Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about SleepDoctor? Find an answer to your query within our Frequently Asked Questions below.

Health queries

We would advise against using the SleepDoctor Oral Device if you suffer from a serious respiratory condition such as asthma or emphysema.

This depends on how many missing teeth you have, and which ones they are. A few missing molars at the back of your mouth should be okay, but if you have several front teeth missing you may have problems using the Oral Device. If you have crowns, we don’t recommend wearing an Oral Device without first consulting your dentist. This is especially true if you have crowns on your front teeth, as these are the teeth that have the most pressure placed on them. For those who wear dentures, the SleepDoctor Oral Device can be used if your dentures are kept in the mouth while sleeping.  The Oral Device cannot be used if you have full dentures and these are removed while sleeping. If you wear partial dentures and they are removed at night, then you would need the majority of your front teeth and several of your rear teeth to be able to use the SleepDoctor Oral Device. Please consult your dentist or orthodontist if you are unsure about whether the SleepDoctor Oral Device is suitable for you.

Mouthpieces like the SleepDoctor Oral Device have been shown to be an effective treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnoea. If you have been prescribed CPAP treatment by your doctor, we don’t advise stopping treatment without first discussing things with them. If you feel you have sleep apnoea, you should speak to a doctor and ask if they think the SleepDoctor Oral Device would be suitable for you.

It’s safe to drink alcohol and use SleepDoctor products. However, alcohol can make your snoring worse due to its relaxant effect on the muscles at the back of the throat. SleepDoctor products will be less effective if you have consumed alcohol.

Yes. SleepDoctor products are made with natural ingredients and are safe to use every night. For most people, positive lifestyle changes can help to reduce your risk of snoring.

The recommended dosage of SleepDoctor products should be enough to reduce most people’s snoring for up to 8 hours. However, if you find you start to snore again at some point during the night, using another application of the product is absolutely fine.

SleepDoctor products are made with natural ingredients. However, we recommend that you consult our doctor before use. Many types of medication, such as sedatives, can increase snoring due to their relaxant effect on the muscles at the back of the throat.

SleepDoctor products are made with natural ingredients and are safe to use if you have asthma or any other respiratory problems. However, we recommend that you consult your doctor before use. We advise against using the SleepDoctor Oral Device if you are suffering from serious respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema.

SleepDoctor products are made with natural ingredients and are safe to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, we recommend that you consult your doctor before use.

Purchasing SleepDoctor products

Snoring is a complicated problem, with many different causes. This is why the SleepDoctor range consists of so many products; to try and provide a product suited to every snorer. If you use a SleepDoctor product and find that it does not relieve your snoring, it might be that you would be more suited to another product in the range. Make sure to read the detailed product descriptions provided on the website before making a product choice. If you are still having issues, you can contact our customer service team who will help you with any concerns.

You can buy SleepDoctor products directly from us using this website. Selected SleepDoctor products can also be purchased from Amazon and a range of independent pharmacies.

SleepDoctor Products

The first few times you use a mouthpiece like the SleepDoctor Oral Device, your jaw might feel a little sore in the morning. This is fairly common as your jaw is being held in the correct position overnight. You may also experience slight jaw discomfort if you adjust your Oral Device into a more forward position. In most cases, this jaw discomfort is temporary and should be reduced within an hour or two of removing the Oral Device. Persevering with the use of your Oral Device should reduce any jaw discomfort, as over a few days or weeks your body should get used to you wearing the mouthpiece. If your jaw discomfort persists for longer than 2 weeks, or doesn’t go away a few hours after removing the Oral Device from your mouth, we would recommend discontinuing use.

The SleepDoctor Oral Device is adjusted by hand using the screws on each side of the bottom tray. You can find a step-by-step instruction video showing you how to adjust your SleepDoctor Oral Device to the correct setting for you here.

If you don’t mould your SleepDoctor Oral Device correctly, or it becomes loose-fitting over time, it’s possible to re-mould the device. There is no maximum number of times the SleepDoctor Oral Device can be re-moulded. However, as the device is made of plastic, it may start to lose its integrity after the 3rd or 4th time of moulding. This would be the time to consider purchasing a new one.

The SleepDoctor Oral Device is a boil-and-bite mouthpiece that can be moulded at home in under 5 minutes. The Oral Device has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible, and the box contains a detailed instruction leaflet with pictures to illustrate each stage of the moulding process. You can find a step-by-step instruction video showing you how to mould and fit your SleepDoctor Oral Device here.

Many people find that wearing the Oral Device so that their jaw is in its natural position is enough to provide relief from sleep apnoea. However, the fitting of the SleepDoctor Oral Device is different for everyone. If after using your SleepDoctor Oral Device for 2-3 nights you continue to suffer with sleep apnoea, you should adjust the screws on the Oral Device. These screws are used to adjust the Oral Device equally on both sides, aiming to position the lower jaw in a slightly forward position. You can find a step-by-step instruction video showing you how to adjust your SleepDoctor Oral Device to the perfect setting for you here. If your symptoms persist after adjusting the SleepDoctor Oral Device gradually to the furthest setting, we would recommend that you visit your doctor. It may be that your problem is severe and requires an alternative treatment.

The SleepDoctor Oral Device treats sleep apnoea and targets the main cause of snoring. Its adjustable design brings the lower jaw forward to create free space behind your tongue and ensure your airway stays open at night. This clears the obstructed upper airway, allowing air to flow through easily, providing effective relief from sleep apnoea and snoring.

SleepDoctor Nasal Strips gently open the nasal passages to improve airflow throughout the night.

SleepDoctor Throat Spray/Oral Strips patented dual-action, time-based formulation tones and lubricates the soft tissues at the back of the throat to provide effective snoring relief for up to 8 hours.

Yes. Different combinations of both Oral and Nasal SleepDoctor products can work together to stop your snoring.

SleepDoctor Nasal Strips have been developed for those who snore because of colds, allergies, or a blocked nose and work by relieving nasal congestion.

All SleepDoctor products – Throat Spray, Nasal Strips, Oral Strips, Oral Device – target the main causes of snoring and have been developed with the loudest snorers in mind. We would usually advise people to try one of these products first, as they work for the majority of snorers.

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)

This depends on how severe your sleep apnoea is, and whether you have symptoms like daytime sleepiness that could have an impact on your ability to drive safely. When you are formally diagnosed with sleep apnoea, your doctor will tell you whether or not you need to stop driving and inform the road regulatory body in your state.

If you believe you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea, we’d advise you to visit your doctor. For sleep apnoea to be formally diagnosed, you must undergo a sleep study. This is usually done overnight at a sleep clinic. Doctors will assess you overnight to see whether you have pauses in your breathing during sleep, and how frequent these pauses are. You can then be prescribed the correct treatment for you.

Sleep apnoea can be difficult to diagnose. Some people suffer from sleep apnoea and never even suspect that they have the condition. One main sign of sleep apnoea is loud snoring, but not everybody who snores has sleep apnoea.  You may be suffering from sleep apnoea if you snore and stop breathing in your sleep, or wake up tired (even after 8 hours sleep). When you experience an episode of apnoea during sleep, you will usually wake up with a loud snore or snort.

Smoking can irritate and damage the tissues at the back of the throat. This causes your airways to become inflamed, leading to frequent and louder snoring.

If you are overweight, the increased tissue mass around your neck could narrow the airways in your throat. This can lead to frequent and loud snoring.

The main cause of snoring is relaxed muscle tension in the back of the throat, which can lead to a narrowing of the airways and vibrations of relaxed muscle tissue. Another cause of snoring is congestion of the nasal passages which can limit or block airflow through the nose. This can be due to colds, allergies, or a blocked nose, which forces you to breathe through your mouth and can lead to snoring. Lifestyle factors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and being overweight can all make you more likely to snore.