Weird. I can finally weigh in on something.

It's not exceptionally common, but for some individuals the uvula is big enough or shaped well enough, or the throat small enough, or the opening of the throat after the tongue relaxes becomes small enough, that the uvula can lay over it, and contribute to obstructive sleep apnea!

There are likely other factors, but removing the uvula is just one of the many corrective actions available for surgery to improve sleep apnea!