Sleep Awareness Week 2026: Why Your Sleep May Be Telling You Something
Every year, the National Sleep Foundation uses Sleep Awareness Week to highlight one simple truth:
Sleep is not a luxury. It is foundational to your health.
At Oral-Facial Advantage in Ottawa, we see every day how breathing, tongue posture, and muscle balance quietly shape the quality of sleep — for both children and adults.
If you wake up tired, snore, clench your jaw, or struggle with tension headaches, your sleep may be trying to tell you something.
Why Sleep Matters More Than You Think
Deep, restorative sleep affects:
- Memory and concentration
- Mood regulation
- Hormone balance
- Immune function
- Growth and development in children
- Pain tolerance and muscle recovery
When sleep is disrupted — even subtly — the entire system works harder.
Many people assume poor sleep means stress or a busy schedule. But often, the issue begins with airflow and muscle patterns.
The Overlooked Link: Breathing and Muscle Function
Healthy sleep depends on a stable, open airway.
That airway is supported by:
- The tongue resting on the roof of the mouth
- Lips gently sealed
- Nasal breathing
- Balanced facial and neck muscle tone
When the tongue rests low or forward, or when mouth breathing becomes habitual, the airway can
narrow during sleep. The body may compensate with:
- Snoring
- Teeth grinding
- Jaw clenching
- Frequent night waking
- Restless movement
- Morning headaches
These are not random symptoms — they are often signs of instability in the airway.
In Children: Subtle Signs to Watch For
Sleep-disordered breathing in children doesn’t always look dramatic.
Instead, it may show up as:
- Open-mouth posture during the day
- Snoring
- Bedwetting beyond expected age
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Hyperactivity or difficulty focusing
- Delayed facial development
Sleep is when children grow, repair tissue, and regulate brain development. If breathing is disrupted, growth patterns can shift adversely.
In Adults: “I Sleep 8 Hours, But I’m Still Tired”
Many adults report:
- Waking unrefreshed
- Needing caffeine to function
- Jaw tension or neck pain in the morning
- Snoring or being told they stop breathing
Even mild airway restriction can fragment sleep without you realizing it.
The brain may repeatedly micro-arouse to reopen the airway. You may never remember waking — but your body does.
Where Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Fits In
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy does not replace other sleep care.
What it does is address the muscle patterns that influence airway stability.
Therapy focuses on:
- Tongue posture and mobility
- Nasal breathing retraining
- Lip seal
- Swallowing mechanics
- Muscle balance of the head, neck, and jaw
By improving these foundational patterns, many patients notice:
- Reduced snoring
- Less jaw clenching
- Improved sleep quality
- More stable head and neck posture
The goal is not a quick fix — it is better function that supports sleep long term.
Your Best Slept Self Starts With Awareness
If you suspect your sleep — or your child’s — may be affected by breathing or oral muscle patterns, a consultation can provide clarity.
At Oral-Facial Advantage, we offer a structured evaluation to assess tongue posture, breathing, and muscle balance so you can understand whether therapy may help support your sleep quality.
Better breathing. Better muscle balance. Better sleep.
Sleep & Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy FAQs
Yes. Snoring often happens when the airway narrows during sleep. By improving tongue posture, lip seal, and breathing patterns, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help support more stable airflow at night.
Sleep duration and sleep quality are different. If breathing is unstable during the night — even subtly — your brain may repeatedly micro-arouse to reopen the airway. Therapy focuses on improving muscle patterns that support steadier breathing.
Yes. The tongue plays a major role in airway stability. When it rests low or forward, the airway can narrow during sleep. Proper tongue posture supports clearer airflow and more restful sleep.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy does not replace medical treatment for sleep apnea. However, it can complement medical care by improving muscle tone and airway support.
If clenching or grinding is related to airway instability or muscle imbalance, therapy often helps reduce tension by improving breathing patterns and neuromuscular balance.
Yes. Snoring in children is not always “normal.” Therapy can support nasal breathing, tongue posture, and muscle balance that influence airway development.
Common signs include:
- Snoring
- Mouth breathing
- Waking tired
- Morning headaches
- Jaw tension
- Brain fog
A structured assessment can help determine whether muscle patterns may be contributing.
Many patients notice gradual changes within the first few months as breathing patterns and muscle habits improve. Long-term stability develops with consistent practice.
We assess:
- Tongue posture and mobility
- Lip seal
- Breathing patterns
- Muscle tone of the head and neck
- Signs of airway instability
From there, we determine whether therapy may help support your sleep quality.
Concerned About Your Sleep?
Mouth breathing day or night
Snoring or noisy breathing
Jaw clenching or grinding
In-person & virtual options available
- Camacho, M., Certal, V., Abdullatif, J., et al. (2015).
Myofunctional therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sleep, 38(5), 669–675.
https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4652
→ Demonstrated significant reduction in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in adults and children. - Guilleminault, C., Huang, Y.S., Monteyrol, P.J., Sato, R., Quo, S., & Lin, C.H. (2013).
Critical role of myofunctional therapy in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing.
Sleep Medicine, 14(6), 518–525.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2013.01.013
→ Showed improved outcomes when therapy addressed orofacial muscle patterns. - Huang, Y.S., et al. (2020).
Orofacial myofunctional therapy for sleep-disordered breathing: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sleep Medicine Reviews, 49, 101221.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101221
→ Confirmed airway muscle training improves sleep-related breathing parameters. - Villa, M.P., et al. (2015).
Oropharyngeal exercises to reduce symptoms of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep & Breathing, 19(1), 281–289.
→ Demonstrated reduction in pediatric snoring and apnea severity. - Schwab, R.J. (2010).
Upper airway imaging.
Clinics in Chest Medicine, 31(2), 33–54.
→ Highlights the anatomical role of the tongue in airway patency. - Iwasaki, T., et al. (2017).
Influence of tongue posture on craniofacial development.
American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
→ Explores how tongue position affects airway and skeletal structure. - National Sleep Foundation.
Sleep Health and Sleep Awareness Resources.
https://www.thensf.org
→ Educational authority on sleep quality and health outcomes.
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
