VitalSleep Mouthpiece Review | Sleeping Through the Night At Last
As a highly customizable product, the VitalSleep is perfect for people who aren’t satisfied with the limited options of other snoring aids.
Snoring is known for being a nuisance. It’s loud; it’s disruptive; it can annoy your bed partners so much that they make you sleep on the couch.
But did you know that snorers can also suffer from their own snoring?
I’m one of those unlucky people who can actually wake myself up with my huffing and puffing. I might only get a few hours of sleep before my snores kick in and yank me out of dreamland.
Not only can this frustrate me to the point of tears as I toss and turn all night, but it can also result in extreme daytime fatigue. I nod off at work. My relationships suffer. I get tired and cranky.
Thankfully, I’ve found some great anti-snoring products during my last few years of research.
VitalSleep is just one of several brands that I recommend to others, but it has a lot to offer people with similar struggles to mine. Let me explain more in this VitalSleep review.
Let me tell you a little more about this miracle mouthpiece.
Why Do We Snore?
There are a lot of complicated answers to this question, but at the end of the day, most snoring is the result of vibrations in your throat. They’re usually caused by your body relaxing too much and obstructing your airway in your sleep.
With your jaw hanging open and your tongue lolling backwards, oxygen is forced through a much narrower tube than usual, resulting in vibrations that cause sound.
The VitalSleep is a mouthpiece that you wear overnight to stop these vibrations from occurring. It works by applying a gentle, consistent pressure to your jaw that keeps your chin forward and your airway open.
Check this video below to learn how VitalSleep works.
The VitalSleep is considered a mandibular advancement device (MAD) because it literally advances your mandible. There are many MADs on the market, and most of them are in direct competition with each other, but I consider the VitalSleep to be a step above the rest.
If you’re looking for an anti-snoring device that really works, this is it.
What Does It Look Like?
The VitalSleep is a bi-bloc mouthpiece. This means that the upper and lower dental trays are two separate pieces joined together by screws.
Despite its layers, however, it’s surprisingly flexible, and its fit can be adjusted in several ways that make it even more comfortable. But I’ll get to that part in a minute.
The best thing about the VitalSleep is its mobility. Unlike some of the bulky, rigid mouthpieces on the market, the VitalSleep is made of soft thermoplastic with a lot of give.
You can even move your jaw from side to side while wearing it. This is almost unheard of in a MAD, but the VitalSleep makes it seem effortless.
Another great thing about the VitalSleep is that it has a very attractive design. You can choose between a solid-color and two-toned model, and they’re both sleek little pieces of technology that you won’t be embarrassed to wear around the house.
There are air holes in the device, so it doesn’t matter if you breathe through your nose or your mouth. The VitalSleep can accommodate both. You can also talk, drink and swallow while you’re wearing it. You don’t have to take a monk’s vow of silence as soon as you stick it in your mouth.
How Does it Fit?
This is where things get interesting.
For starters, there are two sizes offered by the VitalSleep brand. One is smaller and recommended for women, and the other is larger and recommended for men, but they’re the exact same product aside from their dimensions. You can purchase what feels right regardless of your gender.
Another noteworthy aspect of the VitalSleep is that you can adjust its lower tray to get a specific angle for your jaw advancement. There are hex screws located on both sides of the mouthpiece, and you can adjust them between 1 – 7 millimeters.
If an extreme angle causes too much discomfort to sleep, just scale it back. If a gentle angle isn’t enough to stop your snores, ramp it up.
Last but certainly not least, the VitalSleep is known as a “boil and bite” device. This means that you can fit it to the exact specifications of your mouth by creating a customized impression of your teeth.
Instructions will be located in the box, but here are the basics:
- Boil a cup of water.
- Submerge the mouthpiece until it softens.
- While it’s still malleable, bite down on its lower tray.
- Rinse it with cold water. The mouthpiece should harden again, and it should have strong and vivid tooth marks on it.
​Voila! That’s the boil and bite. It creates custom-fitted mouthpieces without requiring any sort of doctor’s visit or official prescription. Instead, you can do it all with five minutes and a few kitchen tools.
How Long Does it Last?
The VitalSleep has an average lifespan of 6 – 12 months. There are some steps that you can take to improve its longevity, but the day will come that it needs a replacement, so prepare yourself for a future reorder.
The reason why the VitalSleep degrades is the same reason why it’s so comfortable: the thermoplastic. It eventually breaks down under pressure, and if you’re using your VitalSleep for hours and hours every night, the pressure can really add up.
Do you want to wring every moment out of your mouthpiece? You’ll have to take care of it. This means brushing it every day with a toothbrush and toothpaste like it’s actually a part of your mouth.
I’m not going to lie: Cleaning the VitalSleep can be a bit of a hassle. There are several little cracks and crevasses where my toothbrush just didn’t want to fit, and it took some finagling to figure it out.
That said, it’s a necessary routine for keeping the product safe and hygienic. It has contact with your mouth bacteria all night long, so it needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent odors and discoloration.
Does it Have Any Other Disadvantages?
In addition to the cleaning struggle, there are a couple of things about the VitalSleep that might give you pause. Even though I love the product, I’m going to list its flaws for the sake of impartiality.
The biggest pitfall of the VitalSleep is that it requires a certain amount of precision to use.
You’ll have to boil and bite the mouthpiece to customize its fit; then you’ll have to use a hex tool to turn its screws and get the exact jaw extension that you desire. If you’re a busy person, you might not have time for all of this fiddling. You might prefer a product that you can simply take out of the box and use right away.
Another disadvantage of the VitalSleep is that it increases saliva production. It’s a common thing with MADs, but it’s still bothersome to wake up with drool on your chin. The one silver lining is that most drool problems go away once you’ve gotten used to the sensation of wearing a mouthpiece.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! I’m not one of the experts employed by the VitalSleep brand, so you might want to take any overly-technical questions to their customer service department, but I can answer some of the most basic queries that I’ve seen around the web.
What Are the Pros and Cons?
Are you seriously considering the VitalSleep as your next anti-snoring product?
Here’s a list of pros and cons to help you make up your mind.
The Good
- Soft, flexible material
- Multiple ways to customize the fit
- Comes with air holes for mouth breathing
- Can be moved from side to side
- Hypoallergenic, Latex free, BPA free
- FDA cleared
- Hex tool included in the box
- Extended warranty with money-back guarantee and free replacements
The Bad
- Increased saliva production
- Cleaning everything can be a hassle
- Requires time and energy to get the perfect fit
So What’s Your Final Verdict?
In my opinion, it’s hard to beat the VitalSleep when it comes to mandibular advancement devices. Not only does it offer a flexible design with a half-dozen size increments to ensure the perfect fit, but it’s also suitable for sleepers of all types, including people who sleep in funny positions or like to breathe through their mouth at night.
Even if you wind up disliking the VitalSleep, it’s backed by a warranty that will protect your purchase costs. You can get a full refund if it’s not right for you.
I feel confident recommending the VitalSleep to people with nighttime breathing problems. Whether you’re doing it for yourself or a loved one, it’s worth the trouble of buying a sleep aid and eliminating your snores for good.
Additionally, you might also check out these VitalSleep alternatives: