BACKGROUND: Snoring is extremely common in the general population and may indicate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, snoring is not objectively measured during polysomnography, and no standard treatment is available for primary snoring or when snoring is associated with mild forms of OSA. This study determined the effects of oropharyngeal exercises on snoring in minimally symptomatic patients with a primary complaint of snoring and diagnosis of primary snoring or mild-to-moderate OSA. METHODS: Patients were randomized for 3 months of treatment with nasal dilator strips plus respiratory exercises (control) or daily oropharyngeal exercises (therapy). Patients were evaluated at study entry and end by sleep questionnaires (Epworth, Pittsburgh) and full polysomnography with objective measurements of snoring. RESULTS: We studied 39 patients (age 46 +/- 13 years, body mass index 28.2 +/- 3.1 kg/m2, apnea hypopnea index (AHI) 15.3 +/- 9.3 events/hour, Epworth 9.2 +/- 4.9, Pittsburgh 6.4 +/- 3.3). Control (n = 20) and therapy (n = 19) groups were similar at study entry. One patient from each group dropped out. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. No significant changes occurred in the control group. In contrast, patients randomized to therapy experienced a significant decrease in the Snore Index (snores > 36dB /h) 99.5 (49.6 to 221.3) versus 48.2 (25.5 to 219.2), p = 0.017 and Total Snore Index (total power of snore/h) 60.4 (21.8 to 220.6) versus 31.0 (10.1 to 146.5), p = 0.033. CONCLUSIONS: Oropharyngeal exercises are effective in reducing objectively measured snoring and are a possible treatment for a large population suffering from snoring. Clinical trial registered with www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01636856).

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