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By Michele Costanza…bringing you a humorous view on consumer topics in an all-too-serious world
I admit it. I snore. Needless to say, it doesn’t annoy me, but I do wake up occasionally with a dry mouth that’s clearly been sawing logs for at least 6 hours. This does not bother my husband. Yay for me.
Now my husband’s snoring is a different story. It drives me absolutely crazy, and since I’m a very light sleeper, it ruins my sleep every, single night (I have an app that tracks my sleep patterns, but that’s a different post). Sleep deprivation IS KILLING ME. Who’s with me…anyone else ready to kick their partner out of the bedroom??
So, I’ve been on a quest for the last few years to find a solution. Yes, I already wear earplugs (Mack’s Silicone Earplugs are the absolute best) every night, which definitely help, but they’re just not enough.
I’ve also experimented with various snore pillows. I did find one a few years back that actually helped, but sadly, they are no longer available. Not that it was comfortable for the user. In fact, it was extremely UNcomfortable, which is exactly how it worked…..wake the snorer, stop the snoring. (Yes, my husband is a saint for dealing with this for so long) Now that I think about it, he’s probably the culprit who destroyed said pillow…
Since the snoring problem has been escalating (in decibels) I decided to try the mouthpiece route before I insisted on surgery or a separate bedroom. After reading many review websites (you’d be surprised at the number of blogs and websites devoted to snoring…or, maybe not surprised) I decided to bypass the weird looking top-rated device and go with the more conventional-looking second-rated choice. Don’t ask, my sleep-deprived brain was not thinking clearly.
Vital Sleep is an FDA-cleared device to reduce snoring by adjusting the jaw forward to open the airway in the back of the throat. It’s adjustable and highly rated, and with a money-back guarantee, it’s an $80 investment I could gladly make.
They do say that it takes some adjustment to get used to this device, but trust me when I say that it’s a rough adjustment. My husband is not one to complain, but he awoke the first night exhausted with a sore jaw, loose-feeling teeth and a craving for coffee that bordered on desperation.
This continued the next few nights, until I finally caved. The man was going downhill from lack of sleep, and I was feeling consumed with guilt. Was he snoring? Very little, but was it worth it?
I started searching for an alternative.
I decided to go with the Good Morning Snore Solution, the “weird-looking” top-rated mouthpiece with a money-back guarantee and amazing reviews, though I’m always cautious about reviews.
First, it looks like a weird $100 pacifier. Now you know why I just couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
Long story short, I ordered two, one for my husband and one for myself, and we both slept with them the first night. It felt weird. Not painful, but odd.
But the next morning, I felt rested. We both did. No drooling, no loose teeth, no sore jaws. Dare I say it….I wasn’t awakened a single time from snoring all night!
However, I did have a slight problem. Because the mouthpiece protrudes out of the mouth (like a reverse pacifier) my lips were rubbed raw on the top and bottom after a couple nights of use. Not good. However, I stopped using it for 4 nights, then started back up, and was just fine after that. My husband didn’t have any problems, and has been using it consistently for weeks.
Bottom line: THIS THING WORKS!!
Yes, he does occasionally breathe heavily, more like a nasal snore, but never a loud throat snore like before, and never for more than a few seconds. I know this because I hear it when he’s sleeping and I’m still up until 2:00am (can I hear it for the Night Owls?). After that, I’m still wearing earplugs (habit I can’t break) and I sleep like a baby.
I’m sure different devices work better for some people better than others, but this one is risk-free, and worth every single penny.
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Who is SassyCityGirl?
Just your average gal with two kids, a Boxer named Doug and a Shorky (shih tzu/yorkie) named Scout, an interesting life, and an ungodly obsession with certain quirky things. Sunblock for one. Electronics for another. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
My goal is to share fortuitous oddities and pearls of humor as I discover them. The best hair products, the worst customer service, the most delightfully random photos. You name it, I’ll share it.