What you’re proposing is certainly possible, but yet to be documented. Another possibility is that your soft palate is flapping back into the opening into your nose, causing a sudden exhalational breathing pauses, with air leaking out through the mouth.

The point: I have come to realize that much of my problem is caused by my “upper” tongue (the visible, in-the-mouth part) blocking EXHALATION. My fat tongue takes up my whole mouth and often protrudes between my upper and lower teeth all-the-way-round from molar to molar. Often, when I wake at night, i find myself making a ‘Thhh’ or ‘Chhh’ sound as I push air out around my tongue. Occasionally, I even wake myself up because I have bitten my tongue!

Of course, this implies that something is blocking my nasal airway at the same time. I suspect that my tongue is also the culprit here too.

How does this relate to Tongue Retaining Devices? Well, I have fashioned my own device. It is more of a bypass that a retainer. It is the mouth piece cut-off from a swimming snorkel, with 2 pieces of clear plastic tube extending through the middle and over my tongue. the tubes are long enough to allow air past most of my tongue, but not long enough to induce gag reflex.

When I use this device, my sleep is imperfect, but noticeably better. I might only wake up a half-dozen times per night and I will have very long dreams while I sleep that I can remember after i wake (almost unheard of for me).

I’ve never found any mention of “upper tongue-induced, exhaling apnea” on any site. Is my anatomy so unique, or has this condition been overlooked? Or, perhaps more likely, is it just that I have failed to find it with my amateur research skills?

Your opinion/advice would be very welcome.