How to Stop Snoring With Didgeridoo

How to Stop Snoring with Didgeridoo Dr. Travis Stork: Millions of American suffers from sleep apnea which can sound like dreadful snoring. But did you know one of the world’s oldest instruments could actually help cure it. Well, this is the didgeridoo, it’s an Australian instrument. We’re here with Barry who is a didgeridoo instructor and owner of L.A. Outback. So, welcome. Barry Martin: Thank you. Dr. James M. Sears: And this can cure snoring because I snore pretty bad. Dr. Travis Stork: That was really interesting. Dr. Andrew P. Ordon: And I can attest to that because on that ski trip you snored like a -- Dr. James M. Sears: I kept you away for a while, sorry. Dr. Travis Stork: So snoring, it can be a result of obstructive sleep apnea and studies have shown that this actually, believe it or not, it can help snoring, sleeping -- in the air, sleep apnea. And what you are looking at there is in sleep apnea the tissue in the back of your throat literally prevents air flow from going down into your trachea and unfortunately that’s when people “startle awake” they are gasping, they are choking. This instrument right here can promote something called circular breathing. And when you look at this, you’re literally breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, not through your nose then out through to your mouth at the same time breathing into your nose and out through your mouth, and I’ve been trying to do this all day Barry. And Jim – actually Jim, show us your attempt. Dr. James M. Sears: Now, I want to let you guys go first. Dr. Travis Stork: No, I want to see you just show us how to breathe in and out. Dr. James M. Sears: Oh, you mean without this thing? Dr. Travis Stork: Yeah. Dr. James M. Sears: I’ve been trying to do that. You got to get fill your mouth with air, right? Barry Martin: You use the air that’s already inside your mouth and you push that out to keep your lips vibrating which is what creates the sound, I mean you take a very quick sniff of air in through the nose at the same time. Now, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. Dr. Andrew P. Ordon: That’s sounds pretty hard. Barry Martin: You use the air that’s already in your mouth to keep your lips vibrating as you take a quick sniff of air. Do you want me to demonstrate it real quick? Dr. Lisa Masterson: Yeah. Dr. Travis Stork: Sure. Barry Martin: So I'm going to take a breath while the sound of didgeridoo stays continuous, and what I’ll do is I’ll draw my hand toward my face as I take a breath. This strengthens the upper airway in a way that no other musical instrument does. Dr. Travis Stork: I want to see Lisa do it. Dr. James M. Sears: But wait, I can a little bit. Barry Martin: That’s very good because you guys are trying to learn circular breathing, but you don’t even know how to play the didgeridoo yet, so you’re doing very good. Dr. Travis Stork: Alright Lisa, go for it. Dr. Lisa Masterson: I just did it. Barry Martin: Good start. Dr. Travis Stork: Alright, as we go to break, Lisa is going to continue to perfect the didgeridoo. Thank you, Barry. Barry Martin: Sure. Dr. Travis Stork: You and Drew have a didgeridoo off.