3 Throat Exercises to Try Tonight

Exercise 1 — The Tongue Slide

Targets: the tongue and the muscles along the roof of your mouth.

1. Sit or lie comfortably with your mouth gently closed and lips relaxed.
2. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge just behind your top front teeth.
3. Slowly slide the tongue backward along the roof of your mouth, keeping light contact the whole way.
4. When it reaches as far back as is comfortable, relax and return to the start.
5. Move slowly — each full slide should take about 3 seconds.

Reps: 15 slow slides (about 1 minute).

Why it can help: a weak, low-resting tongue is a common contributor to a narrowed airway at night. Practicing this deliberate movement may help improve tongue strength and resting position.

Exercise 2 — The Roof Press & Hold

Targets: the tongue’s upward strength and the soft palate.

1. Close your lips and breathe normally through your nose.
2. Press the entire flat of your tongue firmly up against the roof of your mouth — like you are about to make a soft cluck sound, but hold instead.
3. Keep the press steady and hold for 5 seconds.
4. Release slowly and rest for 2 seconds.
5. Repeat, keeping the pressure firm but never straining.

Reps: 10 presses (about 1.5 minutes).

Why it can help: lifting and holding the tongue against the palate engages the same muscles that keep the airway open during sleep. Strengthening them can help support better muscle tone.

Exercise 3 — The Slow Vowel Sounds

Targets: the soft palate and the muscles at the back of the throat.

1. Sit upright and take a relaxed breath in through your nose.
2. On the out-breath, say a long, exaggerated Aaaa — open and steady — for about 3 seconds.
3. Rest a moment, then do the same with a long Eeee, then a long Ooooo.
4. Exaggerate the shape of each sound so you feel the back of your throat working.
5. Keep the volume low and comfortable — this is about control, not loudness.

Reps: 5 rounds of all three vowels (about 2 minutes).

Why it can help: deliberately exercising the soft palate and throat muscles is a classic myofunctional technique. Toning these areas may help reduce the tissue vibration that many people experience as snoring.

Do this tonight

• Tongue Slide — 15 slow slides (~1 min)
• Roof Press & Hold — 10 presses (~1.5 min)
• Slow Vowel Sounds — 5 rounds (~2 min)
• Do them relaxed, right before bed — no straining
• Consistency over intensity: a few minutes nightly beats one long session

Curious how your snoring stacks up?

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