Snoring and sleep apnea have been linked to obesity, and losing weight often helps reduce snoring. But what if your snoring isn’t caused by being overweight, but by having a large tongue? Believe it or not, researchers say it’s a possibility.
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According to an MRI study from the University of Pennsylvania, fat tongues are a common culprit when it comes to snoring. Co-author of the study, Richard Schwab, explained, “Most clinicians, and even experts in the sleep apnea world, have not typically focused on fat in the tongue for treating sleep apnea. Now that we know tongue fat is a risk factor and that sleep apnea improves when tongue fat is reduced, we have established a unique therapeutic target that we’ve never had before.”
That therapeutic target he’s referring to? It’s putting your tongue on a diet.
“Future studies could be designed to explore whether certain low-fat diets are better than others in reducing tongue fat, and whether cold therapies, like those used to reduce stomach fat, might be applied to reducing tongue fat,” he explained.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, an estimated 90 million American adults, of all ages and genders, snore. In 37 million of these people, it occurs regularly and is a typical part of their sleeping routine. But snoring is no laughing matter, and there is more to it than just "noisy breathing" while sleeping. Not only can it worsen as you age, but it also leads to fragmented and restless sleep — not just for you, but your bed partner as well.
One of the most common beliefs about snoring is that it's caused by sleeping on your back. This is somewhat true, as a study found that 54% of snorers develop it due to their sleeping position. These people are called "positional snorers," meaning they only snore when they lie on their backs.
However, this is not the only trigger, as there are other underlying factors that may lead to this condition — including, apparently, a fat tongue. Certain lifestyle adjustments can help you manage your snoring. For more restful, quiet nights, try some of the remedies listed here.