Mouth tape vs nasal strips: what each does and which is safer

Nasal strips and mouth tape both aim for nose breathing at night but work differently. A nasal strip lifts the sides of the nose to open the nostrils. Mouth tape holds the lips closed. Strips are lower risk and suit a stuffy nose. Tape only suits a clear nose with no signs of sleep apnoea. Evidence for both is limited.

This guide compares what each one does, what the research found, why a blocked nose changes everything, whether people use them together, and the warning signs that mean you should see a doctor rather than buy either.

What is the difference between mouth tape and nasal strips?

Put simply, a strip makes the nose easier to use, while tape takes the mouth away. That is only safe if your nose can carry all of your breathing all night.

What does the evidence say about mouth tape?

The fullest look at the research is a 2025 systematic review by Rhee and colleagues in PLOS ONE. The team found only 10 studies on mouth taping in people who mouth-breathe, snore or have sleep apnoea, and rated all 10 as poor quality. Two showed a fall in breathing pauses per hour, and both involved people with mild sleep apnoea. The others found no significant change. The authors concluded there is a potentially serious risk of harm for people taping their mouths indiscriminately.

Several of the studies excluded anyone with a blocked nose, so even the positive results only apply to people whose nose was clear. Our guide to what the evidence says about mouth taping covers each study.

What does the evidence say about nasal strips?

Strips do what they claim to do mechanically. In a 2019 study by Wheatley and colleagues in Advances in Therapy, a nasal strip lowered median nasal resistance during sleep by about 39%. Over 28 days, 70 adults with long-term night-time congestion reported easier breathing, better sleep quality and less daytime sleepiness. But the objective sleep measures were generally similar with and without the strip. The study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, and two of its authors worked for the company.

For sleep apnoea, the picture is clearer. A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis by Camacho and colleagues pooled 14 studies of nasal dilators. In people with obstructive sleep apnoea, there was no significant change in breathing pauses, lowest oxygen level or snoring index. The authors concluded that dilators improve nasal breathing but not sleep apnoea.

Our guide to nasal strips for snoring covers who is most likely to notice a difference and how to use them.

Why does a blocked nose matter so much?

The NHS page on snoring lists blocked or narrow airways in the nose among the causes of snoring, alongside the mouth falling open and the tongue partly blocking the back of the throat. If your nose is blocked, you breathe through your mouth because you have to, not out of habit.

A blocked nose can make night-time breathing worse

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis by Alshehri and colleagues in OTO Open looked at studies where the nose was blocked, either in experiments or after nasal surgery. Nasal obstruction was linked to about 14 more breathing events per hour of sleep, which the authors judged clinically significant. They concluded that a blocked nose may cause sleep apnoea-like breathing problems even in previously healthy people.

Taping over a blocked nose is the real danger

If your nose cannot carry your breathing and your mouth is taped shut, you have nowhere left to breathe through. The Rhee review notes that four of the studies raised the risk of suffocation or regurgitation when the nose is obstructed.

So the order matters. If your nose is stuffy at night, a nasal strip, or speaking to a pharmacist or doctor about the cause, comes first. Tape only enters the picture once your nose is reliably clear. Our step-by-step guide on how to stop mouth breathing at night sets out that order in full, and the 14-night sleep experiment shows how to test each step one week at a time.

Can you use mouth tape and nasal strips together?

Some people do, and there is one trial that tested a combination. A 2024 randomised trial by Ioerger and colleagues in JAMA Otolaryngology studied 50 couples where one partner snored but did not have sleep apnoea. Half were given a combined package for four weeks:

• an external nasal strip
• a daily saline nose rinse with a steroid
• a small strip of tape placed vertically over the lips, which brought them together without fully sealing the mouth
• sleeping on the side

The other half used a mouthguard-style device that holds the lower jaw forward. By the partners' ratings, snoring was much or very much improved in 11 of 19 people (58%) on the combined package, compared with 21 of 23 (91%) using the jaw device.

Three limits matter here:

1. The package bundled four things, so it cannot tell you how much came from the strip or the tape.
2. Participants were screened for sleep apnoea first, so the results do not apply to anyone who might have it.
3. It was a small pilot trial, and around 30% of participants had not had a sleep study.

If you decide to use both, the logic of that trial is a sensible order: open the nose first with the strip, make sure you can breathe easily through it with your mouth closed for several minutes, and only then add tape.

Who should not use mouth tape?

The Sleep Foundation's guide to mouth taping lists people who should avoid it. Do not tape your mouth if:

• you have obstructive sleep apnoea and are not using CPAP, or you suspect you might have sleep apnoea
• your nose is blocked, including from a cold, allergies or a deviated septum
• you have asthma, COPD or another breathing condition, unless a doctor has advised it
• you have anxiety or panic attacks, or feel claustrophobic with your mouth covered
• you are at risk of vomiting in your sleep
• it is for a child, unless under medical supervision

Strips have fewer restrictions, but stop using them if the skin on your nose becomes sore, red or broken.

Safety first: when to see a GP or doctor

Loud snoring is also one of the main signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, where the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep. The NHS guide to sleep apnoea lists these signs:

• breathing that stops and starts while you sleep
• gasping, snorting or choking noises during sleep
• loud snoring
• waking up a lot in the night
• feeling very tired during the day and finding it hard to concentrate
• headaches when you wake up

If any of these apply to you, see a GP, or your doctor if you live outside the UK, before you try tape, strips or any other snoring product. The NHS says untreated sleep apnoea is linked to hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and accidents caused by tiredness. In the UK, if sleep apnoea with excessive sleepiness is confirmed, you must not drive until the symptoms are under control.

Neither product treats sleep apnoea. The bigger risk is that a quieter night with a strip or tape convinces you nothing is wrong, and a diagnosis is delayed.

A note on trackers: PulseRing Pro records blood oxygen, heart rate, HRV and sleep stages overnight, which helps you compare nights over time. It does not detect or diagnose sleep apnoea, and a normal-looking night on any wearable is not a reason to skip seeing a doctor.

Which should you try first?

1. Check for the warning signs above. If any apply, see a GP or doctor first and leave both products until you have advice.
2. Start with the free steps the NHS recommends for snoring: sleep on your side, cut back on alcohol, stop smoking and lose weight if you need to.
3. If your nose feels stuffy at night, try Peak Airflow nasal strips, which are drug-free and lift the sides of the nose open. If it stays blocked most nights, ask a pharmacist or doctor about the cause.
4. Only if your nose is clear and you still wake with a dry mouth, consider mouth tape for sleeping, such as Peak Mouth Tape. Try it during the day first, and skip it on any night your nose is blocked.

Frequently asked questions

Is mouth tape or nasal strips better for snoring?

Neither has strong evidence. Nasal strips are lower risk and make more sense if your nose feels stuffy, because they make nose breathing easier. Mouth tape research is limited to a few small, poor-quality studies, and it is unsafe if your nose is blocked or you might have sleep apnoea. For most people, a strip is the safer first step.

Can you use mouth tape and nasal strips at the same time?

Some people do. One 2024 trial in people who snored but did not have sleep apnoea used a nasal strip, a light vertical strip of tape, a nose rinse and side sleeping together, and partners reported improvement in 58%. It could not show which part helped. If you combine them, make sure your nose is clear first.

Do nasal strips or mouth tape help sleep apnoea?

No. A review of 14 studies found nasal dilators did not improve sleep apnoea measures, and mouth tape has only two small studies in mild sleep apnoea, which is far too little to call it a treatment. In people with a blocked nose, tape can make breathing harder. If you think you have sleep apnoea, see a GP or doctor.

Why should you not tape your mouth if your nose is blocked?

Because the mouth is your backup airway. If your nose cannot carry all of your breathing and your mouth is taped shut, breathing becomes difficult and potentially dangerous. Reviewers have raised the risk of suffocation in people with nasal obstruction. Skip tape on any night your nose is blocked from a cold, allergies or anything else.

Who should not use mouth tape?

Do not use it if you have suspected or diagnosed sleep apnoea and are not on CPAP, a blocked nose, asthma, COPD or another breathing condition, anxiety or panic attacks, or a risk of vomiting in your sleep. It is also not for children unless under medical supervision. If you snore loudly or stop breathing in your sleep, see a doctor first.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. PulseRing Pro is a wellness device, not a medical device, and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you are worried about your health, speak to your GP or a qualified clinician.