If you snore, you’re not alone. Around half of all American adults snore. Fixing it is likely achievable, as research studies have shown that mouth and throat exercises help to manage mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
This guide has been designed to provide comprehensive information that you find helpful relating to
- The main cause of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea
- How do mouth and throat exercises help you stop snoring?
- Research-based scientific evidence
- Mouth and Throat Exercise For Sleep Apnea
- When should you speak to a doctor about snoring?
- Frequently Asked questions
The leading cause of snoring is the narrowness of your upper airways. When you sleep, the space behind your tongue contracts, and the muscles around it become slack and relaxed. When you breathe in and out, the airflow causes those slack muscles to vibrate thus make a noise.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the slack muscles in the back of your throat partially or completely close your upper airways. It can disrupt your sleep and cause low oxygen saturation.
How Can Snoring Exercises Help You Stop Snoring?
Losing throat muscles strength is the main reason for snoring. Your lifestyle and age cause these muscles to lose their tone. Mouth and throat exercises can tone your muscles and thus help you stop snoring. These sleep apnea exercises are also known as “myofunctional therapy” and “oropharyngeal exercises”.
- Myo-functional Therapy: It is the neuromuscular toning of oral and facial muscles. This therapy is designed to target the muscles that are used to chew and swallow. It also helps you to breathe through your nose and supports the proper position of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Oropharyngeal Exercises: The region at the back of your mouth is called oropharynx. It includes the sides of your throat, back of the tongue, adenoids, tonsils, and soft palate (muscular portion at the back of the roof of your mouth). The repetitive exercise of oropharyngeal muscles strengthens them and improves chewing, swallowing, eating, snoring, sleeping, and talking.
Are There Any Research-Based Evidences Regarding These Exercises To Treat Snoring And OSA?
Yes, multiple research studies confirm the efficiency of mouth and throat exercises to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
- In one study, participants with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome performed 3 months of daily (approximately 30 min) oropharyngeal exercises (involving the tongue, soft palate, and lateral pharyngeal walls). The study concluded that patients who received oropharyngeal exercises had:
- Improved oxygen saturation during sleep apnea episodes.
- Improved sleep quality.
- Reduced severity of sleep apnea.
- Snored less loudly and less frequently.
- Experienced less daytime sleepiness.
In short, oropharyngeal exercises are a promising treatment to reduce obstructive sleep apnea severity and symptoms.
- In another similar study, patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome received similar oropharyngeal exercises but performed in short sessions many times per day. The research concluded that the patients had:
- Decreased their snoring frequency by 60%.
- Improved their sleep quality.
- Reduced severity of obstructive sleep apnea.
- A literature survey of eleven research studies, in which the patients with obstructive sleep apnea received orofacial myofunctional therapy concluded that:
- It is highly effective in reducing the severity of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
- It improves the quality of sleep.
- It is also useful for the treatment of children with residual apnea.
- It enhances adherence to CPAP therapy in adults.
- It reduces the symptoms of daytime sleepiness and increases oxygen saturation during sleep apnea episodes.
- In a research study on chronic snorers, participants performed singing exercises for 3 months (twenty minutes a day). The study concluded that there was a notable reduction in their snoring.
Which Exercises Can Help You Stop Snoring?
The goal of mouth and throat exercise is to strengthen those muscles that become floppy and relaxed in sleep apnea patients. These include your tongue, throat, and facial muscles. Research studies suggest that these muscles can be toned through specific exercise training techniques.
Linking The Cause Of Your Snoring To The Treatment
| Type of Snoring | What it May Indicate? | Recommended Exercises |
|---|---|---|
Closed Mouth Snoring | Tongue position problems | Tongue Exercises |
Open Mouth Snoring | Problems of throat tissues | Throat Exercises |
Snoring when sleeping on the back | Positional Snoring | Lifestyle changes and improved sleep habits |
Snoring in all sleep positions | Severe sleep apnea | Comprehensive treatment |
Tongue Exercises
Exercise# 1 (Tongue Sliding)
Put the tip of your tongue behind the back of your front teethes. Slide your tongue in the backward direction while keeping the tip moving along the roof of your mouth. Repeat 5-10 times.
Exercise# 2 (Tongue Stretching)
Take out your tongue as far as you can. Aim to touch your chin with your tongue while looking towards the ceiling. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Exercise# 3 (Tongue Pressing Up)
Stick your tongue towards the roof of your mouth in the upward direction and push your whole tongue against it. Hold for 10 seconds in this position. Repeat 5 times.
Exercise# 3 (Tongue Pressing down)
Put the tip of your tongue upon your lower front teeth. Press the back of your tongue flat against the floor of your mouth. Retain this pose for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times.
Tongue Exercise
| Exercise Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
Tongue Sliding | Strengthens tongue and throat muscles |
Tongue Stretching | Enhances tongue strength |
Tongue Pressing Up | Develops soft palate & tongue tone and strength |
Tongue Pressing Down | Develops soft palate & tongue tone and strength |
Facial Exercises
Exercise#1 (Cheek Stretching)
Lightly pull your right cheek in an outward direction with the help of your hooked finger. Now use your facial muscles to pull your cheek back in the inward direction. Repeat 10 times on each side.
Exercise#2 (Mouth Closing)
Firmly close your mouth by squeezing your lips. Then open your mouth by relaxing your lips and jaws. Repeat 10 times.
Exercise#3 (Jaws Stretching)
Open your mouth then lightly move your lower jaws to the right and hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 5 times on each side.
Facial Exercise
| Exercise Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
Cheek Stretching | Helps in the closure of mouth while breathing |
Mouth Closing | Tones the facial muscles and enhances their strength |
Jaws Stretching | Tones jaw muscles and enhance their strength |
Other Exercise For Sleep Apnea
Singing
Singing on a daily basis reduces the severity of snoring naturally. When singing, aim to focus on repeating and powerfully pronouncing individual sounds rather than just singing normal lyrics.
Pronouncing Vowel Sounds
Repeating vowel sounds can help tone your throat muscles as saying vowel sounds involves the muscles on your throat. Loudly repeat vowel sounds 10 to 20 times in a row.
Breathing through Nose
Practice breathing through your nose while your mouth is closed and your jaws are relaxed. Then, close your one nostril by using your finger or knuckle and breathe through your other open nostril. Repeat this breathing exercise for sleep apnea 10 times while alternating between nostrils.
Other Exercises For Sleep Apnea
| Exercise Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
Singing | Activates throat and mouth muscles |
Pronouncing Vowel Sounds | Strengthen throat muscles |
Breathing through Nose | Improves nasal breathing thus stabilize airways while sleep |
When Should You Speak To A Doctor About Snoring?
Slight snoring every once in a while is common for most people and is not serious. Snoring that happens more than three nights per week can be an indicator of obstructive sleep apnea. If goes undiagnosed or untreated, it can have serious health complications.
You should immediately talk to your doctor if you have any of the below-listed risk factors:
- Notable daytime fatigue and sleepiness
- High blood pressure
- Recent weight gain or obesity
- Snoring that similar to choking, gasping, or snorting
- Morning headaches
- Slowed thinking, mood swings, and reduced attention
Final Words from Well Aware System Experts
- The purpose of mouth and throat exercise is to strengthen those muscles that become slack and relaxed in sleep apnea patients. These include your tongue, throat, and facial muscles. Research studies suggest that these muscles can be toned through specific training techniques for at least 3 months (15 minutes per day).
- Multiple research studies confirm the efficiency of these exercises to treat mild to moderate sleep apnea.
- You are unlikely to see instant results as these exercises are most effective when performed daily and stuck to over a period of time.
- Every snoring case is different. Please keep in mind that these exercises aren’t the solution for all types of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Even when helpful, these exercises may need to be combined with other treatments recommended by your doctor.
- Every snoring case is different. Please keep in mind that these exercises aren’t the solution for all types of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Even when helpful, these exercises may need to be combined with other treatments recommended by your doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Side Effects Of Mouth And Throat Exercises?
No. There is virtually no physical downside. However, health risks could arise if people prefer mouth exercise while skipping other prescribed treatments for obstructive sleep apnea.
Can These Exercises Stop Snoring Permanently?
Research studies demonstrated that mouth and throat exercise significantly reduced snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea. However, no study clearly stated that these therapies could permanently stop your snoring.
How Long Is This Therapy Required To See A Significant Reduction In Snoring?
Mouth and throat exercise therapies would not show you immediate effects. Expect at least three months to see a significant reduction in snoring.
Who Can Benefit From Exercise Therapy For Snoring?
People with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea have the most benefit from myofunctional therapy along with other recommended treatments such as CPAP. Oropharyngeal exercise therapy may be less efficient for people whose snoring is related to alcohol and sedatives that cause relaxation of muscles in the back of the throat.
