Didgeridoo Exercises of the Mouth and Throat Improves Sleep Apnea!!!

A research article claimed that regular exercises involving the tongue, soft palate, and lateral pharyngeal wall significantly improves obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) both objectively and subjectively.

The exercises mainly consisted of playing a wind instrument known as didgeridoo. Patients randomized to these exercises had a significant decrease in neck circumference, snoring frequency, snoring intensity, daytime sleepiness, sleep quality score, and OSAS severity. Changes in neck circumference correlated inversely with changes in apnea-hypopnea index.

Playing this instrument may be a great (and non-invasive) adjunctive treatment for OSA! You can purchase this on Amazon.

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Reference:
Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 15;179(10):962-6. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200806-981OC. Epub 2009 Feb 20. 

Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2006 Feb 4;332(7536):266-70.

Risk of obstructive sleep apnea lower in double reed wind musicians. J Clin Sleep Med. 2012 Jun 15;8(3):251-5. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.1906.

Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology volume 275, pages 849–855 (2018).