Mouth breathing during sleep is common, but it can also potentially lead to dry mouth or worsen snoring. In many cases, it happens when nasal breathing is difficult or when the airway partially collapses during sleep, causing the body to switch to mouth breathing to get enough air.
Some sleep experts note that there's little evidence to support forcing the mouth closed at night and more research is needed. Others caution that mouth taping may cause harm. Below, we’ll explore what research shows about the causes and effects of mouth breathing, what it does to your health, and what steps to take.
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Why Do I Sleep With My Mouth Open?
People may sleep with their mouths open at night for a variety of reasons, many of which involve difficulty breathing through the nose. Factors linked to mouth breathing during sleep include:
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Swelling or a blockage in the nasal passages
- Swelling or a blockage in the back of the throat
- Inflammation of the nasal passages caused by allergies
- Nasal congestion caused by allergies
- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- A deviated septum in the nose
- Concha bullosa, or air bubbles that can occur in nasal bones
- Upper respiratory infections
- Weak or relaxed mouth and jaw muscles
In some cases, a person ends up breathing through their mouth at night simply because it's a habit with no underlying physical cause.
Effects of Mouth Breathing at Night
Mouth breathing at night has been linked to the following:
- Snoring
- Higher risk or worsening of sleep apneaDry mouth or lips upon waking
- Cavities and tooth decay
- Gum inflammation
- Chronic ear or sinus infection
- Chronic bad breath
- Water loss at night, which may contribute to dehydration
- “Long-faced syndrome” in children, which involves drooping eyes, a narrow nose, and an open mouth
- Impacted or crowded teeth, an abnormal bite, or trouble speaking or swallowing due to abnormal facial development in children
Anecdotally, some people on social media claim that mouth breathing leads to a variety of other negative effects, such as poor sleep and worsened asthma. These claims haven't been substantiated by scientific research.
Mouth breathing is linked with obstructive sleep apnea. When left untreated, OSA can produce many negative effects, such as daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, an increased risk for heart problems, morning headaches, dry mouth, and sore throat.
It should also be noted that occasional mouth breathing during sleep is normal and not a cause for concern, but chronic mouth breathing may indicate a problem, especially in children. Habitual mouth breathing in children can alter the development and positioning of their jaw, tongue, facial muscles, and facial bones, increasing the risk of sleep-disordered breathing.
Symptoms of Mouth Breathing at Night
The easiest way to identify if you breathe through your mouth during sleep is to have someone observe you sleeping or record yourself. An overnight sleep study in a lab, called polysomnography, often includes video recording, which can identify mouth breathing during sleep.
Without direct evidence that you breathe through your mouth at night, you cannot know for sure if it's happening based on symptoms alone. That said, people who breathe through their mouths during sleep may be more likely to snore or wake up with a dry mouth.
How to Stop Sleeping With Your Mouth Open
If you're wondering how to stop sleeping with your mouth open, talk with your doctor. They will likely ask questions about your sleep habits and any symptoms present. If they suspect you have sleep apnea or another sleep or medical disorder, they may refer you to a sleep specialist or another specialist, like an ear, nose, and throat doctor, for testing.
There are multiple potential remedies for mouth breathing during sleep, but they should only be tried under the supervision of a doctor or medical specialist. Without knowing the underlying cause of your mouth breathing, trying home remedies on your own could be unsafe.
Mouth Taping
Mouth taping discourages breathing through the mouth during sleep by holding a sleeper's mouth closed with adhesive tape. Although this health trend has gained popularity through thousands of social media videos that received millions of views, experts warn that research on the practice is mixed.
Some studies have found that mouth taping may reduce snoring and address mild OSA symptoms, but the practice could be dangerous for some people. Research has found that in a subset of people with obstructive sleep apnea, mouth breathing compensates for an obstructed nasal passage. In these cases, when the mouth is taped closed during sleep, airflow is restricted and sleep apnea symptoms may worsen.
Nasal Strips
Nasal strips are adhesive strips that sit on the bridge of the nose, expanding the nasal passages through exterior pressure. They are advertised as an over-the-counter treatment for nasal congestion that can make breathing feel easier and reduce snoring.
Although nasal strips don't appear to have been formally studied as a treatment for mouth breathing during sleep, some people have tried them for that purpose. Without randomized, controlled trials, it isn't possible to determine if nasal strips are helpful in alleviating mouth breathing in most people. Theoretically, nasal strips may help if a sleeper's mouth breathing stems from nasal congestion.
Chin Straps
Chin or jaw straps are wearable devices that hold the jaw closed during sleep. These straps may work better at treating mouth breathing than mouth tape because they close the jaw, not just the lips. That said, researchers don't appear to have studied whether or not chin straps are effective for people who breathe through their mouths during sleep.
Doctors sometimes recommend chin straps to people with OSA undergoing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. In these cases, the chin strap keeps the mouth closed during sleep, so air leakage from CPAP is decreased through the mouth. Limited research has found that using a chin strip reduces CPAP air leakage and increases the amount a person uses their CPAP device.
Sleep Position
Although there don't appear to be any formal research studies linking sleep position and mouth breathing, sleeping on your back is known for often exacerbating the breathing disruptions seen in obstructive sleep apnea.
Some experts recommend avoiding sleeping on your back when trying to prevent mouth breathing. However, if a person suspects they have sleep apnea, pursuing formal assessment is important, as changing sleeping positions alone may not be an adequate treatment for a large percentage of people with OSA.
Muscle Retraining Exercises
Although less common, muscle retraining exercises, also called myofunctional therapy, may be used to reduce mouth breathing. These exercises are often led by dental professionals and aim to increase muscle tone in the lips, tongue, jaw, and throat muscles. This can help the tongue rest appropriately in the roof of the mouth and strengthens lip closure. Limited research found that the exercises can reduce obstructive sleep apnea severity.
Surgery
Surgeries for underlying structural problems related to mouth breathing may also reduce or eliminate mouth breathing during sleep. For example, removal of the tonsils, adenoids, or both are OSA treatments for children that may address mouth breathing. Surgery to correct a deviated septum may improve nasal breathing, making mouth breathing at night less likely.
Nasal surgery is sometimes used to treat obstructive sleep apnea, and may also impact mouth breathing. A nasal obstruction can both contribute to obstructive sleep apnea symptoms and result in mouth breathing. Surgeries to address nasal obstructions among people with OSA include those to correct a deviated septum, reduce the size of air pockets in nasal bones, change the structure and appearance of the nose, and remove blockages from the sinuses.
When to Talk to a Doctor
Talk to your doctor if you experience breathing or sleep-related symptoms. Common obstructive sleep apnea symptoms to discuss with your doctor include loud snoring, daytime tiredness, morning headaches, trouble focusing, unrefreshing sleep, trouble staying asleep all night, and episodes of choking, gasping, or not breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea needs formal testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mouth breathing may be caused by an underlying medical problem that should be addressed, like obstructive sleep apnea, upper respiratory infections, a deviated nasal septum, allergies, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. In children, mouth breathing can negatively impact the development of facial bones and muscles, and increase the risk of sleep-disordered breathing.
There isn't scientific evidence supporting the idea that dehydration makes people sleep with their mouths open. However, sleeping with an open mouth has been found to result in water loss during sleep, which may promote increased dehydration among people with obstructive sleep apnea.
Babies primarily breathe through their noses during the first six months of their lives. Consistent mouth breathing in a baby, whether awake or asleep, may signal nasal congestion or obstruction.
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Written by
Jay Vera Summer, Contributing WriterJay Vera Summer is a writer, editor, and wellness coach. She holds a Bachelor's of Science in psychology and Master's degrees in both writing and public policy. As a wellness coach, she's certified by the Mayo Clinic and the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). She's been writing about sleep and other health topics for six years. Previously, she taught undergraduate writing courses for five years at the University of South Florida.
Reviewed by
Lulu Guo, MD, Medical ReviewerDr. Lulu Guo is a graduate of the prestigious Medical Scholars program at Michigan State University and was admitted into medical school at the age of seventeen after completing undergraduate studies in two years. She is double board-certified in Family and Sleep Medicine.
