# What types of didgeridoos are better for treating sleep apnea? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584 "2008-07-07T18:02:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/1 "2008-07-07T18:02:31Z")
It seems that playing the didgeridoo has been shown to help sleep apnea. There seem to be several types out there, with different lengths and such. Is any type better than another for treating sleep apnea? Or is it all a bunch of horsecrap? ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/2 "2008-07-07T18:14:59Z")
I don’t think you’ll find very solid scientific evidence backing up your assertion in treatment of sleep apnea. Then again, I’m a big time skeptic around these “alternative” treatment methods for OSA so I **am** biased. (but objective enough to admit it? Haha) That said, you’ll find good information on OSA at the forums linked below, including potential benefits of the didgeridoo. [http://www.apneasupport.org/topic-1-0-0.html](http://www.apneasupport.org/topic-1-0-0.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/3 "2008-07-07T18:16:23Z")
Wait, what? How would playing a didgeridoo help sleep apnea? It’s a wind instrument, so it seems to me it would be no more or less effective (assuming it has any effect at all) than playing trumpet or saxophone or the bagpipes. Maybe the efficacy rests in the idea that 3AM didgeridooing(?) or bagpiping or whathave you will probably get you killed by your neighbours, solving the problem once and for all. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/4 "2008-07-07T18:28:38Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Wait, what? How would playing a didgeridoo help sleep apnea? It’s a wind instrument, so it seems to me it would be no more or less effective (assuming it has any effect at all) than playing trumpet or saxophone or the bagpipes. Maybe the efficacy rests in the idea that 3AM didgeridooing(?) or bagpiping or whathave you will probably get you killed by your neighbours, solving the problem once and for all. [/QUOTE] I think the theory is that playing the didgeridoo opens the airway and strengths the muscles in such a way to minimize apnea events when sleeping. As I said in my post, I’m a skeptic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/5 "2008-07-07T18:29:50Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Wait, what? How would playing a didgeridoo help sleep apnea? It’s a wind instrument, so it seems to me it would be no more or less effective (assuming it has any effect at all) than playing trumpet or saxophone or the bagpipes. [/QUOTE] The didgeridoo requires [circular breathing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_breathing), and learning that technique might strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system in a way that conventional Western wind instruments don’t. Of course, that’s just a hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/6 "2008-07-07T18:30:54Z")
Weird. I have no idea about the sleep apnea thing\*, but the choice of a didge is a personal preference thing. They’re all played the same way. Shorter ones are higher pitched, but in the didge world, nothing is really all that high (except some of the players!) The two main categories are synthetic (aka “modern didgeridoos”) or natural materials like eucalyptus, bamboo or agave (or, for cheaper ones, “wood”.) The mouthpiece is almost always beeswax, although I’ve seen a few kiddie PVC didges with a rubber ring instead. The nice thing about “modern” didges is their portability and light weight. They’re waterproof and easy to carry, so you’re more likely to actually use it and bring it along with you to wherever you like to didge. Some of them are very pretty, as well, although I admit I prefer the look of natural ones. I’d check out [this buying guide](http://www.laoutback.net/didgeridoo_buy_guide.html) - it looks pretty comprehensive. \*Although [here’s an article about it.](http://www.laoutback.net/didgeridoo/education/Didgeridoo_and_Sleep_Apnea.html)Seems the hypothesis is that didge playing exercises the upper airway, which, when stronger, is less likely to collapse and cause snoring/apnea. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/7 "2008-07-07T18:39:38Z")
Wow. Ten minutes ago I was totally ignorant of this burning apnea didgeredoo topic. Now my horizons are broadened. It does raise the question for one’s spouse: Do I trade the snoring / choking / terrifying apea noise for the neophyte freaky didgeredoo noise? Or just smother him in his sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/8 "2008-07-07T18:54:35Z")
[QUOTE=MikeS] The didgeridoo requires [circular breathing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_breathing), and learning that technique might strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system in a way that conventional Western wind instruments don’t. Of course, that’s just a hypothesis. [/QUOTE] Interesting. That does actually make some sense. I just found the disconnect between the didgeridoo and sleep apnea to be a little bit absurd, but it’s not so much the act of playing as it the practicing that builds muscle that may or may not help prevent sleep apnea. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/9 "2008-07-07T19:10:23Z")
Just get a CPAP machine and be done with it you damn hippies and your buzzing tube thingies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/10 "2008-07-07T19:18:36Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Just get a CPAP machine and be done with it you damn hippies and your buzzing tube thingies. 😃 [/QUOTE] 😃 Have \*\*you \*\*tried to bring a CPAP camping? Buzzing tube thingy, indeed! 😃 (Actually, my dad does. But he’s got an RV, so it’s a different value of “camping” than I do.) ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/11 "2008-07-07T19:36:13Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] 😃 Have \*\*you \*\*tried to bring a CPAP camping? Buzzing tube thingy, indeed! 😃 (Actually, my dad does. But he’s got an RV, so it’s a different value of “camping” than I do.) [/QUOTE] I would think that the need for a CPAP machine pretty much means your camping days are much behind you, I having the same value of camping that I think you do. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/12 "2008-07-07T21:16:02Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Just get a CPAP machine and be done with it you damn hippies and your buzzing tube thingies. 😃 [/QUOTE] I’ve tried a BPAP machine, a CPAP, several different types of masks, and they didn’t seem to do shit for me. All I can think to do now is lose weight and play a didge. But let’s not make this thread into attempts at medical diagnosis, which would cause it to get shutdown. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/13 "2008-07-07T21:18:49Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Weird. I have no idea about the sleep apnea thing\*, but the choice of a didge is a personal preference thing. They’re all played the same way. Shorter ones are higher pitched, but in the didge world, nothing is really all that high (except some of the players!) The two main categories are synthetic (aka “modern didgeridoos”) or natural materials like eucalyptus, bamboo or agave (or, for cheaper ones, “wood”.) The mouthpiece is almost always beeswax, although I’ve seen a few kiddie PVC didges with a rubber ring instead. The nice thing about “modern” didges is their portability and light weight. They’re waterproof and easy to carry, so you’re more likely to actually use it and bring it along with you to wherever you like to didge. Some of them are very pretty, as well, although I admit I prefer the look of natural ones. I’d check out [this buying guide](http://www.laoutback.net/didgeridoo_buy_guide.html) - it looks pretty comprehensive. \*Although [here’s an article about it.](http://www.laoutback.net/didgeridoo/education/Didgeridoo_and_Sleep_Apnea.html)Seems the hypothesis is that didge playing exercises the upper airway, which, when stronger, is less likely to collapse and cause snoring/apnea. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the info. Just to be clear though, the question posed in this thread is which one is best for apnea. Although your other info was interesting, and I’ll definitely check out that link. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/14 "2008-07-07T23:50:30Z")
[QUOTE=Revtim] Thanks for the info. Just to be clear though, the question posed in this thread is which one is best for apnea. Although your other info was interesting, and I’ll definitely check out that link. [/QUOTE] My point (which I admit was obscured) is that there is no one that is “best” for apnea. They’re all played exactly the same and should have the same effects on your respiratory tract, if any. Choose one that you like and, if you plan on taking it places, is light and, if you plan on taking it outdoors in the weather, either has a case or is waterproof. There is no difference in the breathing required from one didge to another and all should have the same impact on your apnea. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-types-of-didgeridoos-are-better-for-treating-sleep-apnea/455584/15 "2008-07-07T23:58:28Z")
I see, thanks again **WhyNot**.