Mouth taping for sleep apnea: simple trick or risky move?
NCT ID NCT06547658
First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026
Summary
This study investigates whether closing the mouth during sleep improves or worsens breathing in people with obstructive sleep apnea. Researchers use drug-induced sleep endoscopy to measure airflow through the nose and mouth separately, then briefly close the mouth every other breath. The goal is to understand which patients might benefit from mouth closure and which might rely on mouth breathing to bypass a blocked nose.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- mouth closure (mechanical pressure on chin to keep mouth shut during sleep)
- What this could lead to
- If mouth closure helps some patients, it could point toward a simple, non-invasive way to improve breathing during sleep for certain people with sleep apnea.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study, not a treatment trial. Mouth closure might not help everyone and could even worsen airflow in some patients who rely on mouth breathing to bypass nasal blockages.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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66 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2021
- Finished
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Jul 2022
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 89 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (AHI \> 5 events/h). * Scheduled to undergo clinical drug-induced sleep endoscopy. Exclusion Criteria: * pregnancy * age under 18 years * poor general health * allergy to propofol or dexmedetomidine * history of surgical treatment for sleep apnea, such as palate, tongue base, or epiglottis surgery.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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