For the millions of people who struggle with sleep apnoea and the long-suffering partners of Foghorn Leghorn snorers, Dr Milo Puhan’s Ig Nobel Peace Prize-winning discovery may be music to your ears, albeit not particularly rhythmic.
A researcher at the University of Zurich, Dr Puhan was so intrigued by one patient’s claims about the beneficial effects of the didgeridoo that he decided to put them to the test. A total of 25 volunteers were selected and then divided into those who would practice playing the instrument on a daily basis and a control group.
Instructed in the ancient aboriginal art, those that didgeridid reported reduced daytime sleepiness and improved quality of sleep for their partners compared to those who didgerididn’t. Why exactly? It turns out the circular breathing technique required to play a didge strengthens the very airways whose collapse can lead to moderate sleep apnoea and immoderate snoring.
For those with less room in their home for musical instruments, a follow-up study has revealed that other, more compact wind instruments can deliver a similar respiratory workout.
If you’re having difficulty drifting off to sleep in the first place, may we recommend HMRC’s guidance on claiming R&D tax credit. It runs to several hundred pages and works for us every time.
