Table of contents:
- Singing, a proven way to get rid of snoring without side effects
- How come?
- How to practice singing to reduce the habit of snoring while sleeping
- Not only singing exercises to reduce snoring
The loud snoring sound not only disturbs the restful sleep of other people near you, but also the quality of your own sleep. Well, happy for those of you who like karaoke fun or singing in the bathroom. A study found that singing practice can be a great way to get rid of snoring without any side effects.
Singing, a proven way to get rid of snoring without side effects
Reporting from the NHS Choice page, a research team from the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust found that singing practice can be an effective way to get rid of snoring. This conclusion was obtained after observing 127 people who have a mild snoring habit to those who snore chronically due to sleep apnea.
The study found that people who were asked to regularly practice vocals for 20 minutes a day for 3 months snore less frequently than the group who was not asked to sing. Those who practiced vocal every day also showed higher stamina during their activities and did not show daytime sleepiness.
Routine singing practice, the researchers report, can reduce the severity of snoring, the frequency of snoring, and the volume of snoring, which in turn can improve the sleep quality of the participants. In contrast to those who do not practice singing.
How come?
As long as we sleep, the muscles of the body relax. This includes the muscles of the tongue and respiratory tract at the back of the throat. The sagging airway muscles narrow the airways so they are more prone to vibrate when air is flowing from the lungs, while the position of the tongue during sleep which is pushed backward will block the passage of air in and out during sleep. The combination of these two things then produces a distinctively annoying snoring sound. Plus, your body's muscle mass will naturally decrease and loosen up as you age.
Reported on the Livestrong page, Alise Ojay, a vocal and music trainer, said that singing strengthens the muscles in the back of the throat as well as strengthens the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the roof of the mouth. The researchers also concluded that singing will increase the strength of the muscles of the esophagus and surrounding areas so that it is not easy to relax and narrows the passage of air in and out of sleep.
This study however still has many limitations and further research is needed. Even so, these findings present an alternative way to get rid of snoring that is new and safe.
How to practice singing to reduce the habit of snoring while sleeping
Don't be afraid or embarrassed if you have a bad voice when you sing. You don't need to really understand how to read scales like a professional musician to practice how to reduce snoring on this one.
Simply pronounce "la la la" or "ma ma ma" from the lowest note to the highest level you can gradually, then go back from the highest to the lowest note. After that, replace the pronunciation with the sound "ung-gah". The sound "ung" makes the soft tissues on the roof of your mouth drop to touch the back of your tongue, and the sound "gah" will return its position back to normal.
Repeating these sounds will train the muscles around your throat to get stronger and prevent them from slacking off easily during sleep.
Not only singing exercises to reduce snoring
Reported on the page Medical News Today, Malcolm Hilton, an ENT doctor at Exeter Hospital, University Exeter Medical School said that the way to get rid of snoring is not just by doing one thing. Of course, practicing singing does not necessarily stop the habit of snoring altogether.
Hilton suggests accompanying it with a lifestyle change. Example:
- Lose weight
- Reducing alcohol consumption
- Quit smoking
- Avoiding the use of sedatives
- Make sure to drink enough water before bed
In addition to lifestyle changes, there are several things you can do before bed, namely:
- Change sleeping position. Position your head higher while sleeping.
- Clean the nose, sleeping with a stuffy nose makes the risk of snoring easier
- Keep the bedroom damp. Air that is too dry can irritate the membranes of the nasal passages and throat and make them swollen. A humidifier or humidifier at home can help you keep the room moist.
