INDIAN researchers have discovered a low-tech, low-cost treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA): blowing into a conch shell.

A small study published today in ERJ Open Research reports that people who practised blowing through a conch shell regularly for six months experienced a reduction in their sleep apnoea symptoms.

Blowing the conch shell, or shankh blowing, has been part of Indian culture for thousands of years.

The new research showed that people with moderate OSA who practised shankh blowing slept better, felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night.

The study included 30 people with moderate OSA, aged between 19 and 65, who were trained in either conch blowing or deep breathing.

Participants were encouraged to practise at home for a minimum of 15 minutes, five days per week.

After six months, the patients were reassessed, with the conch blowers 34% less sleepy in the daytime than the deep breathers, and had better sleep, fewer apnoea episodes each night, and higher nighttime blood oxygen levels.

The researchers say conch blowing is a simple, cheap intervention that could help reduce symptoms without the need for medication or machines, and give you a better sleep – if the Lord of the Flies vibes don’t keep you awake.

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