Mouth Taping for Sleep: Clinical Benefits, Risks, and the 2026 Safety Protocol
Mouth Taping for Sleep: Clinical Benefits, Risks, and the 2026 Safety Protocol Editorial Perspective: The transition from nasal to habitual oral respiration is a physiological conflict. This review moves beyond the biohacking hype to analyze the systemic tensions between pulmonary biochemistry and structural airway constraints. While nasal breathing is a biological mandate, the clinical efficacy of "forcing" it remains a point of significant professional friction. 1. The Respiratory Maladaptation 1.1 Evolutionary vs. Modern Mechanics Human respiration is evolutionarily optimized for nasal predominance—a state that ensures inspired air is filtered, humidified, and thermally regulated. In clinical practice, we are observing a pervasive shift toward chronic nocturnal mouth breathing. This is rarely a simple behavioral choice; more often, it is the end-state of a long-term compensatory struggle against elevated upper airway resistance (UAR). 1.2 The ...