Try yoga to deal with snoring and sleep apnea © Shutterstock
Sleep apnea and snoring are becoming increasingly common these days due to our bad lifestyle habits. Several studies have found that practising yoga regularly leads to better overall sleep quality, fewer episodes of disturbed sleep, less time to fall asleep, less daytime dysfunction, less use of sleep medications and more energy in the morning. Yoga asanas and meditation techniques involve stretching and relaxing of muscles. This increases physical and mental exertion which results in deeper sleep, fewer sleep disturbances, and better sleep efficiency. Yogic breathing exercises can improve the strength of the respiratory muscles and improved oxygen supply that takes a dip when one suffers from sleep apnea. According to a study, snoring increases the chances of sleep disturbances two-fold because of weakened upper airway muscles and narrowing of the respiratory passage. After short-term yoga exercises, there is a significant increase in the vagal tone and decreases the heart rate. This decreased physiological arousal effect of yoga leads to fewer sleep disturbances. Here are some yoga asanas that you must perform to deal with snoring and sleep apnea.
1) Bhramari and Ujjayi Pranayam: These deep breathing yoga breathing exercises create mini vibrations within your respiratory system, helping you breathe easily.
2) Chanting Om: The simple act of chanting Om also creates vibrations in your mouth, nasal passage and throat. This helps clear the respiratory passages.
3) Anulom Vilom: This clears your nasal passage and lets more oxygen into your lungs thus helping you breathe better and sleep better.
4) Simhasana or roaring pose: The roaring action will work on your larynx, trachea and lungs helping more oxygen into your body.
5) Ustrasana: This bends your respiratory system and clears the nasal passage and opens up your chest. This is excellent to increase the breathing capacity of your lungs.
Make sure you do these yoga asanas and yogic breathing techniques regularly to see the best results. Learn them under a licensed yoga teacher or expert.
Reference:
J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2013 Jan-Mar; 4(1): 28 32
Dam TT, Ewing S, Ancoli-Israel S, Ensrud K, Redline S, Stone K, Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Research Group.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Sep; 56(9):1665-73
Soni R, Munish K, Singh K, Singh S. Study of the effect of yoga training on diffusion capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A controlled trial. Int J Yoga. 2012;5:123 7
