Mouth and tongue exercises for snoring: what the research shows and how to do them

Mouth and tongue exercises can reduce snoring for some people. In a 2015 randomized trial, three months of daily oropharyngeal exercises roughly halved objectively measured snoring, and a 2018 meta-analysis of 211 adults found snoring got quieter and less frequent. The studies are small, so results are modest and gradual, but the exercises are free and have no known risks.

What are mouth and tongue exercises for snoring?

Mouth and tongue exercises for snoring go by several names: myofunctional therapy, orofacial myofunctional therapy and oropharyngeal exercises. Cleveland Clinic describes myofunctional therapy as training the muscles of your mouth and face, using exercises for the cheeks, tongue and lips, to strengthen them and sharpen your awareness of how they move.

The idea behind using them for snoring is simple. The NHS explains that snoring happens when the tongue, mouth, throat or nasal airways vibrate as you breathe, because these parts relax and narrow in sleep. A 2015 meta-analysis in the journal Sleep suggested the exercises may work by improving the tone of the muscles in the mouth and throat, though the authors said the mechanism still needs research.

What does the 2015 snoring trial show?

The best known study on snoring itself is a randomized trial from the University of São Paulo, published in Chest in 2015. It included 39 people whose main complaint was snoring and who had either primary snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea.

Half did daily oropharyngeal exercises for three months. The control group used nasal dilator strips plus breathing exercises for the same period. Snoring was measured objectively on full overnight sleep studies before and after.

The control group saw no significant change. The exercise group's snore index, the number of snores louder than 36 decibels per hour, fell from a median of 99.5 to 48.2. The total power of their snoring dropped by about half too. The authors concluded that oropharyngeal exercises are effective in reducing objectively measured snoring.

What do the meta-analyses say?

A 2018 meta-analysis looked only at snoring. It found 9 studies with 211 adults. Snoring intensity fell by 51% on a rating scale in 80 patients, and time spent snoring during sleep fell by 31% in 60 patients who had sleep studies. The authors concluded that myofunctional therapy reduced snoring in adults on both questionnaires and objective tests.

The 2015 meta-analysis in Sleep pooled 9 adult studies with 120 patients who had sleep apnea. Snoring measured on sleep studies fell from about 14% to about 4% of total sleep time, and snoring decreased in all three studies that asked patients about it. Daytime sleepiness improved too.

Not every review is as upbeat. A 2020 Cochrane review of 9 randomized trials in sleep apnea found the exercises probably reduce daytime sleepiness, but said the effect on snoring frequency was very uncertain and the drop in snoring intensity was probably slight. It rated the certainty of the evidence as moderate to very low. A 2019 German guideline on snoring in adults said there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend this kind of muscle training for snoring. That's a fair summary of where things stand: encouraging small studies, not yet proof.

How do you do mouth and tongue exercises for snoring?

There isn't one standard routine for mouth and tongue exercises. The 2015 meta-analysis said the most comprehensive program is one developed by Guimarães and colleagues, which works the soft palate, tongue and face. Here is how that review describes the main groups of exercises.

• Soft palate: say vowel sounds out loud, either held continuously or repeated in short bursts.
• Tongue: slide the tip of the tongue along the top and side surfaces of your teeth.
• Tongue: place the tip of the tongue against the front of the roof of your mouth.
• Tongue: press the whole tongue up against the roof of your mouth, both the hard and soft parts.
• Tongue: press the tongue down onto the floor of your mouth.
• Lips and cheeks: tighten and relax your lips, make sucking movements, and press a finger against the inside of your cheek.
• Jaw: move the lower jaw from side to side.
• Breathing, swallowing and chewing: breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, then repeat while blowing up a balloon. Swallow with your teeth together and your tongue against the roof of your mouth, and alternate the side you chew on.

How often and for how long?

Study routines for these exercises ranged widely. The 2015 meta-analysis reported programs from as little as 5 minutes twice a day, 4 days a week, up to 10 minutes three to five times a day for three months, and said the Guimarães program uses about 30 minutes a day. The snoring trial asked people to exercise every day for three months, and the Cochrane review found trials lasted two to four months.

So give it at least a few months before judging. Recording your snoring with an app or asking a partner before you start gives you something to compare against.

Some people prefer to learn with a professional. Cleveland Clinic says myofunctional therapy is delivered by providers with special training, such as speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and dental hygienists, and that a full course often lasts six to 12 months.

Does playing a wind instrument count?

There's some evidence that playing a wind instrument counts. In a 2006 randomized trial in the BMJ, 25 adults with moderate sleep apnea who complained of snoring took didgeridoo lessons and practised at home for four months, about 25 minutes a day almost six days a week. Compared with a waiting list group, their daytime sleepiness improved and their partners reported less sleep disturbance. Cleveland Clinic also lists singing and playing a wind instrument among the activities a myofunctional therapist might use.

Is snoring ever a sign you need more than exercises?

Snoring is sometimes a sign you need more than exercises. The NHS says to see a GP if you feel sleepy during the day, your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, or you make gasping or choking noises, because these can be signs of sleep apnea. The 2015 meta-analysis suggested myofunctional therapy could be an add-on to other sleep apnea treatments, not a replacement. Read snoring vs. sleep apnea and the sleep apnea warning signs before relying on exercises alone.

What can you combine with exercises?

Exercises take months to work, so many people pair them with something that helps from the first night. If your nose feels blocked, a nasal strip is a drug-free option: in a small randomized trial of people with chronic rhinitis, a real strip cut snoring frequency from about 258 to 173 snores an hour compared with a placebo strip. If your mouth falls open in your sleep, the NHS lists a chin strap or a mouth device that helps you breathe through your nose. Our list of snoring remedies ordered by the evidence covers the other options, and nasal breathing exercises is a good companion routine.

If you'd like a nightly add-on while you build the habit, our pick is the Titan Sleep System, which pairs TitanAir nasal strips with Titan's bamboo silk mouth tape. Titan says the strips use flexible spring-loaded bands and are designed to pair with the tape, and that every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free.

Only use mouth tape when you can breathe easily through your nose. How to start mouth taping explains how to try it safely.

Read next

• How to stop snoring: what you can try at home
• Do anti-snoring sprays, drops and pills work?
• Why your mouth falls open when you sleep

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.