What is a Zyppah?

Ah, the age-old question…what is a Zyppah? As important and persistent as the other BIG questions; where do we come from? How did we get here? Are aliens real?? Technically, a more proper phrasing of “what is a Zyppah” would be “what is Zyppah” or “what is the Zyppah snoring mouthpiece?” But regardless of how you spin it, this big question can actually be answered, unlike those other big questions. Now, we know just how eager you are to behold the truth, so let’s not waste time skipping around the sacred answers and get right down to it. Bear in mind, to properly bestow the full truth upon you, we must also answer a couple other big questions.

Why Is Snoring Bad?

Snoring is a legitimate and overwhelmingly common sleep condition. According to the National Sleep Foundation, around 90 million Americans snore at least occasionally, and 37 million American adults snore regularly. What is perhaps even more startling is that only 59% of snorers openly state that they snore. That means 41% of snorers are not explicitly aware that they snore! This is alarming given what we know about the dangers of snoring.

People who snore can exhibit a multitude of concerning symptoms. This includes excessive sleepiness during the day, headaches, sore throat, difficulty concentrating, restless sleep, high blood pressure, behavioral problems (mainly in children), and pauses in breathing during sleep. The last symptom there is particularly dangerous. It is connected to a sleep condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Basically, snoring is caused when a blockage in the air passage occurs. When we go to sleep, our entire body and all of our muscles go to sleep too. In our mouths, this means the roof of the mouth, the throat and the tongue. The tongue, in particular, is a key player here. As it relaxes, the risk of it sliding back and creating a blockage increases. When this blockage occurs, air can no longer flow freely (and quietly) through the air passages. Rather, the air’s path is disrupted, essentially creating turbulence which results in the grating, mid-sleep roar we call snoring. In some cases, this blockage can lead to OSA, because it results in moments where breathing nearly or entirely stops.

This is dangerous for multiple reasons. Firstly, the lapses in breathing will likely jolt the sleeper awake, thus disrupting their sleep schedule and possibly affecting their ability to enter REM sleep, which is crucial to functioning well during the day and for keeping your physical and mental wellness in tip-top shape. Secondly, moments where breathing ceases to occur can lower a person’s oxygen saturation. This means that the amount of oxygen able to reach the bloodstream and brain is reduced, which can lead to serious problems. Ideally, oxygen saturation should remain at 100%. However, with OSA, oxygen saturation levels can drop significantly. Once levels drop below 90%, they are considered harmful, and can lead to scary health consequences like brain damage and trouble with memory. Due to the inherent connection between snoring and OSA, many people find that when they are able to successfully treat their snoring, they in turn treat their sleep apnea.

How Can You Treat Snoring?

There are a number of different products out there that claim to treat snoring. The efficacy of them, however, is questionable to say the least. For instance, two unfortunately popular products out there are the anti-snoring pillow and chinstrap. The first of the two attempts to treat snoring by positioning the head in a manner that makes it less likely for a blockage to be created—it’s called “positionality therapy.” We use the word “attempt” purposefully here, as this tactic presents quite a few problems. In theory, training someone to not sleep on their back and remain sleeping in a position that prevents airway blockages could work. However, using an oddly shaped pillow does not train someone, it simply encourages them. We move during our sleep. That’s the hard truth. So, when we look at the evidence, it’s no surprise that anti-snoring pillows prove relatively ineffective.

The second of the two, the anti-snoring chinstrap, also “attempts” to treat snoring my strapping the mouth shut and preventing noise from escaping. This method is, well—ineffective, to put it bluntly. Firstly, noise can still occur through the nasal passage. Secondly, the blockage that causes the snoring in the first place will still take place. The only difference is that it’s even harder for the snorer to breathe, should the blockage create a lapse in breathing. Ultimately, the anti-snoring chinstrap is not only dangerous, it’s ineffective.

Anti-snoring mouthpieces are a more popular, more effective method of treating snoring. They are not unlike mouthguards, and each one has their own way of putting an end to snoring. Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) move the jaw forward in order to prevent blockages. The issue here is not just that it doesn’t always work for everyone, but that jaw pain and teeth shifting are a possible side effect. For this reason, many people prefer Tongue Stabilizing Devices (TSDs), which get right to the root of the issue and work by preventing the tongue from creating a blockage. Zyppah falls under this category, however, it stands out because of something we like to call the Z-Factor^TM.

What Is a Zyppah?

Zyppah, which is Happy-Z spelled backwards, is the only anti-snoring mouthpiece of its kind that has the Z-Factor^TM. Basically, it acts like a seatbelt for the tongue, thus stabilizing and preventing it from drooping back and creating the blockage from happening in the first places. The Z-Factor^TM is not the only unique feature that makes Zyppah stand out from other anti-snoring products and specifically other anti-snoring mouthpieces is its efficacy. Zyppah was part of an actual clinical study, which found that among participants enrolled, 91% reported improvements with the Zyppah device, with no adverse side effects and fewer than 1% had issues with the fit of the device.

So many happy Z’s are certainly something to be happy about!