Exploring Mouth Taping, Sleep Reversing, and Circadian Fasting
Sleep is an essential need, yet many adults aren't feeling rested due to sleep deprivation1, poor-quality sleep, and disrupted sleep schedules. While the occasional off night isn't a concern, when your sleep is bad long-term, you are at risk of developing various health problems.
With an estimated one-third of adults experience insomnia2, finding ways to overcome sleep problems and get a good night's rest is in high demand. New sleep trends continue to emerge and gain in popularity as they are shared across social media. Learn more about three of these current trends and whether they can help you sleep better or should be avoided.
Mouth Taping
Mouth taping3 is just what it sounds like. You place a piece of tape over your mouth before going to bed to keep your mouth closed and encourage breathing through your nose. Mouth breathing at night can cause snoring, bad breath, sore throat, and other adverse effects. Nose breathing is better and has benefits ranging from reducing allergens to lowering blood pressure.
Several small studies have shown a decrease in snoring from mouth taping. Holding the mouth closed may help with mild cases4 of sleep apnea by correcting the angle of the tongue and soft palate to allow better airflow. However, this trend can have negative side effects from skin irritation to anxiety to additional breathing trouble.
Further, mouth taping fails to address the cause5 of snoring. Instead of attempting to alleviate the symptoms of snoring in this way, many experts recommend discussing your symptoms and health concerns with your doctor. Together you can explore alternatives to mouth taping and get a proper diagnosis to begin treatment for underlying problems like sleep apnea.
Sleep Reversing
If you have trouble falling asleep, you know that trying to force it to happen usually makes it even harder to achieve. The more you dwell on needing sleep, the greater your fear of staying awake grows. Instead, try a technique called sleep reversing, which uses paradoxical intention6 to focus on staying awake. It sounds counterproductive, but this method removes the performance anxiety you may feel, allowing you to relax and drift off.
Circadian Fasting
Another popular sleep trend making the rounds is called circadian fasting. When you practice circadian fasting7, you restrict your eating to daylight hours, typically before 6 p.m., to support natural body rhythms. The idea is to improve your metabolism, nutrition, and hormone levels, all of which can affect your circadian rhythm. Circadian fasting can improve your sleep along with providing other benefits like weight loss and lowered insulin, cholesterol, and blood pressure. However, some people with low body weight, lowered metabolisms, or an eating disorder should not fast.
Not all sleep trends are suitable for everyone. Before you try these out, consider your current health and the potential side effects. It's always a good idea to talk to your doctor about your sleep troubles to get appropriate recommendations that alleviate symptoms and don't present further risks.
References
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency?
- Mental Health Foundation – Sleep Matters: The Impact of Sleep on Health and Wellbeing
- Cleveland Clinic – Mouth Taping: Is It Safe?
- Sleep Foundation – Mouth Taping for Sleep: Does It Work?
- University Hospitals – Is Mouth Taping a Safe Choice for Better Sleep?
- National Library of Medicine – Paradoxical intention as a treatment for insomnia disorder: study protocol for a mixed-methods pilot trial
- Sleep Foundation – Circadian Rhythm Fasting