📚Do Snoring Mouth Guards Work? Your Expert Advice

Are you fed up with your snoring keeping you up at night? Or even more frustrating, is your snoring preventing others from getting a good night’s rest? You’ve likely experimented with various solutions and quick remedies claiming to eliminate your snoring once and for all. Could the assistance of a mouth guard designed to stop snoring be the solution? We’ve consulted with specialists to address the question: do snoring mouth guards work?

What is Snoring?

Snoring occurs in nearly 50% of the population- so it goes without saying you’ve probably heard some sort of snoring in your life. Or maybe you are a sufferer of snoring.

According to the American Sleep Association, snoring is defined as the sound of any resistance or turbulence in the upper airways. While it is a common misconception, snoring does not actually come from the nose. In fact, snoring takes place in the back of the airways. Behind your tongue, your oropharynx may become constricted while you are sleeping which will begin blocking the airways.

While you are fast asleep, your muscles that work to keep the upper airways open will begin to relax. This relaxation of the muscles will most often occur and most prominent in the sleep cycle known as REM sleep. When your airways become smaller, the air turbulence will increase. The increase of air turbulence will cause the soft tissues located in the rear of your throat to vibrate. That vibration is the true cause of your snoring.

Snoring is typically harmless, but it can signify a deeper health issue. Doctors contributing to the American Academy of Otolaryngology warn that snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea. Let alone cause restless nights for the sufferer and/or any bed partners.

Snoring can be caused by several factors such as:

• Poor muscle tone in the throat and in the tongue. When these muscles are too relaxed, it will cause constrictions in the airways.
• Excess bulkiness in the throat or in the airways. Typically seen in children with large tonsils or in overweight individuals.
• Sleeping positions.
• Nasal airways that are obstructed. Typically caused by sinus infections, colds, or hay fever.
• Deformities such as a deviated septum.
• Men are known to suffer from snoring more than women.

Anyone trying their best to sleep will tell you that snoring can be rather annoying. One of the first things many sufferers of snoring are recommended by doctors is using an anti snoring mouthpiece to see improvements.

What is a Mouth Piece to Prevent Snoring?

An anti-snoring mouth guard is an FDA approved, oral device that can prevent or significantly reduce snoring by adjusting the lower jaw’s position during sleep. This simple adjustment can allow you to unblock any constricted airways by opening the back of the throat. Once your throat is open, any air passing through will no longer cause vibrations as the airways are now cleared.

A snoring mouth guard will be prescribed by a doctor or dentist. Since the mouth guard will need to be fitted accurately, a doctor is needed to ensure the snoring mouth guard will not negatively affect the placement of the teeth.

Anti-snoring mouth guards are specifically designed to do a few things:

• Stabilizing your jaw in instances of receding jaws
• Opening the airway naturally by pushing or advancing the jaw forward
• Gives your tongue a depressor through the night. This prevents the relaxed tongue from falling back into the back of your throat which prevents proper air flow and breathing.
• Makes sure that any soft tissue does not block any airways.

In a study conducted by Stuart M. Robinson of Crosshouse Hospital, Scotland, found that operations for snoring were not always needed and implementing the use of a snoring mouth guard can do the job instead. Individual preference is the ultimate decider though. As long as you can manage having a mouth guard like device in your mouth while you sleep, your snoring will either stop altogether or significantly reduce.

So do snoring mouth guards work? Yes, they do!

However, it is highly recommended by the FDA to only have a snoring mouth guard fitted by a doctor or dentist. This will ensure proper fitting as well as prevent any negative side effects due to ill-fitting anti-snoring mouth guards.

Do Snoring Mouth Guards Work: The Final Word

If you are a sufferer of snoring, ease your suffering with the help of a fitted anti-snoring mouth guard. Not only will you be getting better sleep, so will your bed partner. Just so long as you are ok with having the mouth guard in your mouth through the night, you can kiss your snoring goodbye.

We would love to hear from you! In your experience, do snoring mouth guards work? Feel free to add your thoughts below 🙂