Snoring is not just annoying for the people we share our beds with, it can be a sign of a serious sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Besides snoring, OSA shows itself through repeated pauses in breathing caused by blocked airways, which put extra strain on the cardiovascular system. To ease sleep-deprived partners, and help patients themselves, researchers in India explored an unconventional remedy: the ancient practice of conch shell blowing.
In their study, published in ERJ Open Research, participants who regularly blew a conch shell noticed relief from OSA symptoms, making it a potentially low-cost and delightfully unexpected approach to improving sleep hygiene.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
It’s estimated that about 12 percent of U.S. adults live with OSA — making it even more common than asthma — yet most don’t know they have it. Not everyone who snores has OSA, but snoring often prompts people to seek help, leading to a diagnosis.
Poor-quality sleep is the most obvious effect, but the nightly breathing disruptions can also raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
“The standard treatment for OSA is a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, which keeps the patient’s airway open by blowing air through a facemask throughout the night. While effective, many patients find it uncomfortable and struggle to use it consistently,” said Krishna Sharma from the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, India, in a press release, highlighting the need for other treatments options.
Sharma became curious about conch shell blowing (also known as shankh blowing, a traditional yogic breathing technique) when several of his patients casually mentioned feeling better after practicing it. Intrigued, he decided to put this centuries-old ritual to the test in a proper clinical trial.
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Ancient Practice Takes On Sleep Disorder
Thirty adults with moderate OSA, aged 19 to 65, were enrolled at Sharma’s clinic between May 2022 and January 2024. All underwent overnight sleep studies (polysomnography) and completed questionnaires about their sleep quality and daytime drowsiness.
The participants were randomly assigned to either learn conch shell blowing (16 people) or perform a deep breathing exercise (14 people). Each participant received a traditional shankh shell and in-person training from the research team, then practiced at home for at least 15 minutes a day, five days a week. After six months, they were reassessed.
Those in the conch shell group were 34 percent felt more awake during the day, reported better sleep, and had four to five fewer apneas per hour compared to the deep breathing group. Night-time blood oxygen levels also improved. But what could possibly be so special about blowing into a seashell that it might help people sleep and breathe better at night?
Muscle Training With Shell Blowing
Sharma explained in the press statement that blowing a shankh involves a deep inhalation followed by a forceful, sustained exhalation through tightly pursed lips. This produces strong vibrations and airflow resistance, which may strengthen the muscles of the upper airway, areas that often collapse during sleep in people with OSA. The shell’s spiral shape might also add unique acoustic and mechanical effects that further tone these muscles.
“For people living with OSA, especially those who find CPAP uncomfortable, unaffordable, or inaccessible, our findings offer a promising alternative. Shankh blowing is a simple low-cost breathing technique that could help improve sleep and reduce symptoms without the need for machines or medication,” Sharma added.
Going forward, the team plans a larger, multi-hospital trial to confirm the findings and examine how conch shell blowing compares with standard treatments, especially for more severe cases. While the research is still early, the method could become a valuable standalone or complementary therapy for select patients.
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
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Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- ERJ Open Research. Efficacy of blowing shankh on moderate sleep apnea: a randomised control trial
- National Library of Medicine. "Count on Sleep": an OSA awareness project update
