Snorers can stop by learning to play the didgeridoo, according to a top medic.
Dr Sophie Bostock has said mastering the traditional Australian Aboriginal wind instrument can cure nightly noises in three months. The founder of The Sleep Scientist told people to ignore mouth-taping TikTok trends and focus on tongue exercises everyday instead.
The expert, who has helped develop a sleep improvement app that has since been rolled out by the NHS, said simple exercises such as pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth can help tackle snoring.
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Speaking on the Dirty Mother Pukka podcast she said: “As much as 40% of the population will snore but more like 5% actually suffer from sleep apnoea so, for most of those snorers, it’s harmless – other than the fact it leads to tension and arguments between partners.
(Image: Getty Images/PhotoAlto)
“There is an intervention called myofunctional (corr) therapy which is effectively exercises to tone the muscles in your throat and your tongue to strengthen them.
“What happens during snoring is that they collapse and they cause a narrowing – there’s some kind of vibration of tissue that leads to snoring.
“So if you can strengthen these muscles, particularly in the tongue, then the chances are the snoring will reduce.
“There was a study that showed people who play the didgeridoo for three months actually reduced their snoring.’’
For those without one of the groaning instruments – which can stretch up to 10ft long – Dr Bostock suggested techniques which would help sufferers get a tune should they ever get their hands on one.
(Image: Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
Folk should push their tongue against the roof of the mouth and against the cheeks.
If done consistently the small exercises will strengthen tongue muscles.
According to Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust sticking your tongue down to your chin and up to your nose can help increase its movement and strength – as can licking your lips in circular motions.
Dr Bostock has delivered keynote speeches at Google on sleep deprivation and presented a Ted Talk highlighting the impact of digital medicine on insomnia.
In 2005 researchers from the University of Zurich found 20 minutes of didgeridoo practice a day can help reduce snoring and the daytime drowsiness associated with sleep apnoea.
Participants learnt the art of circular breathing, a technique that enables players to maintain an unbroken sound for long periods of time by inhaling through the nose while maintaining airflow through the instrument using the cheeks as bellows.
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