Local Lucy Thomas wants to help us breathe easier, sleep deeper, and wake up restored.
When's the last time you woke up actually feeling rested? Not just "I got seven hours" rested, but properly, deeply, ready-to-take-on-the-day rested? For a lot of us, that kind of sleep feels like a bit of a unicorn. North Shore's Lucy Thomas knows the feeling well. As a mum and a self-confessed health and fitness nerd, she's always been fussy about what she puts in and on her body - and calm, uninterrupted sleep sat right at the top of that list.
"I've always been focused on what I put in and on my body," she says. "As a mother, among other things, I deeply value uninterrupted and calm sleep." So when she stumbled across mouth taping a few years ago, she was intrigued. But everything out there felt a bit clinical, a bit stiff, a bit "medical device" rather than "bedtime ritual." So she did what any determined founder would do: she made her own. Enter Humma Sleep Tape. "Humma is part of a calm, intentional wind-down," she says. "It's a bedtime ritual for deeper, more restorative sleep."
Wait, What Even Is Mouth Taping?
Fair question. If this is all new to you, don't worry - you're about to become one of those people who brings it up at dinner parties. Mouth taping is exactly what it sounds like: a gentle strip you pop horizontally over your lips before bed, designed to nudge you into nasal breathing instead of mouth breathing while you sleep.
"Breathing through your nose (instead of your mouth) has real benefits, and it's simply how we're designed to breathe while we rest," Lucy explains. "Humma is designed to help that happen without you having to think about it." So really, it's less about restricting anything and more about gently reminding your body to do what it already knows how to do - just better.
The Secret Ingredient? Collagen.
Here's where Humma gets a little extra. Instead of the usual stiff, medical-feeling strip, Humma's tape is infused with collagen, for two reasons.
"Firstly, because at Humma we care about what you put onto your skin, and secondly, to differentiate Humma in the market," she says. "It moves with you overnight instead of tugging or irritating," she adds. "It turns something functional into something that feels like part of a proper bedtime ritual." So instead of feeling like you're wearing a plaster to bed, it feels like, well, a little act of self-care.
The Bit That Nearly Drove Her Mad: The Adhesive
Every good product has a "if you only knew how hard this was" story, and for Humma, that story is all about the glue. Sounds unglamorous - and honestly, it was. But it mattered more than anything else.
"Creating something authentic, made with care, that consumers trust" was the real challenge, Lucy says. "The adhesive was the critical component and the biggest challenge. Ensuring the tape was comfortable enough to wear all night, and reliable enough to stay put all night." Too sticky, and it's uncomfortable. Too gentle, and it falls off at 2am (not ideal). Finding that sweet spot took a lot of trial and error, but it's exactly what makes a good sleep tape actually good. "It was critical because it sets a good sleep tape apart."
Not Just a Grown-Up Thing
Humma started out as something Lucy made for her own adult sleep routine, but it hasn't stayed that way. "The response has shown me it's really a whole-family conversation," she says. "Better sleep affects everyone in the house." Anyone who's shared a home with a bad sleeper knows exactly what she means.
Good news for the whole household: Humma is safe for anyone aged six and up. Even Lucy's own daughter is on board. "My eldest daughter is a big fan!"
The Best Bit? Hearing It's Become a Habit
For Lucy, the most rewarding part isn't the sales or the reviews - it's hearing that Humma has quietly become part of someone's night, every single night.
"Hearing that it's become part of someone's nightly routine means knowing what I've created is helping, and that's an amazing feeling," she says. "It's not a product they've tried once, but something they trust, value and reach for every night. That's exactly the ritual I set out to build."
So, next time you're lying awake wondering why your sleep feels off, maybe the answer isn't a fancier mattress or another wellness gadget - maybe it's as simple as a strip of tape, and remembering to breathe the way you were built to.
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