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4.75 Star Rating
About the SleepTight Mouthpiece (STM)
The SleepTight mouthpiece was originally introduced in mid-2014 but has quickly captured the attention of snorers worldwide, becoming a leader in the anti-snoring industry.
This product is considered a boil and bite style Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) that can be custom fitted in the comfort of your home. The MAD is a mouthpiece that gently holds the lower jaw forward to prevent snoring. When holding the jaw forward, muscles and loose tissues surrounding the airway tighten up and the airway opens. A tighter, less restrictive airway will not vibrate and cause the sound of snoring.
Although the SleepTight has only been around for about two years now, MAD’s have been used by dentists for several decades now and are proven to be effective after various medical studies have been conducted on these devices. Today, there are over two dozen different snoring mouthpiece options to choose from with the SleepTight being one of them.
What Differentiates The SleepTight?
The SleepTight is made from an EVA thermoplastic resin which can be reshaped when heated in water that is near boiling temperature. This mouthpiece must be custom molded prior to use.
At first glance, the SleepTight appears to be similar to most one piece boil and bite mouthpieces that I have owned and tested in the past. It wasn’t until I actually received my mouthpiece that I realized that this product offers at least three unique features which help to differentiate it from the sea of boil-and-bite mouthguards that are available.
Dual Laminate Design
If you look closely at the SleepTight, you will notice that it actually contains not one, but three layers of material. There’s the center framework which is made from a soft, pliable thermoplastic and then there’s are thin 1.5 mm layers embedded into both the upper and lower trays which are made from a harder, more durable plastic.
When heated, the two outer layers become gel-like and the plastic flows into the surface of each tooth to create a close impression. The plastic center frame also becomes soft and moldable but does not completely compress during the fitting process. With many boil and bite style mouthpieces, it’s very easy to bite completely through the plastic during the fitting. Doing so shortens the lifespan of the product and often renders it useless.
The SleepTight’s patented dual laminate design prevents this from happening. The stiffness of the center shell helps to resist clenching forces which are common with snoring. Unfortunately, the stiffer material does not adapt well and these appliances tend to fall out during the night. The soft moldable liner of the interior core improves the fit, comfort and helps keep the SleepTight in all night.
X-Large Breather Hole
The SleepTight’s unobstructed air hole measures 0.90″ X 0.25″
For those who have a tendency to breathe through their mouth while asleep (mouth breathers), a large unobstructed air hole is a desirable feature. Generally speaking, the larger the air hole, the better.
Measuring 0.90″ x 0.25″ with no center pin to obstruct airflow, the SleepTight mouthpiece offers perhaps the largest unobstructed breather hole on the market. The large air hole allows air to enter and exit the mouth freely and does not create any unwanted sounds. Depending on the design, snoring mouthpieces with smaller holes sometimes create a whistling sound during heavy breathing as air rushes past the smaller opening.
Individuals who suffer from allergies, sinus issues, deviated septum, nasal inflammation, polyps, colds, or a number of other ailments, may experience difficulty breathing through their nose. This is where a large air hole is not only helpful but in some cases necessary.
Raised Teeth Ridges
Outlined in blue – SleepTight features 19 ridges on both the upper and lower trays
Nineteen raised ridges are strategically placed along both the upper and lower mouthguard trays. These ridges coincide with the natural positioning of the teeth and help to force the plastic EVA material in and around the teeth. As a result, a tighter, more comfortable fit can be achieved.
These raised ridges are a part of the laminate design that’s described above. They are made from a soft plastic and become pliable, entering a gel-like state when heated in warm water for two minutes.
This raised ridge design is unique to the Sleeptight and is the primary reason why the mouthpiece fits closely inside of the mouth.
Meet The Creators, Dr. Mike Williams & Paul Swann
Creator Dr. Michael D Williams DDS
Who are the creators behind the SleepTight mouthpiece and what credentials do they possess? The company’s website names Dr. Mike Williams as the designer and developer of this device. Very little information describing the creators’ credentials is presented on the company’s website so I decided to do a bit of detective work to uncover exactly who Dr. Williams is.
After conducting few minutes of research, I was able to confirm that person featured on their sales page is, in fact, Dr. Michael Dean Williams, a retired dentist who operates SleepTight in the Ft. Lauderdale, FL area.
It turns out, Dr. Williams actually teamed up with UK mouthguard researcher and developer Paul Swann from SleepPro in the United Kingdom. Dr. Williams and Mr. Swann spent almost three years working together in a collaborative effort to design the SleepTight before it came to market in 2014.
Dr. Williams received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Tennessee in 1970. He spent over three decades practicing and specializing in cosmetic dentistry which includes teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, as well as other procedures. According to public records, he spent over 30 years practicing in the Ft. Lauderdale area prior to retiring sometime around 2008.
In July of 2010, he launched an online retail store which sells various snoring mouthpieces, night guards, and teeth whitening products. Three years later in July of 2013, he registered the SleepTight website and submitted an application to the FDA for clearance but did not begin to sell his product until mid 2014 when the Food and Drug Administration “cleared” the device, deciding that it was substantially equivalent to other anti-snoring devices that are currently being sold. FDA clearance indicates that the device is cleared for its intended use and can be marketed to the professionals and public in the United States.
FDA Cleared
Prior to marketing and selling any snoring mouthpiece in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration must evaluate the device and subsequently make a decision. This important safety step is often ignored by manufacturers who sell potentially dangerous products without government clearance.
Receiving the green light from the FDA often takes several years (and thousands of dollars) which is one reason why manufacturers sometimes skip over this important step and sell their products illegally.
The SleepTight was brought to market using the FDA 510(k) process (#K132506) in which the manufacturer shows that their product is “substantially equivalent” when it comes to safety and effectiveness to similar products that have already been cleared by the FDA. The SleepTight pre-market notification can be seen here. Being FDA approved sets this product apart from other manufacturers who failed to obtain approval.
BPA & Latex Free
There are two concerns that are often expressed by those who are in search of a MAD. The first common concern – “Is this product BPA free?”. The second common concern – “Does this product contain latex?”.
Generally speaking, those with a latex allergy should be concerned with whether or not a product contains latex. A person with a latex allergy may experience itching, hives, stuffy nose, as well as asthma symptoms such as difficulty breathing or tightness in the chest. Luckily, this product does not contain latex, so there is no need to be concerned if you are allergic.
A greater concern for everyone should be Bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical that is commonly used by manufacturers and has been linked to numerous health issues. Although the FDA currently suggests that BPA is safe at low levels, many experts strongly advise against using products that contain BPA when possible.
Unfortunately, not many companies can claim that their mouthpieces are BPA free. This leaves us wondering if such products contain BPA and if so, exactly how much of is actually leaching out into the mouth?
According to the company, the SleepTight is BPA free so there should be no concerns.
How Long Should The SleepTight Last?
As with all other mouthpieces, the SleepTight has its limitations when it comes to life expectancy. The life of this product may be shortened due to factors such as cleaning, maintenance, and teeth grinding. According to the manufacturer, this product should last anywhere from 6 months to 24 months.
UPDATE: It’s been 18 months since I first tried the SleepTight and I’m actually quite impressed with how well this mouthpiece has been holding up. The material is still intact and it’s still very effective. I noticed that with less expensive mouthpieces that I have owned in the past, the plastic material degrades and becomes distorted and often loses effectiveness after less than 6 months. The materials used to produce the SleepTight have stood the test of time so far and the mouthpiece is showing no signs of failure. I’m interested to see just how long this mouthpiece will last. I’ll update this post in a few months and let you know how well it’s holding up.
Using This Mouthpiece With Obstructive Sleep Apnea
A question commonly asked is whether or not this mouthpiece can be used to treat sleep apnea. This product, or any other mandibular advancement device, should not be used by anyone who has been diagnosed with central sleep apnea.
However, in some instances, the SleepTight may be used to treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea in adults while under the supervision of a doctor. Only a few of the self-fitted mouthpiece manufacturers currently make this claim, SleepTight being one of them.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the following statement regarding the SleepTight:
Section: 5.2 Device Indications for Use- 807.92(a) (4)
“The Sleep Tight Mouthpiece (STM) is an intraoral mandibular advancement device intended to be used for the treatment of snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea in adults.”
To clarify, it’s not intended to be used by adults who have severe obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea. As always, consult your doctor prior to using this or any other MAD to treat OSA.
Total Price
The company who produces this mouthpiece offers a 30-day trial where you pay $9.95 and they send you a mouthpiece. If the device doesn’t work for you, you are able to return it to the manufacturer and you will not be charged afterward.
To help promote their product, the folks at SleepTight were generous enough to offer SnoringMouthpieceGuide.com readers a 2/ $97.90 deal when purchasing from the button provided below. Please keep in mind, this deal is only available through our website and nowhere else on the internet.
Use the button below to receive an exclusive 2 for $97.90 offer from SleepTight
My Experience
I recently tested out the SleepTight for 8 nights to measure its performance and compare it to other mouthpieces that I have tested in the past. I’ll begin by discussing the process of fitting this device.
UPDATE: When this review was originally published, I had tested the SleepTight for 8 nights so that I could continue reviewing other mouthpieces and ultimately used the information gathered to create a comparison table. Since then, it has become my preferred choice in my collection of Mandibular Advancement Devices and I’ve been using it on a nightly basis to control my snoring.
Fitting the SleepTight
The overall fitting process is very straightforward and simple and involved heating the mouthpiece in hot water for three minutes prior to placing it into the mouth to form a custom impression of your teeth.
There are a few common household items that you will need to gather before getting started.
- 2 mugs – one for hot water and one for the cold.
- A pot to boil water in
- A spoon or pair of tongs if possible
- A stopwatch
- The SleepTight Mouthpiece
Here’s a quick rundown of the process:
Gather hot water, cold water, tongs, mouthpiece, and timepiece
Submerge the SleepTight in hot water for 3 minutes before inserting into your mouth
Use cold water to set the mouthpiece after creating the impression. Check for proper fit.
- After gathering all of your supplies, heat 2-3 cups of water to boiling temperature.
- Pour the boiling hot water into one mug and fill the other mug with ice cold water. Allow the hot water to cool for 2 minutes.
- Submerge the entire mouthpiece into the hot water for a total of three minutes, no more no less. Note: The plastic air hole spacer remains in place during the entire fitting process. Use a spoon to help submerge the device being careful not to distort the shape.
- Once heated, use a pair of tongs or spoon to retrieve the SleepTight. Make sure that the mouthpiece walls are standing up straight before proceeding. If not, gently straighten the edges with a spoon.
- After ensuring that the device is not scalding hot, insert it into your mouth with the V notch facing up.
- Look into a mirror and center the device in your mouth. Bite down firmly while holding your jaw slightly forward. You will notice that the hard plastic air hole space will rise at a slight angle.
- Suck in while pressing the plastic against your outer teeth. Use your tongue to press and shape the inside of the mouthpiece.
- Hold this position for about a minute then carefully remove it from your mouth and submerge into a mug of cold water.
- Remove the mouthpiece from the cold water after one minute and check the fit.
- If the fit is comfortable you may remove the plastic spacer. If not, you can repeat the fitting process up to 4-5 times if needed before the material becomes compromised.
In my experience, the fitting process was very easy and took less than five minutes once my pot of water came to a boil. I was able to get a good impression of my teeth during the first attempt. At this point, my new mouthpiece was ready to use.
First night – SleepTight
Contents of the SleepTight double pack
I put the SleepTight in and found it to be fairly comfortable with no noticeable sharp or abnormal edges to speak of. The first thing that I noticed was that unlike several of the other boil and bite style mouthpieces that I have tried, this one fits like a glove and did not slide around freely. I believe that the dual laminate feature allowed me to take a better impression which resulted in a tighter fit.
After a couple of minutes, I began to experience some excessive salivation which seems to be the norm with every anti-snoring product that I have tried in the past. The excessive salivation continued until I fell asleep. It would be a good idea to keep a small towel handy for a couple nights while becoming accustomed to wearing this device or any other.
Upon rising the next morning, I was greeted with some great news. My wife said that this product completely eliminated my snoring. The only sound that exited my mouth that night was the sound of smooth breathing. While I had experienced the typical drooling the first night, I had experienced great success preventing snoring and woke up feeling refreshed and energized.
Success, night after night!
After experiencing success, the first night I was ready to spend a few days testing out the long-term usability of this mouthpiece. Over the next seven days, I used the SleepTight exclusively to treat my snoring problem. This mouthpiece silenced even my heaviest snoring night after night without hesitation. The excessive salivation issue stopped after the second night and it was smooth sailing from there. The large breather hole provided plenty of air and did not cause any abnormal whistling sounds that are commonly heard with these types of devices.
Each morning I woke up and cleaned my mouthpiece with Dial brand anti-bacterial liquid soap and a soft toothbrush. Afterwards, I would allow it to air dry. I never actually used the storage case because I wanted to ensure that the mouthpiece was able to dry out completely. I do however plan to use the storage case during future travel when it will be needed.
UPDATE: It’s hard to believe that it’s already been well over a year since I originally put this product to the test! With the exception of testing out and reviewing new products, I’ve been using the SleepTight almost exclusively nearly every night to control my snoring. Months later, it has maintained its shape and still offers a nice tight fit with flawless performance.
A Tight Fit
A notable difference that I would like to point out is the actual fit of the SleepTight. One commonality that I have noticed with boil and bite mouthpieces, in general, is that they sometimes fall out at night and end up next to your pillow in the morning. Some snoring mouthpieces are more notorious than others. If you have read any of my other product reviews, you have likely heard me talk about this common issue a time or two. When this occurs, you will not only disturb your partner with your loud snoring but will also wake up the next morning with less energy because your sleep has been disrupted by obstructed breathing. In most cases, you will wake up tired and lack energy only to roll over and realize that your mouthpiece is laying on the bed next to you.
After using the SleepTight for an extended period of time, I have to point out that the SleepTight has never fallen out of my mouth while sleeping. The close fitting nature of this mouthpiece prevents it from shifting around while sleeping which prevents it from falling out.
With the SleepTight, you are able to create a close fit that is similar to what you would receive at your dentist’s office. A closer and tighter fit will greatly reduce the likelihood that you will have issues with your MAD falling out.
Tongue Retention
While not mentioned on the manufacturer’s website, the SleepTight has a feature that helps to keep the tongue in the forward position. The breather hole at the front is quite large in size and actually provides a great place to rest the tip of my tongue. On nights that my sinuses are clear, I push my tongue into this hole where it remains in place due to its size and shape. Other nights when nasal breathing is not an option, I simply allow my tongue to rest below or to one side of this hole so that I am able to breathe through my mouth using the breather hole.
As I have discovered with other tongue stabilization mouthpieces, tongue retention is yet another method that can be helpful when it comes to controlling snoring. The Sleeptight combats snoring by combining mandibular advancement with tongue stabilization to create a hybrid style device that does not restrain the tongue while allowing natural swallowing.
Overall Thoughts and Product Recommendation
If you have been following my blog, you have likely seen me test out a number of different anti-snoring products over the years. In the end, I have found that most mouthpieces do prevent snoring to some degree. There are however areas where each one differs.
The SleepTight mouthpiece hit the nail on the head in nearly every category including ease of use, performance, comfort, and breathability. In the past, I have used a similar product called the SleepPro but prefer the SleepTight because it’s designed with one very large breathing hole instead of 2 smaller breathing ports. In addition, the SleepTight has a dual laminate design and ridges in the tray which helps to create a tighter fit.
Being designed and created by a 30-year dental veteran gives this product a tremendous amount of credibility. Dr. Williams took all of the necessary steps to ensure product safety by obtaining FDA clearance prior to selling his mouthpiece. This is a step that is often left out by less reputable sellers who often sell potentially unsafe products at discounted prices.
Having the ability to try this product by paying only $9.95 is a plus. If you decided to order using the link below, you will receive two mouthpieces for the price of one. Keep in mind that this offer is only valid to readers of this blog.
The overall price is less than $50 per mouthpiece, including shipping. While the cost is just a few dollars more than questionable made in China mouthpieces, it’s well worth knowing that you are using a product that is safe to use as well as effective.
The SleepTight was designed and is manufactured and sold in the United States using safe materials and not in a third world country using unknowing materials.
Overall, this is a great product that anyone who snores should own. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of an affordable solution to a snoring problem. The SleepTight is a product that I have been using for well over a year now and it’s been consistently effective, durable, and comfortable to wear.
Below you will find a consolidated list of the Pros and Cons that I found while using the SleepTight.
Use the button below to receive an exclusive 2 for $97.90 offer from SleepTight
Pros VS Cons
Pros
- Made in the United States
- Excellent Value
- Developed by a 30+ year seasoned dentist from the United States
- Cleared by the FDA
- BPA & Latex-free
- Ready to use in about 5 minutes
- Comfortable to wear
- Large breather air hole great for mouth breathers
- Double duty breather hole may be used to retain the tongue
- Solid one-piece design is less likely to break or become damaged
- Dual laminate design for a closer fit
- Cleans easily using mild soap and water
- Can be used up to 24 months before replacement is needed
- Offered with a 30-day trial
- Shipped from the United States
- It simply works!
Cons
- Takes a couple days to become accustomed to wearing
Which mouthpiece should I buy?
The anti-snoring mouthpiece is one of the most highly effective stop snoring solutions available. With over 100 different products to choose from, deciding which one to buy can be challenging.
As a snorer and product reviewer, I have tried many of these devices and created a list of recommended devices that will help to make this decision much easier.
