Mouth and Throat Exercises for Snoring: What the Research Shows

Person pouring water from a carafe into a glass

Exercises for the tongue, soft palate and throat have a small but real body of research behind them for snoring. Gadgets such as the Dream Sipper try to make those exercises easier. Here is what is known, and what is not.

What Are Myofunctional Exercises?

Myofunctional therapy is a set of mouth and throat exercises. They involve muscles used in speaking, breathing, chewing and swallowing. The aim is to strengthen the airway muscles so they collapse less at night.

What the Studies Found

A systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that myofunctional therapy reduced snoring in adults, measured by questionnaires and by sleep studies. A randomized trial in the journal CHEST studied oropharyngeal exercises for snoring too.

For sleep apnea, a Cochrane review included nine trials and 347 people. It found moderate-certainty evidence of less daytime sleepiness compared with sham therapy, but very low certainty on snoring frequency.

Where the Dream Sipper Fits

The Dream Sipper is a silicone straw with a tongue bulb, made to guide the exercises. We found no controlled trial of the device. It showed as unavailable on the maker’s page in October 2026.

Dream Sipper silicone straw with the tongue bulb at the end
We found no controlled trial of the device itself. (Photo Credit: SleepPro International)

If you want to try the exercises, you can practice without any gadget. A speech therapist or dentist trained in this therapy can show you how.

When Exercises Are Not Enough

Results take weeks to months and are not guaranteed. If you need faster relief, anti-snoring mouthpieces work from the first night. For sleep apnea, see our guide to CPAP alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

They can reduce it in some adults, according to a meta-analysis, but results take weeks to months.

No. The exercises can be learned without a gadget, ideally with a trained therapist.

We found no controlled trial of the device itself.

The evidence is weaker. A Cochrane review found low to very low certainty for most outcomes.


More On the Topic