Could singing stop snoring? Doctor says vocal exercises could be the key to a peaceful night’s sleep
A set of daily vocal exercises can strengthen the weak throat and palate muscles which can cause snoring
- The discovery was made after a singing teacher devised a way to help her friend stop snoring
- Following the programme for three months reduces the frequency and severity of snoring and improves sleep
By EMMA INNES
PUBLISHED: 12:03 EST, 16 August 2013 | UPDATED: 16:58 EST, 16 August 2013
A simple set of daily vocal exercises can strengthen the weak throat and palate muscles which are a major cause of snoring, experts believe.
The discovery was made after a singing teacher devised a way to help a friend stop snoring.
Alise Ojay designed a programme of singing exercises which targeted the throat and stopped both chronic snoring and sleep apnoea, which causes people to stop breathing during deep sleep.
A simple set of daily vocal exercises can strengthen the weak throat and palate muscles which are a major cause of snoring
Her finding prompted a major study at Exeter University and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.
It saw 30 snorers try the exercises for a few minutes every day for three months.
By the end of the trial, their snoring had significantly improved compared to 30 others who didn’t try the treatment.
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Malcolm Hilton, a consultant otolaryngologist who led the research, said: ‘Alise told me that a number of people had benefitted from the singing exercise programme she had devised to strengthen the throat muscles.
‘I then set up this trial and the results have been really interesting.’
‘The conclusion that we came to was that the three month programme of daily singing exercises reduced the frequency and severity of snoring, and improved overall quality of sleep.’
The three month programme of daily singing exercises reduces the frequency and severity of snoring, and improves overall quality of sleep
Mr Hilton said all the trial participants found the singing exercises easy to perform and were able to keep them up throughout the three months.
He added: ‘It opens up a whole new avenue of potential treatment which avoids surgery, so it is definitely good news for snorers.
‘However, it must be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes. Being overweight, for example, is the biggest, single independent predictor of snoring.’
The research has been published in the International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, an open-access journal.
Additional Notes from Norman Blumenstock, DDS, MAGD
One of the problems with this research stud was that the presence or absence of obstructive sleep apnea was never determined. It would have been important to see how well the vocal exercises impacted those individuals with obstructive sleep apnea.
