Over a billion people worldwide have sleep apnea, and many don’t know that simple airway exercises can genuinely help as part of managing it. Sleep apnea happens when the airway narrows and the muscles at the back of the throat become too relaxed, allowing the airway to collapse during sleep and interrupt breathing. (Based on the insights of Dr. Eric Berg)
Key Takeaways
- Weight loss only meaningfully helps sleep apnea in about a third of cases — many people with a healthy weight also have it, which is why direct throat muscle training is a legitimate complementary approach.
- Three exercises — tongue root press, palate lift, and cheek suction — target the roughly 20 muscles supporting the airway, taking about 7 minutes daily.
- Nasal breathing creates airflow resistance that supports better oxygen/CO2 balance, even though it can initially feel like less air is getting through.
- Get your vitamin D level tested before supplementing — sustained intake above 4,000 IU/day (the standard upper limit) should involve blood monitoring, not blanket high-dose supplementation.
- These exercises complement, but shouldn’t replace, prescribed CPAP or other treatment for diagnosed sleep apnea without your sleep physician’s guidance.
Why This Happens
The airway in your throat is supported by roughly 20 different muscles. When these muscles lose tone, they can become lax, increase in volume, and obstruct the airway — a problem made worse when sleeping on your back, since gravity pulls the tongue backward into the airway. Weight loss is commonly recommended for sleep apnea, but it’s estimated to meaningfully help in only about a third of cases, since plenty of people with a healthy body weight also have sleep apnea. This is why directly training the strength and tone of these throat muscles, sometimes called myofunctional therapy, is a legitimate, evidence-supported approach worth knowing about.
A Quick Self-Check
Look in a mirror, open wide, and say “ah” to see how much space you actually have in the back of your throat. Also check where your tongue rests — if it sits flat on the floor of your mouth rather than up against the roof, that can be part of the problem, especially for people who tend to breathe through their mouth.
Exercise #1: Tongue Root Press
Place the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth, then flatten and press the rest of your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth, from tip to the very back, creating a suction-like seal. Hold this pressure for 5 seconds, relax for 2 seconds, and repeat 15 times. You can place a thumb under your chin to feel the muscle activating. This is considered the most important of the three exercises, since a poorly toned tongue base is a major contributor to airway obstruction during sleep.
Exercise #2: Palate Lift
Open your mouth wide in front of a mirror so you can see your uvula (the small structure hanging at the back of your throat). Without making any sound, actively lift the soft palate upward, similar to stifling a yawn or preparing to sing a high note, then let it back down. Hold the lift at the top for about 3 seconds, and repeat 20 times. This exercise is particularly useful for reducing snoring, since the vibration of a poorly toned soft palate is often what produces that sound.
Exercise #3: Cheek Suction and Hold
Make a “fish face” by inhaling slowly through your nose while sucking your cheeks in tightly between your teeth, and hold for about 5 seconds. Then immediately reverse it, blowing your cheeks outward as far as they’ll go while keeping your lips sealed. Repeat this cycle 5 times.
Putting the Routine Together
These three exercises together take about 7 minutes and are done once daily. Give it at least two months of consistent practice, though many people notice some improvement within the first week. Improvement builds gradually as the muscles genuinely gain tone over time.
Nasal Breathing Matters Too
Training yourself to breathe through your nose, especially at night, is worth building into your routine alongside these exercises — some people use mouth tape to help establish the habit. Nasal breathing creates a degree of airflow resistance that isn’t present with mouth breathing, and this resistance appears to help the body maintain a better balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, supporting more effective oxygen use overall. It can feel initially like you’re getting less air through your nose, but this doesn’t mean you’re actually getting less oxygen — the sensation and the reality aren’t the same thing here.
Two Other Factors Worth Addressing
Alcohol relaxes the nerves controlling the throat muscles, which is part of why people who drink, particularly before bed, tend to snore more and have more sleep apnea-related problems. A notably high proportion of people with sleep apnea also have low vitamin D, and there’s a plausible connection to muscle function and inflammation levels, though the exact mechanisms are still being worked out. If you want to address this, getting your vitamin D level tested first is the most reliable way to know whether — and how much — supplementation might help you specifically, since sustained intake above the standard tolerable upper limit (4,000 IU per day for general use, per the NIH) should involve blood monitoring given the real risk of excess calcium buildup over time. If supplementing under medical guidance, pairing vitamin D with vitamin K2 and magnesium is commonly recommended, since these nutrients work together in calcium regulation.
An Important Note on CPAP
These exercises are a genuine, evidence-supported complementary approach — but sleep apnea, particularly moderate-to-severe cases, is a real medical condition associated with meaningful cardiovascular and other health risks when left untreated. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed CPAP or another treatment, these exercises are best used alongside that treatment, not as a reason to stop it, unless your sleep physician has specifically guided you to do so based on your own testing and follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can these exercises replace my CPAP machine?
Not on their own. Sleep apnea, especially moderate-to-severe cases, carries real cardiovascular risk if untreated. These exercises are best used alongside prescribed treatment, not as a replacement, unless your sleep physician specifically guides you to change your treatment based on follow-up testing.
If I’m not overweight, can I still have sleep apnea?
Yes — weight loss only meaningfully resolves sleep apnea in an estimated third of cases. Throat muscle tone and anatomy play a significant role independent of body weight.
How much vitamin D should I take for sleep apnea?
Get your level tested first rather than taking a large fixed dose blindly. Sustained intake above 4,000 IU/day (the standard tolerable upper limit) should involve blood monitoring with your doctor, given the real risk of excess calcium buildup over time.
Why does nasal breathing feel harder even though it’s supposed to help?
Nasal breathing creates airflow resistance that mouth breathing doesn’t, which can feel like you’re getting less air. This resistance actually supports a better oxygen/CO2 balance — the sensation of restriction doesn’t mean you’re getting less oxygen.
Daily Routine Checklist (7 Minutes)
- ☐ Tongue root press: 15 reps, 5-second holds
- ☐ Palate lift: 20 reps, 3-second holds
- ☐ Cheek suction and hold: 5 cycles
- ☐ Practice nasal breathing, especially at night
- ☐ Limit alcohol, particularly before bed
- ☐ Continue prescribed CPAP or treatment unless your sleep physician says otherwise
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Sleep apnea, particularly moderate-to-severe cases, carries real health risks if left untreated. Do not stop CPAP or another prescribed treatment without your sleep physician’s guidance. Get your vitamin D level tested before supplementing, and consult your doctor before sustained intake above 4,000 IU/day.