A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
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This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Ok, but thats only an option for men.
No, I'm not okay with disrespecting an ancient culture that has been systemically abused and dismantled and is struggling to maintain itself.
Im also not some shitty American talk show ignoring all that for a publicity stunt.
Of course the strong negative correlation between sleep apnea and didgeridoo players is household knowledge, but before the study I think most of us assumed that was because most didgeridoo players are upside down.
because most didgeridoo players are upside down
Because they're mostly from Australia?
I mean, makes enough sense in concept.
Could also work with any larger wind instrument that requires moving a considerable volume of air.
Builds up muscles related to breathing, could thus potentially moderately reshape the throat and nasal cavity.
Maybe you'd prefer a tuba?
... at least its not a vuvuzela...
The didgeridoo is customarily played using a technique called circular breathing. Because this involves forcing air out of the mouth using the cheeks, it is exceptionally difficult to do on instruments and in mystical styles where maintaining a specific embouchure is required. Which means it's not practical on brass or reeded wind instruments playing most conventional repertoire.
at least its not a vuvuzela
Bzzzzzz
As someone with "mild" OSA who doesn't snore but has severe daytime sleepiness (because healthcare research only uses severity measurements as it relates to disturbing other people), this study seems like a total joke.
There was no effect on the quality of sleep (difference -0.7, -2.1 to 0.6, P = 0.27). The combined analysis of sleep related outcomes showed a moderate to large effect of didgeridoo playing (difference between summary z scores -0.78 SD units, -1.27 to -0.28, P < 0.01). Changes in health related quality of life did not differ between groups.
Conclusion Regular didgeridoo playing is an effective treatment alternative well accepted by patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
So their sleep and health didn't improve, but it was successful because the exertion masked their daytime sleepiness and lowered their apnoea-hypopnoea index (which btw, has already been shown to have much less correlation to symptom severity than other measures) which therefore lowered snoring and was less disruptive to their partners. Also, they have to buy a stupidly large and expensive instrument to boot. Who thought of this study? Didgeridoo sellers?? Who in their right mind would opt for this "treatment" over CPAP machines???
You do not appear to be reading this right.
Here lemme break this down and slightly rephrase it for readaibility:
Compared with the control group[,] in the didgeridoo group [we observed] daytime sleepiness and apnoea-hypopnoea index improve significantly.
[Their] partners reported less sleep disturbance [as well].
There was no [discernible/signifcant] effect on the [self-reported] quality of sleep.
So what you describe as 'masking daytime sleepiness' is actually just 'less reported daytime sleepiness'.
IE, you're more alert, less sluggish, when awake.
Apnoea-Hyoapnoae index is basically the time you spend during sleeping having blood flow oxygenation below critical levels... this also significantly lessened.
Meaning that people got more regular well oxygenated blood flow while sleeping, after blwoing through a tube regularly.
The only thing that did not improve was self reported 'quality of sleep'.
Yet they were observed to snore less, and reported being less tired during the day, and their sleeping partners reported being disturbed less.
So, the only metric that didn't improve was the one that is the most subjective and least important.
They didn't report 'better sleep' but... everything else indicates that their sleep was indeed of greater quality.
Psychosomatic dubiousness that anything is different vs every other metric showing improvement.
Or, your response, basically.
Going back to the numbers, the day time sleepiness index is from 0 to 24, where over 11 is excessive sleepiness. The mean improvement is -3, which basically means these people got 3 more useful active daytime hours a day, they got 12.5% more useful time in each 24 hour period.
Again that's not masking, that's the exact improvement you are looking for.
The 'choking in your sleep' index improved by -6, when the average score of all was 21, so basically the average result was roughly 25% less time spent choking in your sleep.
Who would opt for this treatment?
I dunno, maybe anyone with a CPAP machine that wants to one day maybe not need a CPAP machine, or someone with a CPAP machine and also an unreliable local power grid?
Who would opt for this treatment?
...or anyone needing a new, niche hyperfixation!
(thanks for the excellent breakdown)
I might suggest the harmonica as another potential alternative.
Or you could just do the blow test thingy from 'The Right Stuff', for fun, or something, maybe?
Also, they have to buy a stupidly large and expensive instrument to boot.
First few results on ebay with no filters or sorting shows several for 30-100 $USD. Compact travel didges are under 30 $USD. Full size didges are ~5 ft (150 cm) and not terribly wide. They don't take up much more room than you would need to store a yardstick.
You could also probably just make a shitty/unique one out of PVC pipe, a handsaw, and a drill bit.
Or maybe even just core out a stick of dried bamboo?
Now nobody will be able to sleep. Abnormal sleep schedule solved!
Oh god please no!