Sleep Experiment - Taping My Mouth
I have been running this experiment of taping my mouth before I sleep. I wanted to avoid mouth breathing while sleeping. I came across this idea after reading the excellent book on breathing by a journalist, James Nestor.
Breathe by James Nestor was one of the best non-fiction books I read last year. James argues with a lot of data points and stories on breathing and the right way to do it. Come to think of breathing, it is the most involuntary thing we do. So it is easy to do bad breathing and have side effects due to it. If you are interested in health, sleep and longevity, that book by James Nestor is a must-read. I digress.
What really caught my attention in that book is this: “mouth-breathing”. Many of our health problems and poor quality of sleep or endurance can stem from mouth breathing. There are aboriginal people who take the habit of avoiding mouth breathing seriously. This habit shows in their dental structure. They don’t have crooked teeth or asthma-related problems.
One experiment James did on himself is by sleeping with a small tape over the mouth. This forces your body to breathe through your nose. I was first sceptical about this experiment but I found a lot of vehement supporters for this on Twitter and Reddit.
I have floated in a tank filled with Epsom salt for 60 mins. I underwent cryotherapy and shivered like anything for 2 mins. All in the name of improving sleep quality. So taping my mouth didn’t sound scary. I wanted to give it a try. I was not sure of regular tape and the discomfort, so I bought Somnifix, a small tape specifically for this purpose.
For the past week, I have slept with my mouth taped on. It was not a bad experience at all. It is not a tight tape, so you cannot talk comfortably but still, you can talk. But more importantly, you become conscious in closing your month and in sleep too you do the same.
I know its too early to judge but I have mixed opinions. I felt quite refreshed and good after the mouth taped sleep. But my Oura ring data shows no big improvement or change at all. So I don’t know if I’m judging it quite early. I am going to continue this experiment for another two months or so. Hope to have some impact then.
What are your hacks or experiments to improve sleep or health, in general. Share it in the comments.