Does mewing help snoring?
Mewing - resting your tongue against the roof of your mouth - is everywhere right now, and the instinct behind it is sound: tongue posture and nasal breathing really are tied to a more open airway. But there is no trial showing mewing stops snoring, and a posture you forget by mid-morning is not the same as the structured airway training the research is actually built on. Here is the honest version.
Quick answer
Mewing has a plausible idea but no direct evidence for snoring. Resting your tongue high and breathing through your nose is genuinely associated with a more open airway, so the instinct is reasonable. No study, however, has tested whether mewing itself reduces snoring or changes airway size.
The version of “tongue posture” that has been studied is myofunctional therapy - guided, progressive exercises rather than a static pose. A 2015 meta-analysis found that program cut the apnea-hypopnea index by roughly half in adults and reduced snoring. If you want a real result, train the muscles; mewing is a fine daytime habit on top of that, not a substitute for it.
What mewing actually is
Resting the tongue on the palate
Mewing is the practice of holding the whole tongue - not just the tip - flat against the roof of the mouth, with lips together and teeth lightly touching or just apart.
Nasal breathing by default
Because the tongue seals the roof of the mouth, mewing pushes you toward breathing through your nose during the day, which is the breathing pattern linked to a more open airway.
A posture, not an exercise
Mewing is a static resting position you try to hold all day. It is not a timed, progressive workout for the airway muscles - and that distinction is the whole story for snoring.
Why tongue posture matters for the airway
Snoring is the sound of relaxed tissue vibrating as air squeezes past a narrowed airway. The tongue is a big part of that airway: when it rests low and falls back during sleep, it crowds the space behind it. Research on mouth breathing finds that low resting tongue posture reduces the pull on the muscles that hold the throat open, and is linked to a more collapsible airway.
Keeping the tongue up and breathing through the nose nudges things the other way. So the premise behind mewing is not nonsense - it is the same premise behind airway training. The disagreement is only about method: a posture you try to remember, versus a routine that actually loads and strengthens those muscles.
What the evidence does and doesn't show
On mewing specifically: no clinical trial has tested it for snoring, airway size, or sleep apnea. Orthodontic bodies, including the American Association of Orthodontists, caution that mewing is not supported by sound clinical evidence, and that forcing the tongue against the teeth can shift them over time.
On structured airway exercises: the evidence is real. A 2015 meta-analysis of myofunctional therapy reported about a 50% reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index in adults, alongside less snoring and daytime sleepiness. Separate randomized trials found oropharyngeal exercises reduced snoring (Ieto 2015) and improved moderate sleep apnea (Guimaraes 2009). Same muscles, but a trained routine instead of a held pose.
Where mewing fits - and where it doesn't
A reasonable habit
Daytime mouth-breathers
Keeping the tongue up and the lips sealed encourages nasal breathing, and better resting tongue posture is associated with a less collapsible airway. As a free daytime habit, it is low-risk and points in the right direction.
Unproven on its own
People expecting it to stop snoring
No clinical trial has tested whether mewing reduces snoring or changes airway size. The plausible mechanism overlaps with myofunctional therapy, but holding a posture is not the same as the structured, progressive training that the research actually measured.
Not a treatment
Moderate-to-severe sleep apnea
Mewing is not a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, and forcing the tongue into an unnatural position can shift teeth. If you have gasping, choking, or witnessed breathing pauses, see a clinician rather than relying on tongue posture.
Turn the idea into something that works
If mewing got you here, you already believe the right thing: the tongue and throat muscles shape your airway. The next step is to train them the way the studies did - short, specific, progressive exercises done daily, not a posture you hope to hold.
Airway Trainer turns the oropharyngeal-exercise research into a guided five-minute daily routine for the tongue, soft palate, and throat. It is the structured version of what mewing gestures at - with the repetition, progression, and consistency the studies relied on.
Where to start:
When to see a doctor first
Tongue posture is a habit, not a diagnosis. If your snoring is loud and persistent, rule out obstructive sleep apnea before relying on any habit or exercise. See a clinician if you have:
- Gasping, choking, or witnessed pauses in breathing
- Loud snoring most nights with daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches or high blood pressure
- Jaw pain or a bite that feels like it is changing
Airway exercises and good tongue posture can support healthier breathing, but they do not diagnose or treat sleep apnea. When in doubt, get a sleep evaluation.
Sources
- Camacho M, et al. Sleep. 2015;38(5):669-675 (systematic review & meta-analysis).
Meta-analysis: myofunctional therapy reduced the apnea-hypopnea index by ~50% in adults and improved snoring and daytime sleepiness. - Ieto V, et al. Chest. 2015 Sep;148(3):683-691 (randomized trial).
Randomized trial: oropharyngeal exercises reduced snoring frequency and snoring power. - Guimaraes KC, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 15;179(10):962-968 (randomized trial).
Randomized trial: upper-airway (oropharyngeal) exercises improved moderate obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. - Mouth breathing, tongue posture & sleep-disordered breathing. PMC, 2024.
Research on mouth breathing: low resting tongue posture reduces stimulation of the airway-dilating muscles and is associated with greater upper-airway collapsibility. - Sleep Foundation. Mouth exercises to stop snoring (evidence review).
Review: tongue, mouth, and throat exercises aim to firm the muscles that keep the airway open and may reduce snoring for some people. - BBC Science Focus. Can mewing really improve your jawline and sleep? (expert review).
Reporting: orthodontic bodies caution that mewing is not supported by sound clinical evidence and no trials have tested it on the airway.
Mewing and snoring: FAQs
Does mewing actually help with snoring?
There is no direct evidence that mewing stops snoring. No clinical trial has tested mewing on snoring or airway size. The idea has a kernel of truth - resting your tongue high and breathing through your nose is associated with a more open airway - but holding a posture is not the same as the structured tongue and throat exercises (myofunctional therapy) that randomized trials have shown can reduce snoring. Mewing is a reasonable daytime habit, not a proven snoring fix.
What is the difference between mewing and myofunctional therapy?
Mewing is a single resting posture: tongue flat on the palate, lips sealed, held throughout the day. Myofunctional therapy is a guided program of timed, progressive exercises for the tongue, soft palate, cheeks, and throat. The therapy is the version that has been studied - a 2015 meta-analysis found it cut the apnea-hypopnea index by about half in adults and reduced snoring. Mewing borrows the same "tongue posture matters" idea but without the structured training the evidence is built on.
Can mewing fix my airway or jaw as an adult?
It is unlikely to remodel adult bone. Facial bones are most adaptable during childhood, and the American Association of Orthodontists has cautioned that there is no clinical evidence mewing changes facial structure in adults. What you can change at any age is muscle tone and breathing habits, which is why guided airway exercises - not posture alone - are the evidence-backed route for snoring.
Is mewing safe?
Gentle tongue-to-palate resting and nasal breathing are low-risk for most people. The caution from orthodontists is about forcing the tongue hard or unevenly against the teeth, which can shift tooth position over time. Keep it light and natural. If you have jaw pain, a bite problem, or breathing trouble, check with a dentist or clinician before making it a habit.
If mewing is not enough, what does work for snoring?
For snoring that comes from the throat, soft palate, or tongue base, the intervention with the best evidence is targeted airway training. In randomized trials, oropharyngeal exercises reduced snoring frequency and intensity (Ieto 2015) and improved sleep apnea (Guimaraes 2009). Airway Trainer turns that research into a short guided daily routine, so you train the muscles progressively instead of hoping a static posture is enough.
How long would I need to do airway exercises to notice a change?
Think in weeks, not nights. The studied programs of myofunctional and oropharyngeal exercises typically run for two to three months of near-daily practice, because muscle tone changes gradually with consistent repetition. That is the same reason a posture you forget by mid-morning is unlikely to do much on its own.
Train the airway, don't just pose it
Airway Trainer is a 5-minute daily routine that strengthens the tongue, soft palate, and throat - the structured version of the idea behind mewing, built on the same oropharyngeal-exercise research cited above.
Keep reading: Airway training for snoring · Soft palate exercises · Mouth exercises for snoring · Mouth breathing statistics · Do anti-snoring devices work?