The Connection Between the Tongue and the Vagus Nerve
When parents hear “tongue position,” they usually think about feeding, speech, or maybe tongue ties. While all of those are important, there’s another layer that often gets overlooked: how the tongue connects to the nervous system — specifically the vagus nerve.
This connection helps explain why tongue posture can influence not just eating and talking, but also things like regulation, digestion, breathing, and overall calm in the body.
Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense.
What Is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is one of the main nerves of the parasympathetic nervous system — often referred to as the body’s “rest and digest” system.
It starts in the brainstem and travels down through the face, throat, chest, and abdomen, connecting to the:
Mouth and throat
Heart and lungs
Digestive system
Voice and swallowing muscles
In simple terms, the vagus nerve helps the body know when it’s safe to slow down.
When the vagus nerve is functioning well, it supports:
Calm and regulation
Efficient digestion
Coordinated sucking, swallowing, and breathing
A steady heart rate
Emotional resilience
When it’s under-stimulated or overwhelmed, we may see:
Feeding struggles
Gagging, reflux, or constipation
Shallow breathing or mouth breathing
Difficulty calming
Sensory sensitivities
Voice or swallowing challenges
So… What Does the Tongue Have to Do With This?
A lot, actually.
The tongue is deeply connected to the nervous system, both directly and indirectly. Several cranial nerves involved in tongue movement, sensation, and swallowing communicate closely with the vagus nerve at the brainstem.
Tongue Position at Rest Matters
Ideally, the tongue rests:
Gently suctioned to the palate
With the tip and mid-tongue elevated
Lips closed
Breathing happening through the nose
This position does more than shape the palate and support feeding and speech. It provides consistent, gentle sensory input to the nervous system — input that helps support vagal tone.
When the tongue is low, restricted, or unable to make contact with the palate:
Sensory input to the brainstem can be altered
Breathing patterns may shift
Swallowing can become less coordinated
The body may stay in a more “alert” or stressed state
Tongue Movement and Vagus Nerve Stimulation
The vagus nerve is stimulated through rhythmic, coordinated movements in the mouth and throat, including:
Sucking
Swallowing
Chewing
Humming or vocal play
Deep, nasal breathing
When tongue mobility or placement is limited — whether due to tension, restriction, or poor coordination — these movements can become inefficient or stressful rather than calming.
This is one reason why some babies and children:
Squirm or arch during feeds
Fatigue quickly while eating
Struggle to transition to solids
Seem dysregulated during or after meals
Their bodies are working harder than they should, and the nervous system isn’t getting the calming feedback it expects.
Why This Matters for Babies and Children
In early development, the nervous system is shaped by repeated sensory experiences. Feeding is one of the most powerful of these experiences.
When tongue posture and movement are well supported:
Feeding becomes more organized
Breathing and swallowing coordinate more easily
Digestion improves
Regulation becomes more accessible
When they aren’t, the body may compensate — and those compensations can show up later as picky eating, speech challenges, mouth breathing, sleep issues, or ongoing regulation difficulties.
Supporting Healthy Tongue Function Is About More Than “Fixing” the Tongue
This is why assessment and support should never be just about looking under the tongue.
A comprehensive approach considers:
Tongue posture and mobility
Oral rest posture
Breathing patterns
Body tension and alignment
Nervous system regulation
Sometimes supporting vagal tone looks like:
Improving tongue-to-palate contact
Supporting nasal breathing
Addressing oral tension
Integrating gentle body-based or sensory strategies
Making feeding feel safer and more efficient
The Takeaway
The tongue is not just a muscle for eating and talking — it’s a sensory gateway to the nervous system.
When tongue position and movement are supported, we’re not just helping a child feed or speak more easily. We’re also supporting:
Regulation
Digestion
Breathing
And the body’s ability to feel calm and safe
And for many families, that’s where real change begins.
References (for parents who like to dig deeper):
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory
Pearson, W. G., et al. (2013). Neural control of swallowing
Goyal & Mashimo (2018). Physiology of the vagus nerve
Zaghi et al. (2019). The relationship between tongue posture, airway, and nervous system function