What Causes Snoring & Can Speech Therapy Help?

If you or someone in your family snores every night, you’re not alone. Snoring affects millions of children and adults and is often just brushed off as an annoying nighttime habit. An estimated 45 percent of adults snore occasionally, and 25 percent snore regularly. While it can be normal to occasionally snore because of allergies, illness, or sleeping in an awkward position, regular snoring can also be a sign of something more serious. 

What many people do not realize is that muscles of the mouth, tongue, and throat play an important role in keeping your airway open while you sleep. We are often asked, “Can a speech therapist help with snoring?” and in many cases, the answer is YES!. 

Speech-language pathologists who are specially trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) can help people strengthen and retrain the muscles that are involved in breathing, swallowing, tongue posture, and airway support. 

At Great Speech, our myofunctional therapists work with both children and adults to develop healthier breathing and oral muscle patterns that can contribute to quieter nights and better sleep. Schedule your free introductory call to get started.

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring occurs when airflow is partially blocked while you are sleeping. As air passes through a narrowed airway, the surrounding soft tissues vibrate, which creates the sound that we recognize as snoring. 

There are many factors that are known to contribute to this narrowing. Some of them include:

• Sleeping on your back
• Nasal congestion due to allergies or illness
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Excess body weight
• Alcohol before bedtime
• Aging as it naturally decreases muscle tone
• Chronic mouth breathing
• Poor tongue posture
• Weak tongue, lips, jaw, and throat muscles

Snoring often seems like a throat issue; however, poor muscle function throughout the mouth and face can also play a big role. 

Can a Speech Therapist Help with Snoring? 

We are commonly asked whether or not a speech therapist can help with snoring, and the answer for many people is yes. When snoring is related to weak oral muscles, mouth breathing, or poor tongue posture, speech therapy can be an effective part of treatment for snoring. 

Great Speech therapists who specialize in orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) evaluate how the muscles of the face, tongue, lips, and jaw are functioning. They then create personalized exercises that can help improve muscle strength, coordination, and healthy breathing habits. 

Speech therapy is not intended to replace medical treatment for conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. Instead, it can complement the care that is provided by physicians, ENT specialists, dentists, orthodontists, and sleep medicine providers. 

What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

OMT is a specialized form of therapy that is designed to improve the function of the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue, and throat. Speech-language pathologists who provide OMT complete advanced training to assess and treat orofacial myofunctional disorders. Instead of focusing on speech alone, therapy addresses how the oral muscles function during everyday activities such as breathing, swallowing, chewing, speaking, resting tongue posture, and lip closure. The goal of OMT is to establish healthy muscle patterns for all day, including when at rest. 

How Does Speech Therapy for Snoring Work? 

Speech therapy for snoring focuses on improving the strength and coordination of the muscles that help keep the upper airway open during sleep. 

Speech therapy for snoring often includes exercises to improve:

Tongue Resting Position

• The tongue should ideally rest gently against the roof of the mouth, and when it rests low in the mouth instead, it can fall backward during sleep, which can contribute to narrowing of the airway. 

Nasal Breathing

• One of the major goals of orofacial myofunctional therapy is encouraging healthy nasal breathing whenever medically appropriate, as nasal breathing filters, humidifies, and warms the air while helping to support proper posture of the tongue. 

Lip Strength

• People who sleep with their mouths open are often habitual mouth breathers. Therapy helps to strengthen the lips so that they remain comfortably closed during rest. 

Airway Muscle Tone

• Exercises target the tongue, cheeks, soft palate, and throat muscles to improve the individual's ability to support the airway throughout the night. 

Healthy Swallowing Patterns

• Correct swallowing mechanics reinforce proper tongue posture as well as balanced muscle function over time. 

Can Children Benefit from Speech Therapy For Snoring? 

The short answer is yes. Children may snore because of enlarged tonsils, allergies, chronic mouth breathing, or poor oral muscle function. When oral muscle weakness contributes to the problem, speech therapy for snoring may become part of a child’s overall treatment plan alongside pediatricians, ENT physicians, dentists, or orthodontists. 

Helping kids establish healthy breathing habits early on may also support normal facial growth, oral development, and long-term airway health. Parents should always discuss persistent snoring with their child’s pediatrician, especially if it occurs several nights each week, or is accompanied by restless sleep, daytime fatigue, behavioral concerns, or pauses in breathing. 

Is Speech Therapy for Snoring Right for You or Your Loved One?

If you or your loved one frequently snore, breathe through your mouth, wake up with a dry mouth, or have problems maintaining nasal breathing, you may benefit from an evaluation. Many people are surprised to find out that improving the way that their oral muscles function can have a positive influence on their breathing during sleep.

Better Sleep Starts with Better Breathing

Snoring isn't always something that you simply have to get used to and live with. For some children and adults, improving the function of the muscles that support the airway can make a big difference. 

At Great Speech, our speech therapists provide speech therapy for snoring using evidence-based orofacial myofunctional therapy techniques that help improve tongue posture, encourage healthy nasal breathing, strengthen oral muscles, and establish healthier lifelong breathing habits. 

Are you interested but wondering about insurance coverage? Our speech therapy services are covered by most major insurance providers nationwide, with plans accepted from Cigna, Aetna, HealthNet, TriCare / TriWest / Humana Military, United Healthcare, Curative, Centivo, and many more! Check out our insurance page to find out if you’re covered, then Book an Appointment to get started!