Review of PureSleep Antisnore Device
Aug 20th, 2008 | By Hiram | Category: Reviews
Couple of months ago, my wife started complaining that I had begun snoring pretty loudly at times. No big deal, I thought. Lot’s of people start to snore later in life, especially men.
However, things started getting worse. I obviously wasn’t sleeping well and was waking up repeatedly during the night and getting up in the morning feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. Things went from bad to worse when my wife said that there were a couple of times that she had woken up with a start because I had actually stopped breathing. She worried I was developing sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition that if left untreated, can increase the load on the heart causing high blood pressure and increasing the chance of a heart attack. Since I had recently been told by my dentist that my blood pressure seemed a little high, the pieces started to fall into place – and I didn’t like the picture they were painting. It was time to look for answers and one of the solutions I found was the PureSleep system.
What It Is
As a person gets older, the chances that they’ll start snoring increases, especially for men. The reason is because the soft tissue at the back of the throat basically begins to sag. As we sleep, this soft tissue relaxes to the point that it begins to vibrate creating what we call a snore. This tissue can also block the airway causing obstructive sleep apnea.
PureSleep is a plastic mouthpiece that moves your lower jaw upward helping to clear the airway. The result is little to no snoring and a reduced chance of sleep apnea. Finally, a night of restful sleep!
What It Claims
According to some of the literature that accompanied the product, PureSleep claims to be 80-90% effective in stopping snoring. It also claims to be an “FDA-cleared prescription dental device” available without a prescription or a visit to a dentist.
This device is not for you if you’ve been diagnosed with central sleep apnea (as opposed to obstructive sleep apnea), have some sort of chronic respiratory disorder (like asthma or emphysema), have dental problems (loose teeth or gum disease), have TMD (a disease of the jaw joint), or if you have full dentures (partials are OK).
How It Works
The PureSleep uses a technique called “mandibular repositioning,” which is a fancy way of saying that it moves, or repositions, your lower jaw (the mandibula) in order to clear your airway.
You can try this yourself by laying on your back for a couple of minutes. If you’re like me, after a while you’ll start to feel like phlem is beginning to collect at the back of your throat. You might even have to “clear your throat” a couple of times in order to keep your airway clear. This feeling is actually the soft tissue at the back of your throat relaxing, and then sagging, to the point that it begins to block your airway.
Now, once you feel it getting harder to take a breath, instead of “clearing your throat,” try moving your lower jaw forward. You should feel your airway clear almost immediately. The only problem is holding your jaw in this position because once you fall asleep, your jaw drops back down restricting the airway again. That’s where the PureSleep device comes in.
The device is made up of an upper, as well as a lower, mouthpiece that are designed to snap together. However, before you snap them together, you move the lower one to a point that will move your lower jaw forward. This is an important first step and cannot be changed later so make sure you do it correctly.
Next, you need to custom fit the PureSleep to your mouth. To do this, you put the device in a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds, let it cool for 10 seconds, and then put it into your mouth and bite down hard while holding your lower jaw as far forward as you can.
The device is constructed of both rigid (the outer part) as well as soft plastic (the inner part). The hot water softens the inner part to the point that it creates an imprint of your teeth in the plastic. It also locks in the position of the lower piece so it’s important that you had it positioned far enough forward in the first place.
Finally, you trim away any of the soft plactic that might have oozed out to the side. If the fit still isn’t comfortable, you can repeat the boiling water process 2-3 more times (it took me 3 times to get mine right). HOWEVER, note that each time you do this, the amount of soft plastic that lines the inside of the mouthpiece get’s thinner and thinner so there’s a limit to how many times you can heat the device.
Once you’re done, the device should fit snugly, but still comfortably, in your mouth without putting undue pressure on your teeth or gums. It should also be pulling your lower jaw forward.
How Effective It Is
You do have to get used to wearing the device at night. Until you do, you’ll probably find yourself waking up and pulling it out after a couple of hours. That’s OK. Just try to leave it in longer and longer each night. It shouldn’t bother you at all after 3 or 4 nights.
Once you get used to wearing it, you’ll be surprised how effective the device is. I’ve finally been able to sleep through the entire night. Obviously, I also feel a lot more rested in the morning.
What It Costs
OK, here’s the bad news. On their website, the PureSleep system sells for $59.90 plus a $7.95 shipping charge. The PureSleep company claims that this price is much less than what it would cost if you went to your dentist and had it prescribed. That’s probably true but it really didn’t make me feel any better.
So basically, I paid a total of $67.85 for a piece of plastic!! However, the device DOES work and once I got over the shock, I justified it by asking myself exactly how much a good nights sleep and lower blood pressure is actually worth.
PureSleep stands behind their product with a full 30-day money back, 100% satisfaction guarantee.
My Recommendation & Rating
My recommendation is that if you suffer from snoring to the point that you or your partner can’t get a good night’s sleep, then you need to get one of these things. Sure, the price is a little steep but it’s fully guaranteed, is constructed of quality materials, and it works.
I highly recommend it. Here’s how I would rate it overall:
Where To Get It
The PureSleep system is only available through their website at www.PureSleep.com. Your dentist probably has access to similar (but probably more expensive) products.
Disclosure
PureSleep does not have an affiliate program so I am not making any money or getting any kind of compensation from this review. I purchased the product for my own use and have found it works as advertised.
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Hi Mary. Your question gets one of those “yes and no” type of answers. When the PureSleep device is fitted properly, you end up with a mold of your teeth. That’s what heating the device in hot water and then biting down on it does.
When you wear the device, your teeth fit snugly into this “mold.” This essentially prevents the device from slipping out and it also helps to hold your lower jaw forward preventing you from snoring. So that’s the “yes” answer to your question.
The PureSleep device is designed with a 1/4″ gap (more or less) between the upper and lower pieces. When you have the device in your mouth, it takes a little extra effort to completely close your lips over it but my experience has shown that your mouth does not stay closed during the night. Because of the size of the PureSleep device, your lips are not going to remain closed once you relax and go to sleep. You still end up breathing through your mouth — that’s why there’s a gap between the upper and lower pieces — for most of the night (that’s what caused the “pool of drool” mentioned in some of the other comments). That’s the “no” answer to your question.
OK, so what are your options? One is to do what I did and train yourself to sleep on your side. When I used the PureSleep device, I was constantly waking up with a “wet ear” because of all the drool on my pillow. Because the device essentially kept my mouth open during sleep, I drooled all night long. By the time I got “swimmer’s ear,” I was sleeping through most of the night on my side anyway so I was able to “wean” myself off the PureSleep device and still not snore.
A second option is to investigate some of the anti-snore devices that are designed to hold your lower jaw shut. I haven’t tried these so I can’t vouch for them but you can find examples in my post titled “A Resource List of Anti-Snore Devices.” You can use the Search box at the top of the site if the post isn’t listed in the “Related Posts.”
Keep in mind that the devices that are designed to keep your mouth closed assume that you do not have any type of medical problem or condition that would block your nasal passages.
Hope this helps!
Hiram
The thing works. I tried every sleeping pill I could find and none of them will cure upper airway obstruction. It may be a little uncomfortable, but it’s much better than waking up all night every time your airway closes off.
PureSleep is amazing. After my roommate in college complained about my snoring, I purchased this product. As long as I use it, my snoring is significantly reduced and I feel more rested during the day. Thanks PureSleep!
I can definitely attest to this device! I got it for my husband because he snores like a freight train, and often I have to sleep in another room with ear plugs. After getting it, life was pure bliss. However, he’s had it since February and his snoring is starting to resume. I called the company and they said that the device lasts between 8-12 months and if he tried boiling it again for a refit and that didn’t work, to order a new one. I went ahead and ordered another one, and they gave me a discount. It cost $39.95 and adding tax (in CA) and shipping, brought it to $56 or so. Still a good deal, IMHO.
Based on some of the comments I read here, a dental device costs around $300 and lasts 2-3 years. Pure Sleep is still more cost effective in the long run.
Just checking to see if this is a real site or a plant by the puresleep people. If this comment does not show up immediatley I know this is a scam.
Cheese – yep, it’s a real site. I may get behind a day or two but comments are usually posted immediately unless they’re obviously spam (too many links, can’t enter the captcha, etc).
I’m in no way connected with PureSleep, or any other anti-snoring device – and since PureSleep doesn’t have an affiliate program, I can’t even “cash in” on all the PR I’ve given them!
Still, nothing wrong with being skeptical!
Hiram
I have been using the Pure Sleep for a few months now. My wife claims that it was working fine for a the first month or two and then she noticed that I was back to snoring and then it got progressively louder until it just constantly woke her up. Now after months of use… I have been experiencing sever jaw pain on the right side of my mouth. Should I or do I need to re-do the positioning and setting. The pain is so intense that I have altered the way I eat.
Mr. T:
If you’re experiencing severe pain, I’d recommend that you quit using it for a couple of nights. The first thing you need to worry about is the health of the inside of your mouth. If you’ve got any kind of swelling, refitting the PureSleep isn’t going to do any good.
Once you’ve lost the pain, then try refitting or readjusting the device. Also keep in mind that you might be at the limit of what the PureSleep is capable of. If your snoring has become more than the PureSleep can handle, you might want to investigate other types of anti-snoring devices (see my post “A Resource List of Anti-Snoring Devices”) as well as checking with a sleep specialist or other healthcare provider.
Hiram
I’ve had PureSleep for about 9 months. It works most of the time, though sometimes I spit it out without realizing it. My teeth are sore for a while in the morning after using it.
Shortly after I got it, I reheated it and made some adjustments. For a short while I had issues with gagging, but I found if I consciously pushed my tongue forward, the gagging reflex subsided. I also cut away some of the extra moulding material, and that helped.
A very similar interesting-looking product is SomnoGuard. It has a screw adjustment, which might be helpful.
I’m about to order the product to get my freight train snoring in check. The documentation I’ve found on the website isnn’t clear to me as to what setting I should use. I have an over-bite, but not buck teeth. Can anyone advise what the correct settign would be for an over-bite?
Thank you.
Bob, I described this in one of my other posts on the PureSleep device.
I’m in the same boat – an overbite, so in my case, I ended up putting the device on essentially it’s most extended setting. That put my lower teeth about 1/4″ in front of my upper teeth. Keeping in mind that my front teeth are normally behind the lower (because of the overbite), that means my lower jaw moved quite a bit forward.
It does take some playing around with the settings. You’ve got to find a balance between a setting that works and one that’s comfortable to wear all night long.
Hiram
Hiram,
Thanks for the reply.
One of us has overbite confused with underbite, and it may be me. My front teeth are in front of my lower teeth. Not to the extent I had buck teeth and needed braces many years ago, but almost.
When I try to get my lower teeth 1/4 inch in front of my uppers, it doesn’t work. Pushing lowers forward gets them to about even, the lowers ever so slightly in front of the uppers.
No, I think we’re on the same page Bob. My teeth do the same. Just being able to get my lower jaw moved far enough forward so that my bottom teeth were even or just ahead of my upper teeth seemed to be enough for me.
Again, the whole concept behind PureSleep is to move your lower jaw forward enough so that the soft tissue at the back of your throat doesn’t collapse and vibrate when you sleep. How far that is will be different for everybody. You just need to find the spot that works for you.
Hiram
Hiram,
I just rec’d Pure Sleep and I SNORE louded than freight train.I have some teeth missing on both sides of bottom 2 lf. & 1 rt. and one top rt. side on top(4 missing total). Is this going to obscure
the function of the Pure Sleep Container(Mouth piece)?
Regards,
Bob
It shouldn’t Bob. The device has a soft plastic liner that you mold by putting it in boiling water and then biting down into it. You end up with an impression of your teeth including any gaps. I wouldn’t think missing teeth would be an issue.
I have been using the device fro about a week and a half and it really does work. The only problem is that my jaw is killing me. I can’t even close my mouth properly at this point and chewing food is quite painful.
Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can get it to work without having to take advil all the time?
Does the pain subside? have I done something wrong? should i try to refit it??
Thanks for any advice!!
Jim
Jim,
The PureSleep website describes an exercise you can do to help relieve the jaw pain – basically massaging the jaw while slowly working the muscles.
Wearing the device is like doing push-ups. At first, your muscles are sore but if you keep wearing it, they should hurt less and less. If they continue to hurt, then that means that your muscles are not “getting used” to the device and something else might be wrong. The device may in fact be set too far forward and resetting it might help.
The key is to setting the device is to find a balance between pulling the jaw forward enough so you don’t snore (or don’t snore as loud) but not so far forward that your jaw feels like it’s being pulled out of socket. This means that you might have to settle for “not snoring as loud” instead of “not snoring at all” but if it increases the comfort, it increases the likelihood that you’ll continue using the device.
Besides, you can always “take up a notch” at a later date.
Hope this helps.
Hiram
You mention getting the lower section as far forward as possible, as it not changeable; yet later in comments you suggest changing that setting if lower jaw hurts. Are we able to change the setting or not?
Diane,
Yes, the lower section is changeable. You can set it so that it is directly below the upper section, or move it forward so that it pulls your lower jaw forward.
Note that when I say “directly below” or “move forward” I’m talking relative to your upper teeth.
There are a series of holes on one section and a “post” on the other. You move the sections to where you want them and then press the “post” into the matching hole.
Hope this explains it a little better.
Hiram
so, this will not work with central sleep apnea? Why?This is what I have and I hate the c-pap machine. I am a flight attendant and taking the machine thru security is a pain…they always have to look at it and swap it for gun powder. I want to use this type of devise. My son uses it and loves it.
Tracie,
The PureSleep device is designed to reduce snoring caused by obstructions to the airway. It’s not designed to work for sleep apnea of any kind, including central sleep apnea (see the PureSleep FAQ’s on their website).
As I’m sure you know, sleep apnea is caused when the brain temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing. The PureSleep device will do nothing to address that situation.
The CPAP machine you’re using not only keeps the airways open due to its positive pressure, it actually provides oxygen to your lungs during those moments you temporarily stop breathing, something devices like the PureSleep don’t do.
There might be alternative ways to treat what you have but it sounds like you have a condition that requires a doctor’s care – and that is beyond what the PureSleep device is designed for.
Hope this answers your question.
Hiram