India, July 31 -- Scroll through any wellness feed today, and it will not take long to find someone taping their mouth shut before bed, promising viewers deeper sleep, reduced snoring, and a fresher morning face. The practice has become one of social media's most talked-about sleep hacks. Yet behind the trend lies a more complicated clinical picture that is believed to deserve closer scrutiny before anyone reaches for a roll of tape. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Prasanna Kumar, HOD and consultant- respiratory medicine at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, Bengaluru, separates facts from social media myths.

Dr Prasanna said, "Mouth taping is sealing the lips shut overnight with a strip of skin-safe adhesive tape, with the goal of forcing...