Various versions of this hoax are circulating, which we address today in the series Don't believe everything you see on social media. Sometimes, the images are accompanied by a string of supposed medical explanations. In other cases, it only refers to the practice being part of a celebrity's nighttime routine. However, they all share an unfounded - and dangerous - recommendation: sleeping the whole night with your mouth taped shut with adhesive tape.
The so-called mouth taping "is a widely spread recommendation on social media despite having no scientific basis and carrying significant risks," explains Guillermo Plaza, coordinator of the ENT working group of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES) and a specialist in Otorhinolaryngology at Fuenlabrada Hospital in Madrid.
"Continuously using tape to cover the mouth at night is not beneficial for improving sleep quality, reducing snoring, or for anything. And it can be very harmful," he emphasizes vehemently.
Neurologist and sleep medicine expert María José Abenza shares the same opinion. "There is no scientific evidence to support it, but it has spread widely on social media," she points out.
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The level of misinformation has reached a point "that has prompted a response from a group of international experts who have just published a study that not only debunks this recommendation but also warns of the dangers of this trend, which poses real risks," she recalls. The specialist highlights a fundamental one: "In patients who not only snore but also have apneas - a problem many patients are unaware of - depriving themselves of air by taping their mouth shut with adhesive tape will only worsen their problem and can cause brain damage due to nocturnal hypoxia, the sustained lack of air," she points out.
"Inhaling oxygen from the outside and expelling carbon dioxide with each breath is an unconscious function we perform through the nasal passages and mouth. Depriving or reducing this gas exchange can have serious consequences for the body, such as lowering blood oxygen levels and increasing carbon dioxide levels, especially in individuals with nasal breathing difficulties, respiratory problems, and obstructive or central sleep apnea. It is important to remember that these are conditions that may be present even if they have not always been diagnosed," also agrees Isabel Villalibre, head of the Clinical Neurophysiology Department at San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid, who points out that this practice can also be dangerous in cases of gastric reflux, regurgitation, or vomiting, "a circumstance that can happen to any healthy person at any given moment."
This maneuver, she emphasizes, "increases the risk of asphyxiation and fluid aspiration or leakage into the lungs." Additionally, she adds, it can also lead to oral health problems.
The importance of consulting with a professional
The recommendation for anyone experiencing excessive snoring, poor sleep quality, or nighttime breathing disturbances is to "consult a medical specialist," according to the experts consulted, who also agree that they often see patients in their clinics with doubts about things they have seen on the internet. "Every day, doctors receive patients in our clinics with questions from Dr. Google on any topic," says Abenza.
Sometimes, hoaxes and misinformation may have some connection to a medically endorsed practice that has been taken out of context and distorted for various purposes. But in other cases, the hoax is a complete invention. This is the case with the recommendation to cover your belly button, "a belief with no possible scientific basis," emphasizes Villalibre.
This practice is often said on social media to "bring good energy and ward off evil," but it is a complete fallacy. "The belly button is a remnant of our fetal period, which later closes and has no continuity with the outside," she adds.
This practice has also been associated with improved athletic performance, and we have even seen athletes running with their belly buttons covered during broadcasts. But in this case as well, there is no scientific evidence to support the recommendation. "There is no scientific evidence to support that covering the belly button has health or performance benefits," concludes Sixto González Villora, a doctor in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences and professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.