Morning voice can be a problem for all kinds of singers, especially singers that are used to performing and using their voice daily.
Your voice is deeper in the morning due to acidity in or around your vocal cords or dehydration from being asleep all night. Males will typically experience deeper voices in the morning due to their hormones.
In this article, we will explore what exactly morning voice is, how morning voice is caused and what you can do to help prevent and improve your morning voice.
Why Is Your Voice Deeper In the Morning?
Well, the voice is one of the most fragile instruments we have available to us and therefore needs caring for. Morning voice is known as the voice being deeper, croakier, raspy, and sounding tired. There are many reasons why the voice starts to struggle with these issues, especially in the morning.
When you experience morning voice what you are really experiencing is a temporary loss of efficiency in the vocal cords. This means that the vocal cords will sound lower in tone as they can lose some of their elasticity, especially if they are not cared for properly.
One of the main reasons that we experience morning voice is due to mucus forming on the vocal cords.
Mucus On Your Vocal Cords
Mucus is actually what keeps our vocal cords lubricated and healthy. Mucus is normally drained and the body regulates the mucus to keep a healthy amount to be able to lubricate the vocal cords. At night. the body finds that the mucus is harder to drain and therefore the balance is off.
This can cause the vocal cords to swell and lose the ability to vibrate at higher frequencies. Therefore, causes morning voice which is typically lower.
Why Is My Voice So Deep in the Morning?
You may still be asking, why are voices deeper in the morning, could there be other reasons? Yes! The production of mucus is not something that you can control and is inevitable but there are other reasons that could be causing you to have issues with your vocals which you can control.
Here are the main reasons people experience morning voice:
- Acidity in or around your vocal cords
- Male voice and hormones
Acidity in or Around Your Vocal Cords
The other main health issue that could be causing damage to your vocal cords is heartburn and acid reflux. This could be caused by foods and beverages, especially beverages that are alcoholic. Eating at night can also cause the body to have issues digesting food and therefore cause symptoms of heartburn. Heartburn can burn the vocal cords and cause long-term irritation.
Male Voice and Hormones
If the male hormones are high in the body, especially testosterone, then the vocal cords can be affected. This can cause the vocal cords to be more prominent in lower tones.
Why Does Your Voice Sound Different When You Wake Up?
Here are the two most common reasons that can easily be avoided:
- Singing in the morning
- Dehydration
Singing in the Morning
It’s actually not a good idea to sing or perform in the morning. The vocals often have fully warmed up by lunchtime and are ready to be used. Therefore, avoid performing or recording in the mornings if you can.
Dehydration
Another reason why your voice may sound different in the morning is dehydration. While you have been sleeping, the vocal cords have become slightly dehydrated and need to be lubricated. Drinking a warm tea or just keeping on top of your water intake every day can really help with this issue.
Why Does My Voice Get Deeper at Night?
Lying down for a long period of time could be a reason why the vocal cords become affected at night. Tiredness can also be a factor. When we are exhausted, our vocal cords show signs of being exhausted too.
How to Help Morning Voice
There are simple ways of helping your body slowly wake up and preventing what is known as morning voice. Here is a list of the main things to do in the mornings to avoid a raspy morning voice:
- Avoid coffee and alcohol
- Avoid talking straight away
- Take morning showers
Avoid Coffee and Alcohol
Even though warm drinks can help rehydrate the vocal cords, it is best not to choose coffee as it contains caffeine. Caffeine can dehydrate the voice and lead to the throat feeling dry. Alcohol is also a very dehydrating beverage for the vocal cords.
Avoid Talking Straight Away
It is best to avoid suddenly overtalking or talking loudly when you first wake up. These actions can strain the voice further and make the voice sound deeper and croakier. It is best to wake up and then start some gentle vocal exercises or humming. Before talking, try drinking a warm tea to help rehydrate your vocal cords.
Take Morning Showers
Taking a shower in the morning can help steam your voice box, especially if you prefer your showers on the warmer side. Practice deep breathing while you are showering to make sure your vocal cords and vocal fold are moisturized.
How to Help Your Voice On Performance Days
If you are about to perform, you will need to help your voice to prepare for singing for a long period of time. Here is a list of the main things to do the morning of your performances to avoid a raspy morning voice:
- Warm-up vocal exercises
- Making extra time for your morning routine
Warm Up Vocal Exercises
Warming up before a performance will allow your voice to slowly begin to be ready for the performance. You should not overwork your voice but should allow it to warm up gently. Adding exercises like lip trills or tongue trills are perfect ways of waking the voice up.
Making Extra Time for Your Morning Routine
It is best to give your voice time to wake up and not rush a warm-up. Making sure you have plenty of time to wake your body up and your vocal cords will help with a lengthy performance.
How to Help Your Voice The Night Before
The routine you keep the night before you are wanting to perform or use your voice can very much affect how healthy your vocal cords are. Here is a list of the main things to do the night before you would like to use your voice to avoid morning voice:
- 8 hours of sleep
- Change your sleeping environment
- Avoid eating late
8 Hours of Sleep
Sleep is crucial for the body and for your vocal health. A lack of sleep can cause the body to be tired and result in a raspy or croaky voice. Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
Change Your Sleeping Environment
Avoid sleeping in an environment where you have dry air or a very hot, heated room. Air-conditioned rooms should also be avoided, especially while you are sleeping. If you can not avoid these conditions, it is best to use a humidifier that can add moisture back into the air you are breathing while you are sleeping. This moisture will help soothe the throat and prevent the vocal cords from drying.
Avoid Eating Late
Eating very late at night can actually be damaging to your body as your body finds it hard to digest food while it is sleeping. Eating before bedtime can cause acid reflux which can actually burn the vocal cords. Acid reflux can be one of the main causes of tired and deep voices. Therefore, if you avoid eating late at night you will reduce your risk of acid reflux.
Best Vocal Exercises for a Deep Morning Voice
If you are wanting to get rid of your morning voice, then practicing vocal exercises is the best thing you can do. Practicing vocal exercises not only warms up the vocal cords but allows your voice to gently wake up without any irritation. If you incorporate vocal exercises as part of your daily routine you may find that your voice will start to feel cared for and also your vocal range may expand.
Here is a list of the best vocal exercises to try to get rid of your morning voice:
- Deep breaths
- Relax the muscles in your face, especially the jaw
- Gentle singing of individual notes of various scales
- Vocal scale slides
- Practicing scales from your lower range to your higher range
- Singing with different vowels
Want to know how to sing these exercises? We have found a fantastic video by Voice Lesson.com guiding you through the different vocal exercises:
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Fun fact – every voice has a maximum resonance point which is the part of the vocal range that person sounds the most attractive. Female voices can use the higher end of their vocal range which is known to sound attractive just like male voices can use the lower end of their vocal range which is known to sound more attractive. If the vocal range is forced, then the vocal will sound unnatural and therefore, unattractive.
If you do not have a lot of time in the mornings the best trick of all to get rid of the morning voice is to just talk. Yes, it may sound very simple, but talking out your morning voice can help the vocal cords warm up. Once you have talked for a while after waking up, you will find that your voice will begin to sound normal again. If you are wanting to get rid of your morning voice quickly, try not to overtalk or shout as this will only irritate the vocal cords further.
Final Thoughts
A slight morning voice is pretty inevitable for most people as sleeping for such a long time will affect the balance of the vocal cords. There are plenty of ways you can help and prevent further raspiness in the voice. Keeping hydrated is key and incorporating vocal exercises into your daily routine can be helpful.
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