Free fix
Snoring exercises that research supports
Five simple mouth and throat exercises, about eight minutes at a time. No device, no cost, and real evidence behind them. Here's what they can do, and what they can't.
Snoring happens when the soft tissues of your mouth and throat relax during sleep and vibrate as air passes. The idea behind these exercises, sometimes called oropharyngeal exercises or myofunctional therapy, is simple: stronger, better-toned muscles in the tongue, soft palate and cheeks are less likely to collapse into the airway at night.
It sounds too easy to work. But unlike most “stop snoring” promises online, this one has been tested in proper studies.
What the research shows
36%
less frequent snoring
9
studies reviewed
3
months of practice
In a randomised trial of 39 adults with simple snoring (Ieto et al., 2015), three months of daily mouth and throat exercises cut snoring frequency by 36% and total snoring power, a measure of overall snoring noise, by 59%, measured with recording equipment. Bed partners also reported less snoring. The control group saw no meaningful change.
A 2018 systematic review (Camacho et al.) pooled nine studies and found these exercises reduced snoring in adults, both on questionnaires and in sleep-lab measurements.
Almost every study ran for about three months of daily practice. Results build slowly, the same way any muscle training does.
The honest caveat: most of these studies are small, often 20 to 50 people, and exercises varied between them. The results point the same way, but this is promising evidence, not a guarantee. Exercises are most likely to help mild, simple snoring, and they work best alongside the everyday fixes in Chapter 5.
The five exercises
These follow the routine used in the 2015 snoring trial. Do the full set three times a day. Each round takes about eight minutes, so it fits around brushing your teeth or a commute.
- 1
Tongue slide
20 timesPress the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your top front teeth. Keeping contact, slide it slowly backwards along the roof of your mouth as far as is comfortable, then return.
Why it helps: Strengthens the tongue so it is less likely to fall back towards your throat while you sleep.
- 2
Tongue suction
20 timesSuck your whole tongue up flat against the roof of your mouth, as if making a clicking sound, and press it there firmly for a moment before releasing.
Why it helps: Works the muscles that lift and hold the tongue in place.
- 3
Tongue press-down
20 timesRest the tip of your tongue against the back of your bottom front teeth. Keeping the tip there, press the back of your tongue down firmly against the floor of your mouth.
Why it helps: Trains the back of the tongue, the part that most often narrows the airway.
- 4
Soft palate lift
20 timesOpen your mouth and say a strong, steady “Ahhh”. Try to feel the soft palate and the little uvula at the back of your mouth lift upwards. A mirror helps at first.
Why it helps: Tones the soft palate, one of the main tissues that vibrates when you snore.
- 5
Cheek push
10 times each sideHook a clean finger inside one cheek and gently pull it outward, while using your cheek muscles to pull the finger back in towards your teeth. Repeat on the other side.
Why it helps: Strengthens the cheek and mouth muscles that help keep your mouth closed at night.
How to make it work
- Record a night first. A snore-recording app gives you a before-and-after you can actually compare.
- Give it three months. That's how long the studies ran. Expect little change in the first few weeks.
- Be consistent. Three short rounds every day matters more than one long session now and then.
- Stop if anything hurts. Mild tiredness in the tongue is normal at first; pain, or jaw clicking, is not.
- Singing counts. Small studies found that daily singing practice, which exercises the same muscles, also reduced snoring.
Exercises, a device, or both?
Exercises are free and slow; devices cost money and often work from the first night. They aren't either-or. Many people start the exercises and use a device, matched to their snoring type, while the muscles build up.
Sources
Ieto V, et al. Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on snoring: a randomized trial. Chest, 2015.
Camacho M, et al. Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2018.
This page is general information, not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.