Three seconds before bed. A first week that gets easier.

Do the nose test once, then the same three steps every night. Below that, what each night of the first week tends to feel like, and when to stop.

Before the first night

1. The nose test. Sit down, close your lips and breathe through your nose for two minutes. If that feels easy, you are ready. If it feels like work, or one side is blocked, skip tape tonight. A blocked nose is not a night for tape.
2. Clean, dry lips. Do your evening routine first. Wipe your lips with water and dry them. No balm, no moisturizer, no oil on that area. Oil is the only thing that makes a strip lift, so water and a towel is the whole preparation.
3. A half hour trial. Put a strip on while you read or watch something. If it feels fine after half an hour, keep it on and go to sleep. If it does not, peel it off and try again tomorrow.

Putting it on

1. Peel the backing. Hold the strip by the edges so you do not touch the adhesive.
2. Rest your lips together. No pressing, no pursing. The way your mouth sits when you are relaxed.
3. Center the slit. Place the strip so the short slit sits over the line where your lips meet. The long side runs across the mouth.
4. Press for a second. One light press with two fingers. Then forget about it.

Taking it off

In the morning, lift one corner and peel slowly toward the center. Warm water on the strip makes it easier. Do not pull straight out from the face. If any adhesive stays on the skin, a little oil or balm lifts it.

Your first week, night by night

Nights 1 to 3

You notice it. Some people take it off once in the night and put it back on. Some wake up with it on the pillow. Both are normal. Check that the skin was dry and there was no balm on the lips.

Nights 4 to 7

You notice it less. Many people say the morning dry mouth is the first thing that changes. If your nose is blocked on a given night, skip the tape and use a nose strip instead.

Night 30

Reaching for the strip becomes part of turning off the light. If you are still uncomfortable by then, it may not be for you. Write to us before the 30 nights are up and we will refund the first box.

When to stop

• Any breathing discomfort, at any point.
• Redness, itching or a rash around the mouth. Stop, let the skin settle, and do a patch test before trying again.
• Anxiety that does not fade after the first few nights.
• A cold, blocked sinuses, alcohol or sedatives that evening.
• Any suspicion of a sleep breathing disorder. See a doctor first.