Lip muscle training improves obstructive sleep apnea and objective sleep: a case report

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Respiratory Physiology
• Neuromuscular Training

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring significantly impact sleep quality and daytime functioning.
• Current treatments for snoring and sleep apnea include positive airway pressure devices and surgery.
• Non-invasive interventions for upper airway dysfunction are actively being researched.

Observation:

• A single patient presenting with heavy snoring, daytime sleepiness, and dry mouth was enrolled in a lip muscle training program.
• The training focused on enhancing lip closure force and promoting proper tongue posture.
• Pre- and post-intervention polysomnography and oropharyngeal measurements were conducted.

Findings:

• Lip closure force (LCFmax and LCFmin) showed substantial increases of 67.3% and 152%, respectively.
• Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) decreased from 12.2 to 3.9 events/h, primarily due to a reduction in hypopneic episodes.
• Total sleep time (TST), sleep stages N3 and REM sleep increased, while wake after sleep onset (WASO), stage N1, and apnea index (AI) decreased.
• The patient transitioned from mouth to nasal breathing during sleep and ceased snoring.
• Improved LCF correlated with anterior-superior tongue movement, potentially increasing oropharyngeal space.

Implications:

• Lip muscle training may serve as a novel, non-invasive therapeutic strategy for snoring and mild-to-moderate sleep-disordered breathing.
• Enhancing lip closure and tongue posture can positively influence upper airway dynamics during sleep.
• Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to validate these preliminary findings and explore broader clinical applications.