Tongue posture and nasal breathing: where your tongue should rest

When you breathe through your nose at rest, your tongue should sit lightly against the roof of your mouth, your lips should be together and your teeth slightly apart. Cleveland Clinic describes that as the normal resting position. When your mouth hangs open, your tongue tends to drop to the floor of your mouth instead. Resting posture is a sensible thing to practice, but the social media claim that it will reshape an adult face isn't backed by research.

Where should your tongue rest when you breathe through your nose?

Your tongue should rest against the roof of your mouth when you breathe through your nose. Cleveland Clinic says the tongue should be lightly suctioned to the roof of the mouth at rest, and that your lips should normally come together to form a seal. With the lips sealed and the tongue up, the only easy way for air to get in is through your nose.

Try it now. Close your lips gently, let the tip of your tongue sit just behind your top front teeth, and let the rest of the tongue rise to touch the palate. Breathe slowly through your nose. It should feel relaxed, not effortful. If you can't breathe comfortably like this for a couple of minutes, the problem may be your nose rather than your tongue. Our article on why you breathe through your mouth at night covers the common causes.

What does "lips together, teeth apart" mean?

"Lips together, teeth apart" is a short way to describe a relaxed resting mouth. Your lips touch lightly, your back teeth don't touch, and your tongue sits on the roof of your mouth. NHS patient advice on jaw pain from Leeds Teaching Hospitals says to keep your jaw relaxed during the day and let your teeth rest slightly apart.

The teeth-apart part matters because clenching keeps the jaw muscles working. The same leaflet says clenching or grinding doesn't cause jaw joint disorders but can make them worse. If you catch yourself clenching, our article on mouth tape for teeth grinding and TMJ explains where tape fits and where it doesn't.

How does mouth breathing change your tongue position?

Mouth breathing tends to pull your tongue down. Cleveland Clinic says an open mouth posture, where the mouth stays slightly open at rest, can result in the tongue resting on the floor of the mouth, and that it can lead to problems with the teeth, jaws and tongue over time.

The link runs both ways. A blocked nose makes you open your mouth, and an open mouth lets the tongue drop. Cleveland Clinic lists allergies, colds, chronic sinusitis, a deviated septum, swollen turbinates and nasal polyps as reasons people can't get enough air through the nose. That's why fixing the nose usually comes before working on posture. Our step-by-step guide to stopping mouth breathing at night starts there.

Does mewing work?

Mewing doesn't work for reshaping your face, according to the research and the specialists who've looked at it. Mewing is the social media practice of pressing your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, often with the teeth together, to try to sharpen the jawline. The American Association of Orthodontists says there's no current research suggesting it benefits your jawline or oral health.

Cleveland Clinic is blunter. Its family medicine physician says the evidence suggests mewing isn't effective for any of its claims, and that the tongue exercise isn't specific or strong enough to change dental or facial features significantly. Both sources warn about harms. The AAO says uneven tongue pressure can push teeth out of line and contribute to bite problems and jaw pain. Cleveland Clinic says mewing can worsen jaw tension and TMJ disorders and can shift teeth, especially in children and teenagers.

Here is how the two compare, based on the Cleveland Clinic and AAO guidance.

So there's a useful line to draw. A relaxed resting posture, with the tongue on the palate and lips together, is the normal position and a reasonable habit to build. Pushing hard on your palate several times a day to change your bone structure is a different thing, and the evidence doesn't support it. The AAO says facial structure depends on genetics, bone growth and muscle development, and an orthodontist can assess your tongue's resting position if you're concerned. Our articles on mouth breathing and face changes in adults and whether mouth taping changes your jawline look at the same claims from the breathing side.

Can tongue-tie affect breathing and tongue posture?

Tongue-tie can make it hard to lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth. The NHS describes tongue-tie as a piece of skin under the tongue that's shorter or tighter than usual, which can make it difficult to move the tongue side to side, lift it or stick it out. It says tongue-tie may cause no problems at all, and treatment isn't usually needed unless it does. A GP can help if you're an adult and think you have it.

The research linking tongue-tie to mouth breathing is early. A 2019 study surveyed 348 patients, aged from toddlers to adults, who had tongue-tie surgery combined with myofunctional therapy. Most reported improvements, including 78% for mouth breathing and 73% for snoring, and minor complications occurred in under 5% of cases. But there was no control group and the results were self-reported, and the authors called for studies with objective measures.

A 2022 systematic review of 11 studies found surgery worked better than myofunctional therapy alone for tongue-tie, and that the two combined gave the best results, with improvements reported in tongue mobility, mouth breathing and snoring among other outcomes. The authors said the findings should be taken with caution because there were few studies and their quality was limited.

Can you train better tongue posture?

You can train better tongue posture, and myofunctional therapy is the formal way to do it. Cleveland Clinic describes it as exercises for the cheeks, tongue and lips that train the muscles of the mouth and face to move properly and rest in the right positions. It lists mouth breathing, open mouth posture and recovery from tongue-tie surgery among the things providers use it for, and says it has no known risks. We cover the details in myofunctional therapy.

The evidence is promising but not settled. A 2025 scoping review screened more than 11,000 records and included 58 studies on orofacial myofunctional disorders, including 10 on mouth breathing and 2 on low tongue position at rest. Most primary studies reported positive results, but only 19% were randomized trials, and the authors concluded there isn't yet enough high-level evidence to confirm the therapy's effectiveness.

Simple habits are a good place to start on your own. A few times a day, check where your tongue is, close your lips gently and breathe through your nose. Our nasal breathing exercises and mouth and tongue exercises for snoring give you specific routines.

What about tongue posture while you sleep?

Tongue posture while you sleep is harder to control, because your jaw relaxes and your mouth can fall open. Daytime practice builds the habit, but you can't consciously keep your lips closed once you're asleep. Our article on why your mouth falls open when you sleep explains why.

That's where mouth tape fits. It keeps your lips together overnight so your nose stays the main airway. No study has tested whether tape changes where your tongue rests. The evidence it has is for snoring: in a 2022 study, 20 mouth breathers with mild sleep apnea wore tape for a week and their median snoring index fell by 47%. People with blocked noses were treated first, and tape only makes sense when you can breathe easily through your nose. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

For children, posture questions belong with a professional. Cleveland Clinic says mouth breathing in children can affect how their face develops, and recommends asking the pediatrician to check the nose and airway. See mouth breathing in children.

Our pick (paid partner): Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape

If your nose is clear and you want help keeping your lips together at night, our pick is Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape. We haven't tested or ranked mouth tapes ourselves; this is our recommendation.

Titan says the strip is bamboo silk, soft, breathable and moisture-wicking, and that its adhesive is made to grip through stubble and beards without tugging hair. It's one oval size, 76 by 38 mm, worn horizontally across the lips. Titan suggests 20 to 30 minutes of daytime practice before the first night, which pairs well with daytime posture practice. It says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, with a 30-night guarantee.

Read next

• Myofunctional therapy: what it is and what the evidence shows
• How to stop mouth breathing at night
• Can you train yourself to breathe through your nose?

* 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.