The soft palette at the back of your mouth and the muscles in your nose and throat relax when you're sleeping. Snoring is caused by air not flowing smoothly through your throat or nasal passages---and vibrating over relaxed tissues as you breathe in or out, says the NHS Choices. Throat exercises can help reduce the condition, but it is important to seek medical advice before starting any snoring treatment.
Chin Press
Snoring is common in people who are overweight, elderly or have respiratory conditions because the conditions often cause weak throat muscles, says the UK Health Centre. One exercise to strengthen these muscles and stop them from relaxing when you sleep is to place one finger on your chin and gently press it back and down so it's slightly tucked. You should feel the muscles in the side of your neck tense. Hold for several seconds, relax and repeat several times just before going to bed.
Sip and Swallow
This exercise enhances the range of movement in your throat muscles. Flexible throat muscles are better able to open and close to allow air to flow smoothly in and out as you breathe during sleep. Inhale through pursed lips as if you are sipping through a straw. Flatten your lips and press them together and swallow, recommends stopsnoringzzz.com. Hold this position for five seconds, relax and repeat the exercise five times a day to stretch and strengthen your throat muscles.
Sing
Singing is an effective workout for your throat muscles, according to Ways To Stop Snoring. Singing forces you to open your mouth wider and expands the throat as you inhale. To tone your throat, sing for 20 minutes everyday.
Tongue Extension
A common cause of snoring is the relaxing of your tongue and soft palette on the roof of your mouth so that they push against each other and obstruct the flow of air, according to stopsnoringzzz.com. This exercise strengthens the tongue and the muscles around the opening of your throat. Keep your tongue flat and stick it out straight, as far as you can. Slowly move it from left to right and up and down, making sure not to curl it. After moving your tongue in all directions, take a short break, then repeat the exercise three times.
