According to the mayo clinic sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which occurs when the throat muscles relax.  According to the national sleep foundation, sleep apnea affects more than 18 million Americans and most are completely unaware that they have it. When left untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, memory problems, impotence, type two diabetes, obesity, anxiety and even stroke or congestive heart failure.

 

 

Myofunctional therapy can help with obstructive sleep apnea by working with the muscles of the oropharyngeal complex. In 2015, a meta-analysis of CPAP compared to my functional therapy concluded: “current literature demonstrates that myofunctional therapy decreases apnea – hypopnea index by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children. Lowest oxygen saturations, snoring, and sleepiness outcomes improve in adults. Muscle weakness contributes to sleep apnea. Strengthening those muscles through myofunctional therapy helps improve breathing, sleeping, snoring, etc…”   

 

Myofunctional therapy may help with sleep apnea, however, depending on the severity, CPAP or other devices may still be needed.