This is a nasty habit that affects millions of people every night.
But now, a doctor has shared five exercises that could be life-changing solutions for the estimated 30 million British and 90 million Americans who snore.
Simple “workouts” range from sticking out your tongue to wiggling it side to side and pressing it against your palate.
Dr. Karan Raj, an NHS surgeon with over 5 million followers on TikTok, shared some tips on how to stop snoring.
stick out tongue for 5 seconds
Dr. Raj recommends snorers to repeat this relatively simple exercise three to four times to relieve symptoms.
In a TikTok video that has over 400,000 views, he said:
I then demonstrated this by holding a spoon to my mouth and pushing it with my tongue.
Push your tongue out as far as possible without straining your tongue. The purpose is to make the muscles flexible in order to improve strength.
Count to five seconds in your head, then bring your tongue back into your mouth and relax for another five seconds.
Dr. Raj says this exercise, and the others he recommends, are “essentially resistance training for the tongue and throat muscles so that they don’t flutter or collapse when you’re asleep. It’s meant to be done.”
“Ultimately, stronger muscles in your throat and tongue can help you wake up feeling refreshed and stop your partner from giving you a sleep divorce.
move the tongue left and right
The social media star advised those with the problem to try moving their tongue from side to side in their mouths.
In the same way that regular gym visits can help tone your legs, this exercise can help tone the muscles around your airways, making your snoring less frequent and loud.
In theory, he claims, the more regularly you do these exercises, the less likely you are to snore.
These oral exercises are also called “myofunctional therapy” or “oropharyngeal exercises”.
Place finger on cheek and press with tongue
At the 57-second clip, NHS surgeons recommend placing a finger on the outside of the cheek and pressing the tongue through the cheek against the finger.
He recommends doing this exercise 3-4 times on each side.
Dr. Raj pointed to his neck and said, “You should feel a slight tension on the other side of your cheek that you are pressing against.”
Try to swallow by pressing your tongue against your front teeth
Dr. Raj gave a pearly white smile and gritted his teeth as he demonstrated and continued with his fourth piece of advice.
He said: “If you want to stretch your throat muscles further, look up while doing so.
A lecturer at the University of Sunderland recommended doing this exercise 3-4 times.
Hang your tongue down and hold for 5 seconds
Dr. Raj recommends holding your tongue down for 5 seconds.
He explained that people exercising in front of a mirror should watch their uvula rise.
“This move strengthens the muscles in the back of your throat,” says Raj.
Other medical professionals also use social media platforms to offer advice to help snorers.
Dr. Pedi Mildamadi, a registered holistic nutritionist and physician in Naturopathic Medicine, explained that sucking with your tongue against your upper jaw can help with snoring.
In a video with over 400,000 views, he said: This exercise strengthens the tongue muscles and can help reduce snoring.
