Anecdote warning: I've already been wearing a mouth guard when sleeping for years due to bruxism. It's perfect for that. A couple months ago though when I was ~15 pounds heavier than I am now, I started to wake up struggling to breathe a couple times per week. Now that I lost the weight, it stopped completely. Mouth guard didn't help me there (or maybe it did and that it could have been much worse). It's probably better wearing that machine though.
For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
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Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#12I sleep pretty well with a CPAP, but I feel like I'm very sensitive to pressure inside my mouth or teeth. I keep adjusting my CPAP nose mask so it puts no pressure on my teeth, and rests on my cheeks instead. Not sure how I'd take to something like this, but nice to know there are more options for fellow sufferers.
Try nose masks. I have been using them and find them very comfortable. I am amazed how our noses don't feel bothered at all with the additional pressure.
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#13Started 2 years ago with an OTC boil and bute, sleep quality is night and day (no pun intended),l.
In fact it annoys me greatly if for whatever reason I don't sleep with it because I know I'll be yawning, nodding off, and generally low energy all day.
Highly recommend it at least as a low cost experiment (mine was $70), no issues so far with bite or jaw soreness.
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#14Anecdote warning: I've already been wearing a mouth guard when sleeping for years due to bruxism. It's perfect for that. A couple months ago though when I was ~15 pounds heavier than I am now, I started to wake up struggling to breathe a couple times per week. Now that I lost the weight, it stopped completely. Mouth guard didn't help me there (or maybe it did and that it could have been much worse). It's probably bet…
Unlike mouthguards for bruxism, those for apnea are designed to hold one's jaw in a particular position.
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#15Started 2 years ago with an OTC boil and bute, sleep quality is night and day (no pun intended),l. In fact it annoys me greatly if for whatever reason I don't sleep with it because I know I'll be yawning, nodding off, and generally low energy all day. Highly recommend it at least as a low cost experiment (mine was $70), no issues so far with bite or jaw soreness.
Can you show us how does it look like? Is it similar to the ones for fighting bruxism?
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#16[deleted]
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#17Having swollen nasal passages at night precludes "forcing" the nose to be used exclusively for breathing.
I tried the $3,000 dental appliance - it was worthless, it really IS a torture device.
Those with primarily central sleep apnea must use the mask, hose and machine, since the brain "turns off" during sleep and you fail to breathe, essentially it's suffocation.
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#18For some types of 'positional' sleep apnea (i.e. apnea only when supine) you also have non-CPAP alternatives with a positional therapy device.
It's basically a vibrating device that conditions you (while you sleep) for you to turn on your side and avoid sleeping supine.
Disclaimer: worked as a consultant for a wearable in this field.
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#19Started 2 years ago with an OTC boil and bute, sleep quality is night and day (no pun intended),l. In fact it annoys me greatly if for whatever reason I don't sleep with it because I know I'll be yawning, nodding off, and generally low energy all day. Highly recommend it at least as a low cost experiment (mine was $70), no issues so far with bite or jaw soreness.
$70 for a mouth guard??? A Benlee Bite only costs $6 where I live.
Re: For sleep apnea, a mouth guard may be a good alternative to CPAP
#20I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night noticing that it's trouble breathing that wakes me up, it happened the last weeks and months more often than before. However, I also feel this has a lot to do with how much I weigh. Due to corona I did a lot less sports (because I like team sports much more than running etc.) etc. and gained a few pounds. It feels like weighing a few pounds too much (maybe 10 or so) have a really big impact on my [!] sleeping habits. That's why losing weight is the thing I will do now before trying these solutions. Hope it suffices.