Yoga for snoring: throat, tongue and breathing exercises, and when to see a doctor

Your snoring and sleep apnea yoga plan

Cobra PoseBhujangasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Fish PoseMatsyasana IntermediateSupine Bridge PoseSetu Bandhasana BeginnerSupine Lion PoseSimhasana BeginnerSeated Cat PoseMarjaryasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Cow PoseBitilasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Easy PoseSukhasana BeginnerSeated

More poses that help with snoring and sleep apnea

Add these once the session above feels easy, or swap one in when a pose does not suit you.

Camel PoseUstrasana IntermediateBackbends and hip openers Locust PoseSalabhasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Mountain PoseTadasana BeginnerStanding Reclining Bound Angle PoseSupta Baddha Konasana BeginnerSupine

Traditional practice: Used in classical yoga therapy; few clinical trials so far.

Yoga for snoring works on the parts of the body that make the noise: the throat, tongue and soft palate, plus the way you breathe. Snoring happens when relaxed tissues in the throat vibrate as air passes during sleep. Throat and tongue exercises, humming breath and Lion pose may tone these muscles, and chest-opening poses may improve posture and breathing. This page gives you a nightly routine, shows the evidence honestly, and explains when snoring is a sign of sleep apnea, which needs a doctor.

Snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep. See a doctor if you snore loudly and someone has noticed pauses in your breathing, gasping or choking, or if you wake with headaches or feel very sleepy in the day. OSA needs a sleep study for diagnosis and proper treatment, most often a CPAP machine. Untreated, it raises the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Yoga and breathing exercises can only support that treatment, never replace it.

Does yoga help snoring?

The evidence for yoga itself is traditional: there are no good trials of a yoga routine for snoring. But part of it overlaps with something that has been studied. Myofunctional therapy, also called oropharyngeal exercises for snoring, is a set of daily tongue, soft palate and throat exercises. A 2015 meta-analysis of these exercises found that they reduced the apnoea–hypopnoea index (the number of breathing pauses per hour) by about half in adults with OSA, and reduced snoring measured in sleep labs. Lion pose, humming and Ujjayi breathing work some of the same muscles, although they are not the same programme.

So are there exercises to improve snoring? Yes, throat and tongue exercises are the best-supported option. Yoga poses add posture, relaxation and breath control around them.

Yoga and sleep apnea: what yoga can and cannot do

Can yoga help sleep apnea? It may help a little alongside medical care, through throat exercises, better sleep habits, weight management and stress relief. Does yoga help with sleep apnea on its own? No. There is no evidence that yoga can cure sleep apnea, and relying on yoga alone is unsafe if you have moderate or severe OSA. Use yoga therapy for sleep apnea only as an add-on: keep using your CPAP or mouth device every night, and ask your sleep doctor whether mouth and throat exercises suit you.

Yoga poses for snoring: the routine

These are the poses in the guided session on this page. The whole routine takes about 15 minutes; do it in the evening, an hour or so before bed.

1. Easy pose with a tall spine

Easy pose (Sukhasana): sit cross-legged or on a chair. Lengthen the back of the neck and let the jaw soften. Breathe through your nose; nose breathing is a helpful habit because mouth breathing at night is linked to snoring.

2. Lion pose, the key throat exercise

Lion pose (Simhasana): kneel or sit, hands on knees. Breathe in through the nose, then open the mouth wide, stretch the tongue out and down toward the chin, and breathe out with a strong "haaa" sound. It stretches and tones the tongue, jaw and throat muscles, which is why it is often called face yoga for snoring. Repeat 5 times.

3. Cat and cow

Cat pose (Marjaryasana) and cow pose (Bitilasana): move the spine with the breath 6–8 times. It loosens the neck and upper back and gets the breath moving.

4. Cobra pose

Cobra pose (Bhujangasana): lie on your front and lift the chest with the hands under the shoulders. It opens the chest and front of the throat. Keep the lift low if your back is sensitive.

5. Bridge pose

Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana): lift the hips and hold for 3–5 slow nose breaths. It opens the chest and counters a slumped, head-forward posture.

6. Fish pose

Fish pose (Matsyasana): lie on your back and lift the chest on your forearms, letting the head tilt back only as far as the neck is comfortable, or rest it on a block. It stretches the front of the throat. Skip it with neck problems.

Breathing yoga for snoring

These are the main yoga breathing exercises for sleep apnea support and snoring:

• Ujjayi (ocean breath): a slight narrowing at the back of the throat makes a soft sound as you breathe. It gently works the throat muscles and slows the breath. 3–5 minutes.
• Bhramari (humming bee breath): hum on a long out-breath. The vibration engages the soft palate. 7–10 rounds.
• Udgeeth (Om chanting): chant a long "Ooo" then "Mmm". Singing-like exercises work the soft palate, and chanting also calms you before sleep.

Avoid long breath holds if you have OSA or high blood pressure. The breathing timer can pace these for you.

Throat and tongue exercises for snoring

These simple exercises follow the ideas of myofunctional therapy. Do them daily for 5–10 minutes; studies of this kind of therapy ran for about three months.

1. Tongue push: press the whole tongue flat against the roof of the mouth and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
2. Tongue slide: place the tip of the tongue behind the top front teeth and slide it back along the roof of the mouth. Repeat 10 times.
3. Soft palate lift: say "ah" loudly and hold, feeling the back of the throat lift. Repeat 10 times.
4. Tongue down: push the back of the tongue down while the tip touches the lower front teeth. Repeat 10 times.
5. Cheek hook: hook a clean finger inside one cheek and pull it gently outward while the cheek muscles pull back in. 10 times each side.

These tongue exercises to stop snoring suit men and women alike. You may read about "myofascial" exercises for snoring; the term used in research is myofunctional.

How to avoid snoring while sleeping: habits that matter

• Sleep on your side, not your back. A pillow behind your back can help you stay there.
• Lose extra weight, especially around the neck; it is one of the most effective remedies for snoring. See yoga for weight loss.
• Avoid alcohol before bed and sleeping pills not prescribed to you, as both relax the throat.
• Stop smoking, and treat a blocked nose; see yoga for sinusitis and allergies.
• Keep regular sleep times. Our yoga for good sleep plan helps you wind down.

How to reduce snoring in men and snoring remedies for women are the same, although snoring often increases in women after menopause and in pregnancy. Does exercise help with snoring? Regular exercise helps weight and sleep quality, so it can help indirectly. No exercise will stop snoring permanently for everyone, and snoring that returns or worsens deserves a check-up.

Start the guided snoring session

The 3D teacher shows every pose, including Lion pose, from any angle, with voice guidance in 28 languages. Do the session in the evening, add the tongue exercises, and start the guided session.

Research behind this plan

1. Camacho 2015, SLEEP: meta-analysis of myofunctional (mouth and throat) therapy; apnoea–hypopnoea index fell by about 50% in adults and lab-measured snoring decreased
2. NHS, Sleep apnoea. Symptoms, diagnosis in a sleep clinic, CPAP as main treatment, lifestyle changes and risks if untreated

Medical note: yoga supports treatment; it does not replace it. Keep taking prescribed medicine and talk to your doctor before you start, especially with heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, recent surgery, pregnancy, epilepsy or severe pain. Read our medical disclaimer.