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
·
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.
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.
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.’
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.
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