Why do we have raspy voice in the morning?

When we wake up in the mornings, we usually have a deeper voice. Some people like it, others don't want to speak at that moment of the day. Actually, there are some reasons for our raspy morning voice.

“Morning voice,” is not to be confused with hoarseness which is caused by a problem with the vocal cords or an inflamed larynx. Our deeper voice in the morning is an inevitable result of a good night’s rest. During sleep, the tissues in our throat collect fluid, which is also what causes our eyes to look puffy when we just wake up. Our lack of vocal cord use during the night also causes mucus to build up during the hours we spend asleep. People who breathe through their mouth during sleep quickly dry out their vocal cords. This lack of lubrication hinders our vocal cords from moving together, which creates the normal or higher pitch of our voice. These are the main reasons.

Acid reflux, which refers to stomach acid leaking back up the esophagus, can also result in the raspier voice we tend to wake up with. Eating a big meal before bed or a spicy meal can exasperate this problem. Sleeping with your head elevated is another solution. Specialists advise to drink two glasses of room temperature water complimented by a squeeze of lemon. This should be done before your morning coffee and tea, which can actually make your throat even drier. Warm and moist air from your morning shower can relax your throat muscles, too.

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