Speech Evolution and Sleep Apnea

Did you know that the same biological trait that allows humans to sing and speak is also the

reason we are prone to snoring and sleep apnea? Most mammals have a rigid,

supported upper airway, but humans are different. Scientists hypothesize that the evolution

of speech required a highly mobile pharynx—our throat area—which meant losing the rigid

cartilaginous support found in other species. This makes the human upper airway essentially a "collapsible segment."

While we’re awake, our muscles keep this passage open, but the moment we fall asleep,

that flexible tissue becomes vulnerable to closing when the pressure changes as we breathe in.

We’ve essentially traded a stable airway for the ability to communicate. We’re exploring