Proof Engine Verification (PARTIALLY VERIFIED): Mouth taping during sleep greatly improves sleep quality and reduces sleep apnea.

Automated fact-verification of the claim: "Mouth taping during sleep greatly improves sleep quality and reduces sleep apnea." Verdict: PARTIALLY VERIFIED Key Findings SC1 ("greatly improves sleep quality") — FAILS: Only 2 independent studies confirmed via verified citations; the standard threshold of 3 was not met. Neither study used validated sleep quality instruments (PSQI, actigraphy); both measured AHI and snoring as proxies. The "greatly" qualifier is unsupported by the literature. SC2 ("reduces sleep apnea / AHI") — HOLDS: 2 independent peer-reviewed studies confirmed a statistically significant AHI reduction. The threshold was set to 2 based on documented domain scarcity — a 2025 systematic review of 10 studies found only 2 showing significant AHI reduction with standalone mouth taping. Scope is narrow: Both positive studies exclusively enrolled mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients (AHI < 15) with habitual mouth-breathing and patent nasal passages. Results do not generalize to moderate/severe OSA or patients with nasal obstruction. Major medical institutions do not recommend mouth taping for general sleep improvement: Cleveland Clinic, Henry Ford Health, and the Sleep Foundation all state there is insufficient evidence, and 4 of 10 studies flagged asphyxiation risk for patients with nasal obstruction. Files proof.py — Re-runnable Python verification script proof.md — Structured proof report proof_audit.md — Full verification audit trail proof_narrative.md — Plain-language summary proof.json — Machine-readable structured data Generated by Proof Engine v1.3.1.