Singing Cures Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

A clinical trial authored by Malcolm Hilton, consultant otolaryngologist at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Sub Dean of the University of Exeter Medical School, shows that certain singing exercises help reduce snoring in people with a history of simple snoring or obstructive sleep apnea
This research has been published in the International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery.

Weak muscles in the soft palate and upper throat can be a cause of snoring and sleep apnea and singing exercises help to strengthen these throat muscles.

Mr Hilton decided to do this trial after being contacted by Alise Ojay, who is a choir director, singer and composer.
Alise got the idea after one of her pupils had said that, since starting to sing, his snoring had become greatly reduced.

The trial involved 60 patients who were chronic snorers, and 60 patients with mild to moderate sleep apnoea. Half of each group sang, using a singing exercise programme devised by Alise to strengthen the throat muscles, for three months and half had no intervention.

The trial concluded that the three-month programme of daily singing exercises reduced the frequency and severity of snoring, and improved overall quality of sleep, and that there was a statistically significant reduction in daytime sleepiness and frequency of snoring

You can hear an interview with Alise on the BBC website here.

Does Hayfever cause Insomnia?

Now that the hayfever season is here, many people are experiencing sleep problems and can't fall asleep, and I wondered, does hayfever cause insomnia?

Hayfever and allergies can lead to problems sleeping according to a study conducted by French researchers from Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris. It suggests that hay fever may be associated with impaired sleep quality.

Research in the past has suggested that allergies contribute to snoring and breathing problems during sleep, including sleep apnea, a disorder that causes breathing to become shallow or stop while sleeping. Moreover, the researchers also found that the effects of hay fever on sleep became more apparent as the severity of the condition got worse.

The study concluded doctors should question patients who have hayfever if they are having problems sleeping (and perhaps vice versa, ask those who had sleep disorders whether they had allergies or hayfever), to detect sleep disorders early in these patients and treat them promptly, as treating allergic rhinitis or other nasal symptoms may dramatically improve the quality of sleep and hence the patient's quality of life.

Sleep Problems An Inherent Feature of ADD

A study cited in the journal Sleep involving 15 children between the ages of 7 and 11 who suffer from ADD (ADHD) suggests that sleep problems go hand in hand with ADD.

The principal investigator, Reut Gruber who is the director of the Attention, Behaviour and Sleep Lab at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute says:

"I do not believe that sleep per se is the cause of ADHD, but it may make the symptoms worse in children with sleep problems. There are reports in the literature in which treating sleep problems led to improvement in ADHD symptoms but I suspect that these results were seen in children with sleep apnea. More research needs to be done in order to determine if sleep affects ADHD children with no primary sleep disorder."

Additional studies also will be required to examine whether shorter sleep duration in children with ADHD is associated with ADHD-like symptoms, including behavioral problems and poor neurocognitive functioning.

If a functional alteration of sleep in children with ADHD is confirmed, it may be possible to develop therapeutic approaches for optimizing and individualizing the children's sleep regimes.

Journal reference: Sleep Disturbances in Prepubertal Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Home Polysomnography Study. Sleep, March 1, 2009

Tired Teens - Diagnose Sleep Apnea with X-Rays

Orthodontists Diagnose Sleep Apnea in Tired Teens More Easily with X-Rays

Being a teenager is tough these days, but it's especially tough if you're always tired. Now a simple X-ray taken at your children's orthodontist could hold the key to helping them sleep better.

Orthodontist Mark Hans is studying whether the same X-rays teens get before getting braces will help determine if they're at risk for sleep apnea.

Diagnosing sleep apnea -- a chronic condition that causes teen-agers to stop breathing during sleep -- is difficult and often means staying at an overnight sleep lab. There is a test that can spot the problem with simple X-rays, by checking the position of the tongue and hyoid bone. If the bone sits lower, patients are more likely to have the condition. In a recent study, the X-rays correctly identified 70 percent of teens with sleep apnea.

Dr. Hans says there's no disadvantage to performing the X-ray other than a minimal dose of radiation, which is equivalent to a day in the sun. He says most insurance covers the X-rays, which cost about $100. A sleep lab evaluation could cost thousands.