Clinical review
Reviewer: Jeremy Steinberg, GP, FRNZCGP
Date of review: March 2020
Comments: SnoreGym is an exercise app for improving snoring and sleep apnoea. People who snore or have mild to moderate sleep apnoea with associated daytime sleepiness are most likely to benefit from the use of this app. Orofacial myofunctional therapy or oropharyngeal exercises have been shown in several studies to improve snoring, sleep apnoea and secondary daytime sleepiness in both adults and children.1 The effects can be quite dramatic, and the exercises can be used in isolation or as an adjunct to other therapies such as surgery, CPAP, weight loss or mandibular advancement splints. The exercises are generally done 3 times a day for 10 minutes each time. The different studies have used various exercises but they follow a theme of targeting all the important upper airway structures (tongue, soft palate, cheeks and jaw). This app follows the exercises used in a study by Ieto et al.2 It has animations to help you correctly do the exercises and reminders and tracks your progress. Diligence over several weeks is required before a user may notice improvements.
Safety concerns: None
New Zealand relevance: Relevant to New Zealanders
References
- de Felício CM, da Silva Dias FV, Trawitzki LVV. Obstructive sleep apnea: focus on myofunctional therapy(external link). Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:271–286.
- Ieto V et al. Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on snoring: a randomised trial(external link). Chest. 2015;3:683–691
