There are a host of sleeping hacks all promising to be the holy grail when it comes to ensuring a restful night’s sleep.
One such method that’s favoured by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Graham and Erling Haaland is the method of mouth-taping.
Dubbed a miracle solution for snoring and aiding better sleep, mouth taping has become the latest craze among celebrities who champion the remedy as a game changer for sleep.
Resident sleep expert at Time4Sleep and NHS GP, Dr Hana Patel explains how to practice nasal breathing at home with similar benefits to the latest fad of mouth taping while sleeping.
Dr Patel discussed the benefits of nasal breathing and explained: “Breathing in and out of the mouth can cause your airways to become dry and irritated, leading to hypersensitive airways, a dry mouth, sore throat and irritating cough.
“People who breathe through their mouth and not their nose are more likely to develop sleep disorders, including sleep apnoea.”
She further explained how nasal breathing also helps to filter out the air we breathe, which includes pollen, dust, ash, bacteria, and hazardous particles.
To help promote nasal breathing, Dr Patel instructs to “sit comfortably with a straight back, legs uncrossed and knees shoulder-width apart.
“Look straight ahead, slightly upwards or close your eyes.
“Place one hand on your upper chest and one on your lower chest and settle yourself by breathing smoothly and quietly through your nose.
“After a couple of minutes, move your hand from your upper chest to rest in your lap. Relax the rest of your muscles, for example in your face and jaw, neck and shoulders, lower abdomen, hips and legs.”
The many benefits of nasal breathing were echoed by Dr Rizwan Mahmood, dentist, doctor, and co-founder of luxury dental clinics, Ruh Dental, who added how the method can be so beneficial to sleep it’s akin to the benefits of yoga and mindfulness practices.
Dr Mahmood explained: “Nasal passages slow the airflow, which calms the breath and encourages deeper sleep”
He believes these benefits are likely the reason why so many high-end celebrities have been signing mouth taping’s praises.
Mahmood added: “Notably, footballer Erling Haaland has incorporated mouth taping into his night-time routine to improve his athletic performance.”
“Gwyneth Paltrow has also embraced mouth taping as part of her daily routine, stating that it’s the best wellness tool she has found.”
