{"id":33300,"date":"2024-09-16T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.saatva.com\/?p=33300"},"modified":"2024-09-04T14:02:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T14:02:42","slug":"mewing-for-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/mewing-for-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Mewing Help Sleep Apnea?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Several different disorders can impact sleep. One that can make it extremely challenging to get a good night\u2019s rest is sleep apnea<\/a>, “a medical disorder characterized by regular pauses in breathing while a person is asleep,\u201d says John Lowe, MD, a physician at Utah-based Restore Care Wellness Clinic<\/a> with experience in sleep medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep apnea is a fairly common sleep disorder; according to the Cleveland Clinic, it\u2019s estimated that 5%-10% of the population struggles with sleep apnea<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it can be so disruptive to sleep, most people with sleep apnea are continually on the lookout for strategies or treatments<\/a> that can help them improve their sleep apnea and get better sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those treatments that\u2019s gained some traction on social media? Mewing. Enthusiasts of this technique claim that the practice offers a host of benefits\u2014including treating the symptoms of sleep apnea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what, exactly, is mewing? And can mewing help sleep apnea? Let\u2019s take a look at everything you need to know about mewing and sleep apnea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is mewing? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we jump into answering, \u201cDoes mewing help sleep apnea?\u201d let\u2019s quickly touch on what mewing actually is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mewing technique was created by British orthodontist John Mew. It focuses on changing your tongue positioning\u2014and instead of resting your tongue at the bottom of your mouth (as most people do), holding it against the roof of your mouth and applying pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Mew, by repositioning the tongue, over time, you can actually restructure your face; the upper jaw expands and teeth push forward\u2014which he claims can change the shape and appearance of your face and jawline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The mewing technique focuses on changing your tongue positioning\u2014and instead of resting your tongue at the bottom of your mouth (as most people do), holding it against the roof of your mouth and applying pressure.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Many also claim that the jaw changes you can reportedly create through mewing can also provide added health benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to changing the shape of your face, mewing \u201chas become popular because of its purported advantages in\u2026breath control and even sleep-associated issues,\u201d says Lowe. This includes sleep apnea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can mewing help sleep apnea? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know what mewing is, let\u2019s jump into the potential benefits of mewing for sleep apnea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, if you have sleep apnea, you experience\u00a0regular pauses in breathing while you\u2019re asleep. Because mewing claims to support better breathing, some believe that it could be an effective treatment for sleep apnea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSupporters argue that by utilizing all available space within oral tissues, mewing could lead to improved breathing patterns as well as respiratory functions,\u201d says Lowe\u2014which, in turn, could help manage sleep apnea symptoms (like snoring<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is that any evidence for mewing and sleep apnea is anecdotal; while there are certainly people who’ve reported that mewing has helped manage their sleep apnea, there just isn\u2019t the science to back it up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, there really isn\u2019t any harm in trying mewing (and there could definitely be benefits!)\u2014as long as it\u2019s in tandem with other evidence-based treatments for sleep apnea, like a CPAP machine. (More on that later.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Any evidence for mewing and sleep apnea is anecdotal; while there are certainly people who’ve reported that mewing has helped manage their sleep apnea, there just isn\u2019t the science to back it up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Other potential benefits of mewing <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to sleep apnea, mewing devotees claim that the practice can help treat a wide variety of aesthetic and health-related issues, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n