If you don’t want others to hear you talking in a raspy voice, try talking to yourself, talking to your pets, or even talking or singing in the shower. Alternately, even if you wait a few hours to begin speaking in the morning, most of the raspy sound will have left your voice. Your voice will sound the hoarsest during the first hour or two after waking up.

Vocalists are often advised to squeeze a lemon slice into a glass of water to help “wake up” their vocal cords. Avoid drinking milk in the morning, as it is a relatively thick liquid and will not clear your throat well.

Try humming for 30 seconds, and then saying a few words. See if your voice has improved. If not, hum some more.

If you’re in the habit of having a midnight snack, now is the time to stop. The more time that passes between your last bites of food and going to bed, the more likely you’ll be to have a clear voice in the morning.

Alcohol also has the negative consequence of loosening your muscles and allowing stomach juices to come up more easily.

Of course, it’s impossible to control how you breathe while you’re sleeping. But, if you start out breathing through your nose and avoid sleeping on your back, you’re likely to continue breathing through your nose.

A raspy voice induced by having shouted for hours will last much longer than a typical raspy throat. You may be hoarse all day.

Smoke inhalation doesn’t have to come from cigarettes. If you regularly camp or barbeque, and sit downwind of the fire or grill, you will inhale smoke. This can also cause a raspy voice the following morning.

On the mild side, a raspy voice can be caused by a cold or seasonal allergies. More seriously, a raspy voice can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis, a thyroid disorder, or even laryngeal cancer. [6] X Research source If you’re concerned that you may be suffering from one or more of these conditions, schedule an appointment with your primary-care physician.