That viral 'fix your sleep with this hack' video backfired hard on me

I tried that TikTok trend where you tape your mouth shut at night to force nose breathing. Three nights in, I woke up with the worst dry throat and a headache that lasted all day. Turns out I have a deviated septum, so mouth breathing was actually my body's workaround. The video had 2 million likes and nobody mentioned checking with a doctor first. Has anyone else had a viral health hack make things worse instead of better? I'm back to normal sleep now but curious what other 'life hacks' are just bad advice in disguise.

2 comments

2 Comments

ericcraig1mo ago

Figured your breathing issue would be the exception though. I mean, these hacks are made for the average person with normal anatomy, not people with structural problems. Can't really blame the video for not knowing you have a deviated septum.

wells.christopher1mo ago

Yeah, "normal anatomy" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, most of us don't even know what our anatomy is until something goes wrong. @ericcraig, you're right that the hacks can't account for everyone, but that's why I wish these videos would add a quick "unless you have breathing issues" disclaimer.