For some who snore, they may have tried just about everything there is on the market today - pills, throat sprays, inhalers, special pillows, nasal strips, you name it - and nothing has worked.
It's enough to make you cry out "Stop My Snoring!" after being punched for the thousandth time in the middle of the night by your partner.
At this point, many turn to their doctor or dentist and are then prescribed the use of a special, custom-fit mouthpiece that is designed to help them stop snoring.
Many have found that these mouthpieces do quite well and finally get some relief from their snoring.
But for others, these mouthpieces have not worked, and they are often at a loss as to why not.
This can be a frustrating situation, considering that these mouthpieces usually cost several hundred dollars and aren't always covered by insurance.
If you're someone whose mouthpiece isn't working as well as promised, or are considering getting one of these devices, we can clue you on some things to be careful about.
Number one, remember that your dentist or doctor to take a mold of your mouth in order to have your mouthpiece custom made.
Some persons get very nervous and tense in the dentist's chair, and when this happens, their jaw tenses up as well, or they hold their mouth in an unnatural position.
If your mouthpiece is built to fit your mouth when it's tense like this, of course it's going to cause you problems in the long run.
The fit will be unnatural and not accomplish what it's supposed to.
So when you're in the dentist's or doctor's chair, relax.
Take a few deep breaths.
Relax your shoulders and neck the way you would when you sleep.
Talk to your dentist or doctor if you're anxious, and let them know you need just a moment to relax.
Remember, this mouthpiece is supposed to last for years, so make sure you get it right.
Which brings us to the second point.
Sometimes, after a few years of having used a mouthpiece successfully, you find that it suddenly is becoming uncomfortable, or that it's no longer working as well.
Typically this happens very subtly.
What may be occurring is that the shape of your face and jaw has changed slightly, which is natural.
While your skull itself may not be shifting, your amount of body fat, the shape of your teeth, and a host of other factors can mean that your old mouthpiece is just not fitting you correctly.
When this happens, it's time to make a new appointment with your dentist or doctor to be fitted with another one.
Many have found relief with the use of these special mouthpieces, so if you have paid for one and are finding that it just isn't working as promised, talk to your doctor or dentist.
There's no reason why you shouldn't be getting some relief from your snoring with one of these custom devices.
Of course there are some other effective approaches to the problem of chronic snoring as well.
While anti-snoring mouth pieces do have a pretty good track record, for some, the issue of uncomfortability is just to much to handle.
In that case, there are a number of natural snoring remedies that can be utilized, often with great success.
There are many stop snoring exercises that have been developed to combat it.
Therapeutic diets, specially designed pillows and nasal sprays can also be effective.