Can you sing yourself to sleep? In a new study at Exeter University, sleepers who completed 20-minute singing exercises every day for 3 months were 14 percent less tired and snored 15 percent less than those who kept their mouths shut.
Snoring is caused by a narrow or collapsed pharynx, the part of your throat between your nasal cavity and esophagus. But strengthening your throat muscles (by doing something like singing) helps keep your airway open through the night, says lead researcher Malcolm Hilton.
The exercises that people used in the study were uniquely designed to target specific muscles—they required lots of ‘ung’ and ‘gah’ sounds. So while you shouldn’t consider this open season on karaoke, Hilton suggests that any type of singing for a small amount of time each day could have a similar effect. (There’s your excuse to belt out in the shower or car.)
Don’t feel like warbling? Vocal workouts aren’t the only way to stop sawing logs. Obesity, smoking, and sedatives such as alcohol exacerbate the problem even if you have the strongest pharynx in town. And if you think you have sleep apnea—categorized by pauses in breathing that typically last between 20 and 40 seconds—see your doc; the condition can lead to hypertension, stroke, and heart disease.
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