Snoring and Sleep Apnea¶

Snoring and mouth breathing are common issues that many people consider normal — but they are often signs of underlying dysfunction in the way we breathe and use our facial muscles.

In myofunctional therapy, we address these issues at their root.

*Current literature states that Myofunctional Therapy can reduce apnea hypopnea index (AHI) scores for sleep apnea by 50% in adults and 62% in children.

What Causes Snoring?¶

Snoring typically occurs when airflow is partially blocked in the upper airway during sleep. This can happen due to:

• Poor tongue posture (e.g., tongue falling back into the throat)
• Weak airway muscles
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Nasal congestion or structural blockages
• Mouth breathing during sleep

While snoring may seem like just a nuisance, it can be a sign of sleep-disordered breathing, including conditions like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

What Is Sleep Apnea?¶

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. One of the most common forms is Obstructive SLeep Apnea (OSA)— and it often goes undiagnosed.

In OSA, the airway becomes physically blocked during sleep, preventing airflow. These pauses in breathing can last for seconds or even longer, and they may occur dozens or hundreds of times per night disrupting both oxygen intake and sleep quality. OSA can prevent the body from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep, including REM. Over time, this lack of quality sleep may contribute to daytime drowsiness, ongoing fatigue, difficulty with short-term memory, mood changes, and even early cognitive decline. In children, disrupted breathing during sleep is sometimes mistaken for behavioral or attention issues and can be misdiagnosed as ADHD. Additionally sleep apnea has been shown to cause high blood pressure, an increased risk for heart disease, heart attacks, arrhythmias, stroke, diabetes among other chronic health conditions.

The Role of the Tongue in Airway Obstruction¶

One major contributor to airway blockage during sleep is the tongue falling back into the throat.

When we lie down and the muscles relax during sleep, a low or improperly positioned tongue can collapse backward. This is especially likely when someone:

• Breathes through the mouth
• Has weak orofacial muscles
• Sleeps on their back
• Has a tongue tie or restricted oral function

When the tongue falls back, it can partially or completely block the airway, triggering the brain to respond urgently.

Clenching, Grinding, and Airway Protection¶

The body has built-in reflexes to try and reopen the airway during a blockage. One of those responses is clenching or grinding the teeth (bruxism). This isn’t just a dental issue — it’s often a protective response. By tightening the jaw and activating the surrounding muscles, the body is trying to create space in the airway by moving the tongue forward and out of the airway, in order to resume normal breathing.

This cycle can happen repeatedly through the night:

1. Tongue falls back → airway narrows or closes
2. Breathing stops (apnea)
3. Brain senses oxygen drop → triggers micro-arousal
4. Jaw clenches or grinds → moves tongue forward
5. Airway reopens → breathing resumes briefly
6. The cycle repeats

Over time, this can lead to poor sleep, fatigue, headaches, TMJ problems, and increased cardiovascular risk.

Myofunctional Therapy Can Help¶

By training proper tongue posture, nasal breathing, and muscle tone, myofunctional therapy helps prevent the tongue from collapsing into the airway during sleep. This can reduce or eliminate the need for clenching, grinding, and apnea events — leading to deeper, more restorative sleep.

Therapy is often used alongside other treatments — such as orthodontics, ENT care, or sleep medicine — for the best results.