One night when I was getting ready to go to bed I started to hear a low rumbling noise coming from somewhere in the house. Without opening my bedroom door I could instantly tell my dad was the source of these earthquake-like noises. Nothing could stop my dad’s snoring and I started to wonder if there was a natural way to stop snoring that I wasn’t aware of. So, I did a little research.
When someone can’t stop snoring, it can cause frustration, restlessness, and even lead to some serious issues if not dealt with properly. It just doesn’t become your problem anymore, it becomes everyone’s problem that can hear you. Snoring is a very common problem across the world, but fixing it can be as easy as learning a few breathing techniques to help control and strengthen those airway tissues. Let me show you how to master your breathing.
Master Circular Breathing
If you have ever played a wind or brass instrument you have come across this technique at some point. A lot of sleep experts recommend playing the didgeridoo specifically to help control snoring and even sleep apnea. It strengthens the throat muscles when combined with this breathing technique. It’s a bit tricky at first, but it’s easier than you think. Let me show how it is done.
Steps:
1. Fill your cheeks with air, and breathe in and out through your nose. Practice this until you are completely comfortable, but it’s easy, right? Think of the air in your cheeks as a second source of air.
2. Slowly exhale through your mouth using your cheek muscles to push out the air instead of using your lungs, and try to breathe in and out of your nose at the same time.
• This is going to be the trickiest step for most people because you have to experiment with this until you find how to do it. This is teaching you how to exhale through your mouth and inhale through your nose at the same time. Remember to use your cheek muscles to push out the air, that’s the most important part.
3. Now only try breathing in through your nose while still using your cheek muscles to exhale that air, and switch to exhaling through your lungs to refill the air in your cheeks.
• Do this when your second air source is about to run out. Remember, when you exhale to refill the air in your cheeks don’t forget to switch to using your cheek muscles again to push out the air so that you can inhale through your nose again.
4. It’s going to take a good amount of time to get completely comfortable with this. It took me about five minutes just to get some of the rhythms down, but the best way to practice this is to use a straw and a glass of water. The challenge is to infinitely blow bubbles through the straw or you can just play the didgeridoo if you have one just lying around. Reminder, if you start to feel lightheaded. Please stop, and take a break.
Master Ujjayi Breathing (Victorious Breath)
This is an ancient yoga breathing technique that usually focuses on calming the mind, but it also helps with strengthening the throat and can assist in helping reduce your snoring. It is also referred to as “ocean breath” due to the sound it creates, but a lot of people, including me, refer to it as “Darth Vader breath” instead.
Steps:
1. Inhale through your nose until you reach your lung capacity.
2. Hold your breath for a second, and feel some of the air constrict in the back of your throat as if you were about to speak.
3. Slowly exhale the air out through your nose, but make a “ha” noise with your mouth closed at the same time. If you ever tried fogging up a mirror or a window with your breath, it’s exactly like that, but make the noise with your mouth closed while exhaling through your nose. This is a sound they are referring to as “ocean breath” but it’s more like Darth Vader.
4. Repeat as many times as you want, and up to ten minutes a day. This breathing technique may leave you feeling a little lightheaded and tingly, but that’s good. It will subside as soon as you stop.
Master Kapalabhati Breathing (Skull Shining Breath)
This is another ancient yoga breathing technique. This will help cleanse your body as well as relieve congestion, reduce bloating, and clear nasal/sinus passages. It’s a great technique to help lessen your snoring if you are affected by blocked airways.
Steps:
1. Exhale the air completely out of your lungs.
2. Inhale through your nose, and as you exhale through your nose pull in your stomach towards your spine. The exhalation should be short and quick. Remember, when you pull in your stomach focus on pulling in your solar plexus which is located above your belly button.
• This more modern practice of Kapalabhati is focused on exhaling sharply through the nose, but the ancient way of practicing this technique is to exhale gently through the nose instead. It’s up to you which way you prefer to practice. They both yield the same benefits but do what makes you feel better.
3. Start with 20 exhalations. If you start to feel lightheaded or you are feeling strained while doing this, start slow and do fewer exhalations. Work your way up to as much as ten minutes a day.
Master Long-Breath Diet Breathing
It seems the number one solution to stop snoring is losing weight. It’s in almost every article I’ve come across doing my research, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before as well. Exercising is not fun for everyone, but a Japanese actor, Miki Ryosuke, discovered this breathing technique to help him lose weight fairly quickly. It works because fat consists of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. When the oxygen you breathe in reaches the fat cells, it splits them into carbon and water. Now, I’m not saying this replaces exercise and a healthier diet because doing this on its own will probably not give you the results you are expecting, but it will help you regardless.
Steps:
1. Stand up, and look at your feet. Take one foot, either one, and point it at an angle diagonally (45 degrees). Then take your other foot and take a step forward. Your body should automatically align itself. Look and see if your heels are aligned with each other. If you’re not sure, as long as you have one leg forward and the other leg back, you should be fine.
2. Squeeze your butt muscles and transfer your weight to your back leg. Squeeze those glutes!
3. Slowly start inhaling for 3 seconds through your nose, lifting your arms above your head as a ballerina would.
4. Then exhale forcefully for 7 seconds, lowering your arms and straining all your muscles like you’re flexing to win a bodybuilding competition. Strain your muscles, it’s very important.
5. Repeat for up to two minutes a day.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of ways to prevent snoring, but sometimes all those gadgets or sleeping in different positions can be so uncomfortable when all you want is to sleep soundly. Breathing techniques are not a guaranteed way to stop snoring, but I believe it is one of the easiest and most effective ways to help you naturally. Plus, it’s free! If you are a snorer or have someone in your life who snores, tell me which breathing technique would you try or recommend?