Oral Exercises to Help with Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Mouth and tongue exercises using myofunctional therapy techniques have been shown to improve snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in about 40-50% of patients. It helps by increasing the overall muscle tone of the tongue and mouth thereby minimizing vibration and collapse from muscle flaccidity. In a recent meta-analysis, these exercises have been shown to decrease snoring intensity by 51% and decrease time spent snoring by 31%.

Easily performed at home, there are 6 basic exercises to do. Each exercise should be performed for 5 seconds and repeated a total of 3 or more times. Each set should be performed 2 or more times a day. If properly performed, you should feel tongue and throat muscle strain and fatigue.

Exercise #1: Stick Tongue Out (0:42)
Exercise #2: Suction the Tongue to Roof of Mouth (1:18)
Exercise #3: Push Tongue to Sides (1:45)
Exercise #4: Drop Tongue Down into Throat (2:01)
Exercise #5: While Pushing Tongue Against Teeth, Swallow (2:10)
Exercise #6: Vowel Exercises (2:21)
Didgeridoo (2:42)

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For more info on snoring:
https://www.FauquierENT.net/snoring.htm

For more info on sleep apnea:
https://www.FauquierENT.net/osa.htm

For more info on sleep endoscopy:
https://www.FauquierENT.net/sleependoscopy.htm

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References:
Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology volume 275, pages 849–855 (2018). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00405-017-4848-5

Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on snoring: a randomized trial. Chest. 2015. doi:10.1378/chest.14-2953 http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=2292637

Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 15;179(10):962-6. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200806-981OC. Epub 2009 Feb 20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19234106

Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2006 Feb 4;332(7536):266-70. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16377643/

Risk of obstructive sleep apnea lower in double reed wind musicians. J Clin Sleep Med. 2012 Jun 15;8(3):251-5. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.1906. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22701381/

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