off—stress is high, repair is low. When you change the way you breathe, especially at night, you change your body’s environment. You give it the right environment to heal, restore, and thrive.

If you’ve been mouth-breathing (especially at night) for years like I did… give it a chance. Tape up. Close your mouth. Let your nose do the work. Let your nervous system settle. Let your body do what it wants to do: live in balance and health.

And if you want to get your mind blown, pick up James Nestor’s book Breath. It reads like a mystery novel, but it’s packed with science, stories, and truth that will shift how you think about every breath you take.

— Diana