A Unique Approach
The new study is unique in that it focused on people with obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA – a condition which causes snoring – instead of relying on self-reporting to determine how much a study participant snores.
“Past studies have focused on self-reporting questionnaires. New forms of treatment for snoring focusing on objective measures were needed,” said Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, one of the study’s authors, in a press release(4).
“We tested the effectiveness of oropharyngeal exercises to reduce snoring… the exercises significantly reduced snoring in our study group.”
The Exercises
Some of the exercises explored by the study included:
1. Pressing the tongue up against the roof of the mouth and holding it there.
2. Pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, then pulling the tip of the tongue towards the back of the mouth.
3. Holding the back of the tongue against the roof of the mouth while pressing the tip of the tongue against the front bottom teeth.
4. Lifting the back of the roof of the mouth and soft palate while saying “Ah”.
The study is already changing the way some healthcare practitioners advise patients who snore.
“This study demonstrates a promising, noninvasive treatment for large populations suffering from snoring… that are largely omitted from research and treatment,” said Barbara Phillips, medical director of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Sleep Laboratory.
“Frankly, this will change the advice that I give to my patients who snore.”