What Is the "Sleep Hostage" Bedtime Routine? Experts Weigh In

Before you head to the Amazon search bar or one of your household cabinets to see what kind of tape you have, it might be better to pause and check out Hannah Chody’s viral TikTok that highlights her bedtime routine.

Chody, a young social media personality and entrepreneur, revealed a certain practice in her personal life that left her followers shocked.

In her TikTok video, that earned close to 890,000 likes, she detailed “what you need for the best sleep of your life.”

Mouth tape was the most shocking part of her routine, but other elements included a sound machine, silk sleeping mask, a sleep crown, and a face pillow that helps her sleep on her back.

She admitted that her husband believes her routine makes her look similar to someone held hostage, and the comments on the video seemed to agree.

What Do The Experts Say?

Even though this routine seems to work for Chody, there might be some risks present that would help to take a look into before you decide to put that tape on your mouth.

Sleepopolis spoke with neuroscience expert and the creator and CEO of Braintap, Dr. Patrick Porter. He mentioned this tactic might not be the best for people with allergy problems to some alternatives that might work as well without resorting to mouth taping.

It’s tempting to partake in any routine that’s all the rage in your feed. But before you make any irrational decisions, it might be best to understand if this routine is a good fit for you. Now let’s see if it’s worth it to tape up that mouth or not!

Some comments included, “Once you said mouth tape I knew he wasn’t wrong,” and “Chad is correct I fear.”

The routine might seem intimidating, but it comes with some potentially surprising benefits.

Dr. Porter said mouth tape can help with nasal breathing to prevent snoring and aid in getting a better night’s sleep.

Like everything you see on social media, it’s best to look into a routine or lifestyle further to see if it’s a good match for your needs. We have some answers for you that will help you determine that.

What Are the Risks and Some Alternatives?

When you hear the words “mouth tape,” you definitely might think it sounds risky. And we are here to tell you those initial thoughts you might be having are not entirely wrong.

First things first, “Mouth taping may be uncomfortable or even distressing for some,” said Dr. Porter, and turn your peaceful night’s sleep into a stressful one.

Dr. Porter also said this routine might not be the best for people who suffer from sinus or allergy problems and claustrophobia.

In order to make sure this routine might be suitable for you, Dr. Porter said you should consider speaking with a health professional before getting right into the process.

Porter also gave us some advice on how to safely try this routine if you are truly fascinated by it.

It’s not just the mouth tape that is the concern, but Chody also adds various elements to her routine that might take some getting used to for most and require baby steps.

Porter said not to rush into the process and add each element one at a time to see if your body responds well.

“Remember that a sleep routine’s effectiveness can vary from person to person,” Dr. Porter said. “If you opt to try mouth taping, make sure to use a product specifically meant for this and cease its use immediately if you experience any discomfort.”

If you are struggling to sleep at night, your last resort doesn’t have to be mouth tape. Porter shared some alternatives with us that are worth giving a shot.

“Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a dark and quiet sleep environment, and limiting screen time before bed can greatly enhance sleep quality,” Porter said.

He also said to try out his very own product known as BrainTap. BrainTap is similar to a sound machine as it can help achieve a more restful sleep without any mouth tape needed.

Now the choice is yours, but beware: you might (temporarily) scare your partner in the middle of the night if you opt for Chody’s process!