Exercises to Stop Snoring: Mouth and Throat Workouts That Have Evidence
Mouth and throat exercises sound too simple to work, but they are one of the few free snoring remedies with randomized trial data behind them. Here is what the research found, a routine based on the exercises used in studies, and what to realistically expect.
What is myofunctional therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is a set of exercises for the muscles of the mouth, tongue, soft palate and face. Speech and swallowing therapists have used similar exercises for decades. In sleep medicine, the idea is simple: snoring happens when these muscles relax during sleep and let the airway narrow and vibrate. Stronger, better-coordinated muscles may keep it a little more open.
The first structured protocol for sleep apnea was published in 2009, and since then researchers have tested variations on people who snore and people with sleep apnea.
Do exercises to stop snoring actually work?
The evidence is better than for most home remedies, though the studies are small.
The snoring meta-analysis
A 2018 systematic review pooled nine studies with 211 adults. Self-rated snoring intensity dropped by 51%, from about 8 to 4 on a 10-point scale. In the 60 patients whose snoring was measured during a sleep study, the share of the night spent snoring fell by 31%. The authors concluded that exercises to stop snoring reduced snoring in adults on both questionnaires and objective tests.
A randomized trial
In a 2015 trial, 39 people with simple snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea were randomly assigned to three months of daily mouth and throat exercises or to a control routine of nasal strips plus breathing exercises. The control group did not change. In the exercise group, the number of loud snores per hour (above 36 decibels) roughly halved, from a median of about 100 to 48.
And for sleep apnea?
A 2015 meta-analysis of adult studies found myofunctional therapy lowered the apnea-hypopnea index by about 50% on average, and improved snoring and daytime sleepiness. That is encouraging, but most participants had mild to moderate disease, and the exercises are usually seen as an add-on, not a substitute for treatments like CPAP.
| Study | Who | Main finding |
|---|---|---|
| Camacho et al. 2018 (meta-analysis) | 211 adults, 9 studies | Snoring intensity down 51%; time snoring down 31% |
| Ieto et al. 2015 (randomized trial) | 39 adults, snoring or mild to moderate apnea | Loud snores per hour roughly halved after 3 months |
| Camacho et al. 2015 (meta-analysis) | 120 adults with sleep apnea | Apnea-hypopnea index about 50% lower |
A daily routine based on the research
Studies used slightly different exercise sets, but most combine tongue, soft palate and face work. A 2018 review that compiled the protocols lists the exercises below, usually done three times a day. Go slowly and stop if anything hurts.
Tongue
- Tongue slide. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth. Slide it backward along the palate. Repeat 20 times.
- Tongue press. Suck your whole tongue up against the roof of your mouth, as if pressing it flat against the palate, and hold for a few seconds. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
- Tongue down. Keep the tip of your tongue touching your lower front teeth while you push the back of the tongue down toward the floor of your mouth. Repeat 20 times.
Soft palate and throat
- The “ah” lift. Say “ah” repeatedly, deliberately lifting the soft palate and the uvula at the back of your mouth. A mirror helps you see the movement. Repeat 20 times.
- Yawn lift. Open as if starting a yawn and feel the back of the mouth rise. Hold for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.
Lips and cheeks
- Lip press. With your mouth closed, press your lips firmly together for 30 seconds.
- Cheek push. Place a clean finger inside one cheek and push it outward using the cheek muscle. Repeat 10 times on each side.
At meals
- Chew on both sides, alternating left and right.
- Swallow with your tongue on the palate and your teeth together, rather than pushing the tongue forward.
How long until exercises reduce snoring?
The trials ran for about three months of daily practice. Some people notice a change earlier, but the studies measured results at the end of that period, so give it at least eight to twelve weeks before you judge. Consistency matters more than intensity: a few minutes, every day, beats a long session once a week.
Keeping track helps. A short note each morning, or a snoring recording once a week, shows whether things are moving. Our guide on how to know if you snore explains how to record yourself.
Who should try them, and who should not rely on them
- Good candidates: people with simple snoring or diagnosed mild sleep apnea who want a low-cost, low-risk option to add to other changes.
- Not a substitute: if you have loud nightly snoring with gasping, breathing pauses or strong daytime sleepiness, get assessed first. See snoring vs sleep apnea.
- With jaw pain or TMJ problems, ask a dentist or therapist before doing jaw-heavy exercises.
Exercises work well alongside other changes such as side sleeping and avoiding late alcohol. Our guide on how to stop snoring covers those, and if mouth breathing is part of your picture, nasal breathing exercises are a good companion routine.
Not just tape.
A mouth band that understands your night.
Exercises pay off slowly, which makes it hard to tell if they are working. Zzip is being developed to record snoring and breathing every night, so twelve weeks of practice can show up as a trend instead of a guess.
| Regular mouth tape | Zzip | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps your mouth closed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Measures your breathing | — | ✓ |
| Detects snoring | — | ✓ |
| Responds to snoring | — | ✓ |
| Smart wake-up window | — | ✓ |
| Shows you the results | — | ✓ |
- Keeps your mouth closed, comfortablyA flexible silicone body with an integrated, skin-friendly adhesive, shaped around the mouth.
- Follows every breathA thermistor near the nose counts each breathing cycle directly from the warm and cool air of your breath.
- Hears snoring and respondsA microphone detects snoring; a gentle vibration is designed to encourage you to change position without waking you.
- Wakes you at a better momentA smart alarm looks for a suitable moment in the window before your alarm time.
- Your whole night on one screenOptical pulse and SpO₂ signals, movement and temperature come together in the Zzip app.
If you are curious about mouth taping, Zzip is worth following: it is the version that shows you whether it actually works for you.
Zzip is a prototype in development. Features and measurement performance are being tested. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose or treat sleep apnea or any other condition.
Frequently asked questions
What exercises can I do to stop snoring?
Tongue slides along the palate, pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth, lifting the soft palate while saying “ah”, firm lip presses and cheek pushes. Studies combined these into a daily routine practiced for about three months.
How long does it take for mouth exercises to stop snoring?
Research measured results after about three months of daily practice. Expect gradual change, and give it at least eight to twelve weeks.
Does singing help snoring?
Singing works some of the same throat muscles, and some exercise protocols include vowel and syllable sounds. There is little direct evidence for singing alone, so a structured routine is a safer bet.
Can tongue exercises cure sleep apnea?
They can reduce severity in some adults, by about half on average in one meta-analysis, but they are not a cure and not a replacement for prescribed treatment. Talk to your doctor before changing any sleep apnea treatment.
Are there apps for snoring exercises?
Yes, several apps guide you through mouth and throat exercises. The app matters less than doing the exercises every day and tracking whether your snoring changes.
Sources
- Camacho M. et al. (2018). Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 275:849–855.
- Ieto V, Kayamori F, Montes MI et al. (2015). Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Snoring: A Randomized Trial. Chest 148(3):683–691.
- Camacho M. et al. (2015). Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sleep 38(5):669–675.
- de Felício CM, Dias FVS, Trawitzki LVV (2018). Obstructive sleep apnea: focus on myofunctional therapy. Nature and Science of Sleep 10:271–286.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have symptoms of a sleep or breathing disorder, talk to a qualified healthcare professional.