If you follow mixed martial arts or regularly listen to podcasts, you may be familiar with Joe Rogan. Rogan is best known for hosting the award-winning Joe Rogan Experience podcast, his work as a UFC commentator, and his past as an actor and comedian. However, he is also a long-time advocate of personal wellness and fitness routines, ranging from diet and exercise to mental health, supplements, and sleep quality.
Rogan has been vocal about his experience with sleep apnea on his podcast, talking about the importance of visiting a doctor, getting the condition diagnosed, and taking the proper steps to address it. His experience with sleep apnea and his commitment to raising awareness have prompted him to use a snoring mouthpiece to improve his sleep quality.
If you experience problems with snoring and breathing while sleeping, consider using a quality snoring mouthpiece to manage the issue, just as Joe Rogan did. Modern mouthpiece designs, such as the SnoreRx and SnoreRx Plus, may improve your sleep quality and prevent the dangerous health risks associated with sleep apnea without resorting to costlier and more invasive solutions.
What are Snoring and Sleep Apnea?
Snoring is the result of partially obstructed breathing while sleeping. Many conditions cause people to snore, from the common cold to the natural anatomy of the mouth and throat. While it can be a nuisance, it isn’t necessarily an indicator of health issues.
Regular snoring should not be confused with snoring caused by sleep apnea. One of the symptoms of sleep apnea is characterized by pauses or shallow breathing, which can resemble severe or noisy snoring. This phenomenon is typically caused by an obstruction of the airways known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Frequent breathing interruptions caused by OSA don’t just reduce sleep quality; they also limit your oxygen supply, causing a long list of potentially severe health problems, including:
- High blood pressure. OSA can cause you to wake up suddenly and catch your breath frequently during the night. It stresses your body, elevates your blood pressure, and increases your risk of heart disease.
- Diabetes. Studies suggest that people with OSA are more at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, regardless of age or body weight.
- Liver problems. Research has uncovered a link between OSA and certain liver diseases. For instance, OSA can create or exacerbate the risk of developing liver diseases such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Chronic daytime fatigue. Repeated sleep interruptions caused by sleep apnea can cause daytime drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, and reduced concentration.
- Mental health impact. Decreases in sleep quality induced by sleep apnea can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.
If you suffer from one or multiple symptoms, take a cue from Joe Rogan and seek a professional diagnosis as soon as possible. Don’t wait until minor problems turn into major, life-threatening issues, and listen to the signals your body is sending.
Joe Rogan’s Experience with Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Joe Rogan has repeatedly brought up snoring and sleep apnea with guests on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. UFC fighters and commentators like Rogan understand the importance of being in peak physical and mental condition and how sleep apnea can impact both in anyone, including athletes.
Like many people with OSA, Rogan experienced the most common symptoms at first: breathing interruptions, heavy snoring, daytime fatigue, and issues concentrating. He researched potential treatment options, including traditional solutions like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, as discussed with Chris Ryan in Episode 1369.
However, while the CPAP machine initially provided some relief in his battle with sleep apnea, he did not find it to be the ideal solution for him. The UFC commentator described it as uncomfortable with guest scientist Dr. Rhonda Patrick in Episode 1474.
After meeting with dentist and inventor Dr. Bryan Keropian, who specializes in researching sleep disorders, Rogan eventually adopted and advocated for the use of a customized snoring mouthpiece. This device allowed him to better understand his sleep apnea and treat its underlying conditions while being more comfortable and convenient than a traditional CPAP machine.
The Role of a Snoring Mouthpiece
A snoring mouthpiece, also known as a snoring mouthguard or a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD), is an oral device designed to treat the symptoms of snoring. It is also a potential alternative to a CPAP machine to address sleep apnea for people with mild and moderate OSA.
At first glance, snoring mouthpieces resemble the protective mouthguards worn by UFC fighters. They work by adjusting the position of the lower jaw and keeping the tongue from falling backward. This mechanism prevents the airways from closing and minimizes the risk of snoring or breathing problems.
Wearing a snoring mouthpiece has many potential benefits:
- Improves sleep quality. As Joe Rogan described multiple times on his podcast, the mouthpiece is an effective tool for good-quality sleep. It can help prevent the fatigue and concentration loss associated with sleep apnea, keeping the mind and body sharp.
- Convenient. Snoring mouthpieces are portable and lightweight, making them easy to travel with. Rogan described the convenience of having a mouthguard on his trips, ensuring he gets good-quality sleep anywhere he goes.
- Non-invasive. A snoring mouthpiece can alleviate sleep apnea symptoms without the invasiveness of more complex solutions, such as CPAP machines or surgery. It also has minimal side effects and requires no medication to use.
If you’re considering trying a snoring mouthpiece for your sleep apnea, here are some challenges and possible issues you should be aware of:
- Adjustment period. When you first start using a snoring mouthpiece, it’s common to feel a bit uncomfortable, particularly in the initial days. You might find yourself salivating more than usual or feeling some soreness in your jaw. These reactions are typical and should lessen as you get used to the device.
- Fit considerations. Many snoring mouthpieces are semi-custom or semi-adjustable, allowing for personal adjustments to improve fit in your mouth. However, if you continue to face problems or discomfort with a semi-custom device, it might be time to consult a dental professional for a mouthpiece that is custom-fitted specifically for you.
- Not for everyone. Snoring mouthpieces are primarily effective for treating mild and moderate cases of sleep apnea. It may not be suitable to treat more severe forms of OSA or Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), which is caused by cerebral and central nervous system issues.
Top Recommended Snoring Mouthpieces
Even if you know a mouthpiece is the right solution to treat snoring or sleep apnea, finding the right model for your needs can be challenging. Speak with your dentist or healthcare provider before using any specific model to ensure it fits you correctly.
Here are some of the best models currently available:
Best Overall: SnoreRx Plus
The SnoreRx Plus is an improved version of the original SnoreRx design. The semi-custom “boil and fit” mechanism allows you to personalize your SnoreRx Plus to your teeth and jawline. Simply place your mouthpiece in a cup of boiling water, wait 60 seconds, then wear it and bite down firmly. Your SnoreRx Plus will adjust to the exact shape of your dental impression for a perfect fit.
The newer SnoreRx Plus retains its predecessor’s distinctive transparent shell, thermal matrix design, and millimeter-adjustable mechanism. New features introduced by the Plus model include support for vertical jaw movement, a re-designed hinge that accounts for natural jaw movement, and easy disassembly for cleaning and hygiene.
Pros:
- Improved comfort level. The SnoreRx Plus’s design, materials, and hinge systems are designed to provide a degree of comfort and freedom of jaw movement unmatched by other models on the market.
- Fully adjustable. You can adjust your SnoreRx Plus with up to six millimeters of lateral deviation between the upper and lower pieces, letting you find the most comfortable position for your jaw and teeth.
- Easy to maintain. The SnoreRx Plus requires no tools to disassemble, giving you easy access to its parts for cleaning. You can use your regular toothbrush and toothpaste for daily spot cleaning and plaque removal.
Cons:
- Pricier than the original. Although the SnoreRx Plus comes with a wider and more comfortable range of features than the original SnoreRx, it is priced about $40 higher.
- Short trial period. The manufacturer offers a 30-night money-back guarantee on all SnoreRx Plus models, slightly shorter than the plans offered by other products.
Best Value: ZQuiet
If you need to manage sleep apnea on a budget or aren’t sure whether snoring mouthpieces are for you, ZQuiet may be the right solution for you. The ZQuiet Anti-Snoring Mouthpieces are sold in a two-pack containing two differently-sized models. Both feature a thin, curved profile and a hinged design. They are ready to be used out of the box, making them one of the simplest mouthpiece devices available on the market.
Pros:
- Thin and lightweight. The ZQuiet’s relatively simple product design and hinge system makes it easier to use and breathe through, requiring less effort to bite down and keep in place than other models.
- Two devices in one. When purchasing a ZQuiet, you will find two mouthpieces in the box: one with a 2-millimeter jaw adjustment and another with a 6-millimeter one. Use the model that feels most comfortable for you.
- Inexpensive. The ZQuiet mouthpiece pack not only has a lower upfront cost than most other models, but you also get two devices for the price of one.
Cons:
- No customization. ZQuiet mouthpieces have no adjustable features. If neither of the two mouthpieces in the box fits you comfortably, it may leave you without a suitable or fitting option.
- Durability issues. The ZQuiet is not designed to be cleaned and maintained. Instead, you need to replace it every 3 to 6 months, which can be costly over time.
Best Customization: SleepTight
If you need an anti-snoring mouthpiece that you can fit perfectly to your mouth and teeth from the first use, look no further than the SleepTight. This mouthpiece is a high-quality, medical-grade mandibular advancement device designed to provide the highest level of comfort.
Pros:
- Durable custom fit. Every element of the SleepTight is designed to fit the exact shape of your teeth and jaw. Its boil-and-bite system and dual laminate construction are designed to retain your mouth’s shape without tearing, giving it a long service life.
- Multipurpose air hole. The SleepTight features a wide air hole, approximately 0.90” wide and 0.25” tall. It is not only easy to breathe through, but it can also accommodate a separate tongue-retaining device to help you combat sleep apnea more effectively.
- 100% BPA and latex-free. The SleepTight is manufactured entirely using medical-grade materials. It uses no bisphenol A (BPA) or latex in its construction, which can trigger allergies in some patients.
Cons:
- Available by prescription only. Unlike other mouthpiece products on the market, the SleepTight RX is not an over-the-counter device. Instead, it is a prescription-only device that a medical professional must recommend for you.
- Refitting may be challenging. While the SleepTight can be re-molded and reshaped to fit a different dental profile, it can be challenging and require multiple tries.
Stop Snoring and Sleep Soundly
When Joe Rogan met a fellow on a plane trip and realized that he, too, seemed to suffer from sleep apnea, he offered two suggestions: speak with a doctor and ask about snoring mouthpieces. If you struggle with snoring or suspect you might have sleep apnea, follow the same suggestion and look for a high-quality snoring mouthpiece.
These devices may be able to give you back the sleep quality you need, improve your physical and mental health, and regain the alertness and concentration lost to breathing issues. Once you are ready, explore SnoringMouthpieceGuide.com to learn about the best and highest-reviewed snoring mouthpiece devices on the market and find the one you need.
Images:
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