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Getting rid of the groggy voice in the morning

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D.Starr

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So, when I wake up I obviously, as many people will have, is a mega groggy voice. Obviously I want to begin to warm up but my voice is so groggy it feels impossible. My head voice really doesn't warm up until 2 hours after I wake. I don't want to force things but I find this a bit of a hindrance.

Lips bubbles don't greatly help either as they used to.

These are the things I try to get rid of the groggy voice:

-Lips rolls

-Vocal fry

-Humming

-Glass of warm water

Do you reckon I should breath in steam in the morning? I have a facial steamer I got for a cold I had recently.

Any tips please guys.

(Also got a call back for the XFactor so I need to get as much practice as possible)

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this may have nothing to do with your issue at all, but for me, the morning croakiness seems to come from my chords closing way after my breath passes through them. Practicing getting the onset of the tone at the same time as the breath seems to cure that within minutes (did it this morning, in fact). I use an exercise steven once explained here. Damned if I can remember how he explained it or how to describe it myself, though. Its a sort of voiceless popping sound, sort of like the initial onset of a cough that you then add voice to. Maybe someone else knows what Im talking about :p

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2 hours is a bit too long, should not take that long. Are you well hidrated, getting enough sleep, etc?

The best way is to wait for it to get ready, on the morning usually the folds are a bit swollen, but they get normal a few minutes after you wake up. 2 hours is a sign that something like acid reflux is happening.

Are you used to eating late, or right before getting to bed?

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2 hours is way too long. Felipe may be on to something here.

I had / have LPR which is when the reflux irritates your larynx. This is from eating right before you go to bed and your stomach acid flows up to your larynx. I've got it totally under control now. Try limiting what you eat within two hours before you go to bed. You can eat a small snack right before sleeping but make sure nothing hot / spicy. And keep it small.

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May the reason my voice has gotten raspy over the last few weeks. I have been eating a lot lately as I'm weight training at the gym and have developed a massive appetite. Find myself eating every hour or so :/

Doing head voice exercises has really been hard and very gritty lately and my F4/G4s have gotten very gritty too.

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If you are strength training are you also eating a diet that balances carbs / protein and fat? (like the Zone diet) You probably are, but if not that could also lead toward increased appetite.

When you are lifting are you holding back air pressure with the larynx or grunting? That could also create tightness in the voice but that is also fixable.

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warm up low and slow. five tone scales not going past middle c. over and over on eee is really good. Reason being if you do falsetto type stuff the cords are not going to approximate. Low speaking area is whats gonna help. This is from trial and error over 20yrs of waking up in some city and being shot from the night before or being fresh doesnt matter if you want a nice clear tone, your first warm up should be nice and clear.

daniel

www.danielformicavocalstudio.com

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Sounds like nocturnal acid reflux symptom. The voice is groggy because during night, when one is horizontal, a small amount of acid seeps into the esophagus then the vocal tract, weakening the vocal tissues. Once this occurs, it takes hours to restore the vocal tissues.

Do not eat, ideally, 3 hours before going to bed. Also, do not even drink anything other than water 2 hours before going to bed. Not good for your stomach and likely to aggravate acid reflux.

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I think everybody is a bit different. My voice have always been slow to wake up, usually takes me at least 4 hours before I feel that my voice have woken up properly. And I never feel I sing good in the mornings, my vocal prime is in the evenings.

For me it's not so much feeling "groggy" as it is feeling my voice is "low". I'm really a basso in the mornings :)

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Sounds crazy, but a good gruff scream and plenty of water gets rid of any early morning groggyness. Done many 7am sessions in the studio. Belt out some screams and just push out some notes as hard as you can, sounds obvious but clear your throat too :-) works for me.

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I can see maybe an hour of grogginess, similar to someone slow to getting out of bed, but hours? Anyone who's had military training knows 99% of recruits will be fully prepared out of bed in 30 minutes.

A low basso in the morning may also indicate nocturnal acid reflux. The vocal muscles are weakened by the acid, and one's voice sounds usually more bassy. Just a small amount of acid will do this.

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I have this problem too. Some days my voice doesn't ever wake up. Funnily enough, the day after a night of drinking, 9 times out of 10 my voice warms up quickly and stays strong that day... Weird right.

In regards to geno's comment on holding the breath when weightlifting... He may be onto something. There is no other way. If you're not performing the Valsalva maneuver when doing serious exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, etc... You are doing it wrong and will, at best, limit your training outcomes and at worst seriously injure your spine. So this can actually interfere with singing I've found. Singing after a heavy leg workout... It's not pretty :P

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When I lifted I focused on Squat's Deadlifts and bench presses. Squat's and deads I was going heavy and deep, thighs parallel and below. Breathing was important. But not holding the breath...or at least for too long. I think this is why many squatters get hemroids. I would take a deep breath ( deep, same as singing....diaphragm). Squat and hold my breath. I would push through my heals and start to drive still holding until maybe around half way then forcefully expel the air. Much of that breathing process was to hold the trunk stable. The same went for benching. Deep breath, inhale and lower the weight, hold the breath as the weight rises (usually you feel the sticking or tension point) and then blow the air out. The purpose again is to steady the trunk. I never used a belt when squatting or deadlifting. It prevented proper breathing. My solid trunk was my belt. Proper breathing insured that. Plus good lower back muscles and abs from doing 20 crunches with the equivalent of my bodyweight (220 lbs at the time) bench crunches.

That's holding a loaded bar with 220 lbs in a bench position fully extended overhead, then crunching away.

Yes, breathing in weight lifting is very important. I don't knowmuch about the Valsalva maneuver but I believe it is similar to forcing air through a small opening which is not far from holding the breath. Either way it causes pressure which is wrong in lifting. That causes too much pressure. Dangerous. You never want to get dizzy with weight on your back. I think this may also effect the heart if there is any underlying or unknown issues there. Then there is the hemroid thing.

But I'm no expert. But that is what I learned and used. :)

I see similar problems with misunderstanding Sanchin kata and its breathing.

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