Monday, November 23, 2015

To Snore or Not to Snore?

     Do you snore? It is odd how you can snore and never hear yourself but your spouse sure does. My wife has been complaining for a long time claiming that I snore and keep her up at night. Sometimes she claims that she has to get up and sleep on the couch. I have heard ads for anti snoring devices that fit in your mouth so I set out to see what I could find.
     My searching lead me to this web site: http://www.snoringdevicesthatwork.com/device-reviews/
     After reading what he had to say about the top two choices of his, I decided to order a good morning snore solution mouthpiece.

    
    
      This is the package that it comes in. I swear, there is maybe 25 cents worth of material and the thing cost me $109.90 USD and that included a $9.99 discount via a coupon code.

Cost breakdown:
      Subtotal:$99.94
      Coupon Code (gmss10off):$-9.99
      Purchase Price:$89.95
      Shipping:$9.95
      Handling:$10.00
      Grand Total:$109.90

     Here are a few points to consider:
  • It was invented in Canada
  • It is manufactured in the USA
  • The device ships out of Calgary, Canada to you
  • It offers a money back guarantee (more on this later)
  • It literally seals off your mouth so you cannot breath or cough with it inserted.   
  • Everyone's mouth and jaw is different as well as your teeth placement
  • They say it will take a while to get used to it
  • The little manual says it will last from 1 to 2 years (pretty expensive for so short a time)
     I received the device last Friday so was anxious to try it out. I read the directions and tried inserting it in my mouth with no real issues.  

Now for the first night results...
  • I felt gum discomfort every so often in a couple of areas in the lower front 
  • I had to breath through my nose (no problem if you aren't stuffed up from a cold)
  • Swallowing was very strange and difficult since your tongue is sucked into the front bulb
  • Drooling seemed to happen from time to time
  • In the first morning after removing the device, my tongue was distorted, numb and discolored in a couple places. This went away after a while.
  • My jaw felt jacked. I couldn't figure out how my jaw could feel out of alignment when this is not a bite down appliance. Weird. After about 30 minutes I ate breakfast and it seemed to be OK.
 Second night results...
  • I continued to experience strange pain every so often in the lower front of my gums. I read where some people trimmed the plastic but they don't recommend it.
  • I had the same numb tongue and jacked jaw the 2nd morning
A strange thing happened...
     Before using it the third night, it seemed like my gums were hurting in the front. I looked in the mirror and noticed red discoloration and what looked like blisters forming. This was not something I wanted to see.

Third night results...
  • I continued to feel the pain in my gums every so often and then...
  • Oh Oh!!! I felt the need to cough! The problem being this thing seals your mouth shut. You cannot breath through your mouth and you sure as hell can't cough. Well I did cough and the darn thing flew out of my mouth! I found it, put it back in and a little while later I had to cough yet again. Repeat the process. This happened three times. By this time, I was getting frustrated.
  • In the morning, I removed the device and looked in the mirror. My tongue was numb and distorted; my jaw was jacked; my gums where really sore so I looked in the mirror and the gums did not look good at all.
Warranty:
     There is a 30 day money back guarantee so I promptly Emailed the company to get a refund.
    Hmmm...there is a catch!

     I did receive a reply but this is what they said:

1) I can refund you $55.00 of the $89.95 purchase price immediately to complete the refund process, and you can keep the product.
OR.......
2) You can send the product back to us (original packaging must be included), and I will refund you the $89.95 purchase price you originally paid. You just have to do the following.

Please write your Authorization number on the outside of the package before shipping
Note, your return must be received by day 45 from date of purchase to qualify for refund
It is recommended that return shipments are sent “Registered Mail” to ensure timely delivery within the required Terms and Conditions of return
Border Services/UPS or other courier services may require an extra fee for your parcel to clear customs, and if required to do so these fees fall under shipping charges and are the full responsibility of the client requesting the return to pay these charges
      I don't know about you but Amazon spoils you when returning items. This really upset me. Not only would I have to pay to return it but also pay a possible customs fee and they wanted me to send it via registered mail.  Forget that. I chose Option 1 and chalked this up to another lesson learned.
     At this point, I don't know if I really want to try another device.
     I hope this product review has been helpful to you. I wish I would have read it prior to ordering it.

     Snorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring away with my mouth open...