Can Singing Be a Remedy for Snoring?
Throughout time there have been countless remedies for snoring however those who suffer from snoring still toss and turn night after night. ABC News points out that “snoring affects an estimated quarter to half of Americans.” Singing, the vocal exercise that typically generates wonderful sounds, is now being touted as a new cure for snoring. According to the Smithsonian article in January 2014, “The Cure For Snoring Is…Singing?,” vocal exercises used by singers have shown they can reduce snoring. Could singing in the shower or before bed time be the best medicine for snoring victims and their bed mates?
“Singing for Snorers”
Snoring is an illness that is bothersome at best, and it can have deadly consequences in terms of sleep apnea sufferers. However, thanks to choir director Alise Ojay, who was tired of hearing her husband Frank snore the nights away, there is now a promise in the field of music for treatment of snoring. In 1997 Ojay invented a revolutionary new music focus method called “Singing for Snorers,” which features a CD of vocal gymnastics. Particular sounds and pitch changes are practiced by snorers as a way to develop and strengthen their throat muscles. Ojay used the premise that the soft palate was too lax and allowing for loud vibrations, aka snores, to come out with every breath. By toning the palate the goal is to limit the amount of air breathed into the snorer’s passageway, thereby cutting back on the sounds of snores.
Other Remedies for Snoring
While “Singing for Snorers” uses exercises for internal muscles to reduce snoring, other remedies for snoring have been on the market for years. Breathing strips that look like thin strips of masking tape are applied to the outside of the nostrils to help hold them open during night. There are also sleep apnea machines that help patients with extreme snoring symptoms to get enough oxygen throughout the night, so to reduce the instance of snoring as well as sleep apnea.
Other remedies include sprays and washes that intend to expand the passageway of the nostrils, yet these typically come with warnings recommending not to use these nightly. While singing is one goal for treating a floppy palate, if this isn’t effective, the road to recovery doesn’t end quite yet. More severe treatment plans for a floppy palate as it relates to snoring is through laser surgery involving burning or cutting away from excessive skin. Before you resort, however, to such extreme measures, why not give “Singing for Snorers” a chance? At the very least, you may improve your singing abilities.