A study in the April issue of SLEEP shows that the stiffness of the tongue in patients with obstructive sleep apnea was approximately 10 percent lower than control subjects during wakefulness even after controlling for age and body mass index. According to the authors, the lower stiffness observed in patients with OSA may contribute to the increased propensity of the upper airway to collapse during sleep.

Read the study in SLEEP:  Tongue Stiffness is Lower in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea during Wakefulness Compared with Matched Control Subjects