Singing for Snorers Exercises

[ericlhyman]

Has anybody tried this British CD set of singing exercises?


http://www.singingforsnorers.com/faq.htm



It is vital in singing to have good muscle control over the soft palate and upper throat. These are the very 'pharyngeal' muscles which, when lacking in tone, can cause snoring. Singers use singing exercises to develop 'pharyngeal fitness' (26, 27).

Surgical interventions to treat snoring include removing tissue from the upper throat or toughening it by creating scar tissue. Compared to surgical intervention Singing for Snorers offers a harmless, healthy, non-invasive, inexpensive, even enjoyable way to restore the throat's tone. And indeed for those wary of starting to snore, it offers a way to prevent tone loss from occurring. Furthermore singing helps improve breathing and strengthens the diaphragm.

It is especially important for snorers, and critically important for those suffering from sleep apnoea, to keep their breathing apparatus healthy: they will already be suffering from reduced oxygen intake and need a fit diaphragm to keep on drawing in air despite experiencing an obstruction.



Can everyone sing?
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If you can speak then you can sing! If you haven't sung since your school days you'll find it's just a matter of practice. Indeed, over time, the exercises should improve your vocal strength, tone and agility.

As for singing in tune, this is not critical to the exercise of your pharyngeal muscles but may improve your morale! Matching pitch is a skill like any other and can be learnt at any age if you missed out on early training. The most important things are listening and practice. This exercise programme provides an ideal opportunity for both!



Is singing good for you?
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For the vast majority of people singing is a healthy pursuit and one that is positively good for both body and mind; but if you have a health problem that you think might be affected adversely by energetic singing, do look after yourself and consult your doctor before starting these exercises.



What's special about the "Singing for Snorers" exercises?
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Looking into the back of the mouth The Singing for Snorers exercises are specifically designed for snorers to target and tone the areas of the throat where the snoring vibration can take place. They focus on the muscles that control the soft palate, the palatopharyngeal arch (See diagram), the movement of the tongue (especially forwards and back) and the naso-pharynx, which is the region of the pharynx up behind the soft palate which leads to the nose. The exercises use sounds and tunes selected for the strong movements they cause in these areas. Their long-term aim is pharyngeal fitness: a toned, athletic pharynx that is no longer predisposed to collapse and vibrate in sleep; and which is also wider, resulting in a gentler, less turbulent breath. Of equal importance, the exercises are designed to be fun and to raise the spirits!



What are the exercises like?
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Here's an example of a sound used to tone the soft palate:

If you make the sound "ung-gah" you will feel your soft palate come down and touch the back of your tongue on the "ung" and spring up and away on the "gah". Now imagine singing this sound energetically over and over to simple tunes which, progressively from CD1 to CD3, make increased demands on the muscles supporting your soft palate.

Singing for Snorers also uses a variety of specific sounds and tunes to work the palatopharyngeal arch, the tongue and the nasopharynx. Each exercise has a different instrumental accompaniment and a guiding voice to sing along with. While the singing is simple and repetitive, the complex accompaniments make the whole experience more satisfying and enjoyable. Last but not least the whole programme is delivered in a friendly step by step manner.



What does the "Singing for Snorers" exercise programme consist of?
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Singing for Snorers comprises 3 graded CDs and a 48 page booklet providing information on snoring, the exercise programme and, as a visual aid, all the sounds used in the exercises. Each CD contains clear verbal instructions and an opportunity to practise the sounds and tunes. A straight run through of the exercise programme is placed at the beginning of each CD for easy daily access.

The CDs are practised sequentially at your own pace, but generally for at least one month each. You sing through the exercises once a day. When you are familiar with the programme this will take 12 minutes for the first CD and 18 for the second and third.

The exercises can be practised any time of day, so find what works best for you. As they tend to be energising, some users have reported that singing them in the morning sets them up mentally and vocally for the day ahead.

As for where to sing them - you'll need to be by a CD player and, be warned, the sounds you will make have been chosen for their therapeutic effect and not for their exceptional beauty (alas…), so you will definitely need a sense of humour and either a secret place or an understanding and supportive family.



Who is most likely to benefit from the singing exercises?
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Since the primary action of the exercises is to tone the pharyngeal muscles, it will be clear that the programme is aimed at snorers who are snoring precisely because, or at least mainly because, their pharyngeal muscles are lax!

People who have recently started to snore because of loss of tone in the pharyngeal muscles are in the category expected to benefit the most. It shouldn't take too much effort to get their muscles back in trim! People who started snoring because of lax muscles ten, twenty or even thirty years ago are likely to have to work that much harder and longer at the exercises but would still be expected to benefit.

For overweight snorers it is clear that the exercises will not preferentially remove fat from the pharynx; however, they will tone the pharyngeal muscles. So combining the singing exercises with diet and aerobic exercise should make a very good combination treatment.

People who have snored since childhood are likely to be snoring for anatomical reasons: for example, their airway may be obstructed because of having a narrow neck, enlarged tonsils or elongated uvula; or by polyps or a deviated nasal septum after a broken nose (28); or their breathing may be restricted by allergy (28). Others may have a 'lazy' soft palate, never giving the pharyngeal muscles adequate exercise to keep the soft palate from obstructing the airway. While Singing for Snorers will clearly address an under-used soft palate, it has been more surprising to receive feedback from customers reporting reduced snoring even though they have snored since they were children and probably primarily as a result of anatomical obstructions which will not and cannot respond to exercise. It would seem that in some such cases at least, increasing the tone of the throat muscles can be enough to make a critical difference to the overall level of obstruction, and therefore turbulence, in the throat. In other words even though the uvula may be particularly long or the tonsils especially large, in some cases by toning the throat muscles, these unchangeable structures may no longer have such a critical impact on the flow of breath along the airway, presumably because there is now more space and firmer tissue around them. Please note this is a more cheery answer to this question than used to be here. The update and increased cheer seemed necessary to reflect the reality of the positive feedback from customers in this category especially since enquiries were also being received from people who were asking whether they were, to quote one such gentleman, "anatomically doomed". With any luck (and a lot of singing!) it may not be so.



Are the "Singing for Snorers" exercises good for your singing voice as well?
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Yes. Customers have reported improved tone, agility and increased range in their singing voices as well as finding that their voice is stronger and tires less easily.

[mary1]

That is really a great exercise. Great.

[LinkC]

Most people would rather hear me snore than sing!!!

[steohenr]

I have been using these exercises for a few weeks, no change yet, of course, but my singing and breathing have improved ...will keep going..

Stephen

[StephenR]

I miss spelled my name..

I love the singing for snorers...

I have had to quit my CPAP therapy for now, waiting to get a sleep study done, so the exercises give me something to work on...

Stephen

[Julie]

Why have you had to quit Cpap?

[StephenR]

I stopped because I was feeling like I was going to die. I fainted on Saturday just taking a walk..

I was getting over 100 events a night, mainly centrals, the tech did not know what to do with me, so she suggested I get a sleep study...
and here I am...mask free untill we can figure out what is going on..

Stephen

[Julie]

When is your study scheduled for? And are you seeing a doctor? Because not everything is about OSA or Cpap, and the centrals may be indicative of other problems. Have you been using software to follow things? If so, what did your reports look like prior to Saturday? And what equipment (full name & model #) are you using (and what type of mask)? Is there anything different you can think of (I'm sure you've tried) that might have triggered your problem - e.g. new meds, alcohol, recent weight gain, BP changes, etc. etc.?

And are you in a position to buy or rent a machine that deals with centrals?

[BlackSpinner]

Considering some of the members are professional singers, opera too, it is doubtful this will help much.

[StephenR]

When is your study scheduled for? And are you seeing a doctor? Seeing GP this Friday, so the referral will go in then

Because not everything is about OSA or Cpap, and the centrals may be indicative of other problems.
Over the last 10 years my breathing has been getting a little more restricted, this year I began having what looked like heart problems, but a through going over by a cardio ruled out any heart disease. Did a 2 night oximetry test in June, looked like apnea, tried the machine from June 26 til this last Saturday.


Have you been using software to follow things? I used SleepyHead and Encore Basic
If so, what did your reports look like prior to Saturday? I can post some charts later....

And what equipment (full name & model #) are you using (and what type of mask)?
Philips Respironics Remstar A plus 561CA with humidifier, Nuance pro mask


Is there anything different you can think of (I'm sure you've tried) that might have triggered your problem - e.g. new meds, alcohol, recent weight gain, BP changes, etc. etc.?
Weight, health has been stable. I am 20 lbs over ideal weight, have arthritis....have a beer while cooking supper, I caregive for my wife, so my load at home is qite high, but not stressful. I meditate at least twice a day, do yoga, TaiChi, walk when I can.


And are you in a position to buy or rent a machine that deals with centrals?
Not really, but will cross that bridge when I get there....


Stephen

[StephenR]

Considering some of the members are professional singers, opera too, it is doubtful this will help much.

And sometimes its good for the heart just to be doing something when all else has failed at the present time...

Stephen

[BlackSpinner]

Considering some of the members are professional singers, opera too, it is doubtful this will help much.

And sometimes its good for the heart just to be doing something when all else has failed at the present time...

Stephen

Yes it is still good exercise! There are other reasons to do it as well.

Be aware that, speaking as a mother of a classical singer, deep breathing exercises can trigger emotional issues. There is a reason for the stereotype drama queen.

[StephenR]

These are not deep breathing exercises, they work with the muscles at the back of the throat and the tongue...,
they are very gentle on the breathe...I used to sing for a living 30 years ago, and am sorry I stopped, so these are lovely for me to do while I figure our where to go next...

Stephen

[Julie]

Hi, please let us know what comes of your appt. if you think of it, and if you need any help, we'll try to find some. Good luck!