Mouth Exercises for Snoring: Evidence and Realistic Expectations

Mouth exercises for snoring are often presented as a simple daily fix. Structured exercises may help some people, but results are less certain than many headlines suggest. The useful question is whether a supervised programme fits your situation and how its benefit will be checked.

What is myofunctional therapy?

Also called oropharyngeal exercises, this approach trains movements and coordination involving the tongue and muscles around the mouth and throat. It is more than copying a few exaggerated facial movements from a video.

What does the research show?

A Cochrane review of nine randomised trials found possible benefits for some sleep apnea outcomes in adults. Results for snoring were mixed: perceived intensity may improve a little, while the frequency of snoring may change little or not at all. The studies do not justify promising that a short routine will stop snoring for everyone.

Evidence about a structured programme also cannot establish that a different set of exercises, a singing app or an online challenge will produce the same result.

Ask for a programme you can actually follow

Before starting, ask the practitioner to demonstrate the movements, watch you perform them and give you written instructions. Clarify the expected time commitment, how progress will be reviewed and what to do if the routine causes discomfort.

• What problem is the programme intended to address in my case?
• What training and experience does the practitioner have?
• How will we distinguish a useful response from an unusually quiet night?
• What happens if I cannot perform a movement comfortably?

Keep treatment and exercise goals separate

If you already have sleep apnea, agree any exercise programme with your treating clinician. Do not replace prescribed CPAP or an oral appliance with exercises on the basis of quieter snoring alone.

For someone without a diagnosis, breathing pauses, gasping or marked daytime sleepiness are reasons to seek assessment rather than begin an exercise challenge. A clear starting point helps you avoid spending months on an approach that does not address the actual problem.

Keep reading

• Four questions before starting snoring exercises

Sources and further reading

• Cochrane: Myofunctional therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea

Published by TannerMedico A/S, the manufacturer of Asonor. This article provides general information for adults and does not replace individual medical advice.