IT sounds like a terrifying concept, but taping your mouth shut at night is becoming a bit of a health trend.
Manchester City star Erling Haaland, 23, told podcast host Logan Paul he thinks “sleep is the most important thing in the world”.
And, to get the best shut-eye, the striker said he taped his mouth shut at night to encourage nasal breathing.
Alex Neist, founder of Hostage Tape, a mouth-tape brand, explains the theory behind the idea.
“Better recovery is the biggest reason,” he told Sun Health.
“Sleep is the most powerful way Erling can be the best athlete every day.
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“Mouth-breathing is a terrible way to breathe during sleep.”
Haaland is not alone in his quest for optimum health.
Other celebrity fans include Tess Daly and Gwyneth Paltrow.
But is breathing solely through your nose at night really that good for you, and what are the potential dangers?
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Kerry Davies, aka The SleepFixer, told Sun Health: “Mouth taping, a method said to prevent snoring, is garnering attention.
“But as a sleep specialist for 13 years, I urge caution.”
NOSE OVER MOUTH
THE aim of mouth taping is to focus on breathing through the nose, which is highly efficient.
Yoga teacher Natalie Dale, from East London, says: “Nasal breathing acts as a filtration system for the body as your nose hairs prevent allergens, dust and so on from entering the lungs, which prevents allergies.”
It also reduces susceptibility to bugs, such as colds, and slows your breathing, which eases stress, experts say.
And nitric oxide is released, which helps to widen blood vessels, improving oxygen intake and circulation.
Alex says: “With mouth breathing, you’re exhaling more CO2.
“Your body needs CO2 to transfer oxygen into your muscles for energy.
The less CO2 you have, the less oxygen your body absorbs, regardless of how much you inhale through your mouth.
“You get more oxygen through the nose.”
Studies show other benefits too, such as reduced blood pressure, improved facial structure and better lung capacity.
When it comes to sleep, it is thought better-oxygenated blood can improve the quality of your snooze, reducing daytime fatigue, hunger and mood swings.
And it may help to prevent snoring.
Natalie says: “Breathing through your mouth at night generally results in snoring and bad breath.”
Many people opt to use mouth tape to try to prevent snoring, which affects 41 per cent of adults.
TURNING YOUR NOSE UP
EVIDENCE to support mouth taping is lacking, experts say.
While most of the benefits are anecdotal, Alex points to Taiwanese studies.
One showed mouth taping reduced snoring, as reported by partners.
A second showed patients’ snoring reduced by at least half in 65 per cent of cases.
But Natalie says: “There isn’t much research to support mouth taping, so I would be wary of promoting it.
“You need to assess what is causing the mouth breathing in the first place, rather than just trying taping.”
Kerry adds: “Dangers arise if someone has a deviated septum or sleep apnoea.
“Imagine waking up gasping for air, but unable to open your mouth.
“It could also spur sleep-associated anxieties.”
HOW TO BREATHE
IF you want to give mouth taping a go, take it slowly. Alex says: “Start by using gentle tape during the day.
Get used to the feeling.” It’s also worth practising nasal breathing as a form of meditation.
Natalie says: “My favourite is the yoga practice of alternate nostril breathing. This is very calming.”
To try it, simply hold one nostril closed and breathe, then swap nostrils
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EYE SPY
IT’S not just mouth taping that ensures Haaland gets a good night’s kip.
Three hours before bedtime the Norwegian star dons blue light glasses.
He told Logan Paul: “To sleep good, [I use] just simple kind of things.
“Blue-blocking glasses, for shutting out all the signals and everything, I think is really important.”
The glasses reduce the amount of blue light that enters the eyes from phone and tablet screens.
Blue light can prevent the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.
With too little, sleep patterns suffer.
WINE NOT?
ENGLAND striker Jamie Vardy has admitted to drinking port to help him sleep before a match.
He wrote in his autobiography: “I fill a small plastic bottle halfway and sip the port while watching TV.
“It tastes like Ribena to me, and helps me switch off and get to sleep a bit easier the night before a game.”
And he says that after scoring in the first match after trying his evening tipple, it became a superstitious ritual.
While sleeping comes easier after a beverage, too much booze will affect sleep quality.
KEEP IT COOL
FORMER Man United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a big fan of cold therapy.
One of his team-mates shared a video online of Zlatan taking an ice bath after a win in 2017.
The star has also been reported to use cryotherapy, which involves stepping into a special chamber where temperatures range between -100C and -160C.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been raving about the practice for years for recovery purposes.
Exposure to extreme cold can accelerate recovery after exercise, a French study found.
IN A PICKLE
LUCAS TORREIRA, the Uruguay international who played for Arsenal between 2018 and 2020, was spotted receiving a mystery drink during a match in 2019.
It turned out to be pickle juice – which is used by a number of sports players as a quick fix for cramps.
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Sun Health GP Dr Zoe Williams, says: “There’s ongoing research into the benefits of it.
“But we think when swallowed, it’s said to trigger a reflex in the throat that shuts down misfiring neurons which can cause cramp.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
