'Silent Knight' snoring relief ring

Vorak

I am extremely sceptical of this, but my mum works in a hospital and one of the nurses recommended this ring for relief from snoring. Another person who worked there then backed it up and said he had tried it and although it had taken three weeks to kick in, he was convinced it worked just fine.

Just wondering has anyone else anything to say about it before i try it..?

r3nu4l

Here's the Faq from the company website.

I'd be sceptical to be honest, if it was that easy to conquer snoring then they'd be giving them away on the NHS over here.

Might be something to it but I'd like to see the clinical trial results they are talking about...

edit: and they don't appear to be published on PubMed...surprise surprise.

Vorak

Ya read pretty much all i can find on the net. Was hoping from a couple of first hand trials tbh. Theres really so few real cures for snoring its kind of tempting...

Owen

There's an infomercial on daytime TV about this. It looks like the biggest con since the sale of the Golden Gate Bridge TBH. Wearing a small ring on your baby finger will cure snoring? The ad gets comical when they go through the testimonials, and the 'science' behind the 'technology' ... do yourself a favour, and don't be suckered in for it.

r3nu4l

Hi Vorak, a little more information for you regarding their advertising. A complaint against the company was upheld by the advertising standards authority in 2005.

See attached PDF

Vorak

The wonders of Boards...Thanks r3nu4l. Very helpful. TBH i think i'll give it a try. I can afford to, i can bring it back if it does'nt work. And i'd like to know if it does work. The fact that so few people have returned it is a good sign. But mark me words, i will be bringing it back to my local Boots in St.Stephens Green if i dont sleep like a baby within 30 days.

r3nu4l

Let us know what happens if you do buy it

whippet

as someone who has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea .. I have tried every device, spray, nasal band that was available and am very sceptical. After years of bad snoring and bad sleep the only relief for me was after a proper sleep study in a sleep clinic and the use of a CPAP.

There are many causes of snoring .. and snoring can be a symptom of a much more serious condition !!

Ph3n0m

whippet wrote:

as someone who has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea .. I have tried every device, spray, nasal band that was available and am very sceptical. After years of bad snoring and bad sleep the only relief for me was after a proper sleep study in a sleep clinic and the use of a CPAP.

There are many causes of snoring .. and snoring can be a symptom of a much more serious condition !!

I presume you went through your doctor to do this sleep study?

whippet

I got a referral from my GP to a nasal consultant who then referred me to the sleep specialist.

To be honest it was my wife who insisted that I did something about it .. I never thought there was a problem apart from the noise. but since being diagnosed I have found out what it is like to sleep properly .. something that I have never done since I was about 16 !! Life changing is a strong claim but the last 12 months have been like starting a new life !

Owen

Vorak wrote:

TBH i think i'll give it a try.

Did you read the bit in the PDF posted that says "It doubted that viewers would take the claims as scientific or medical advice as it believe it was sufficiently clear that the presenters were not professionally qualified to offer such advice". This is snake oil of the purest kind ... you'll be wasting your money, but it is your money to waste I guess ...

Vorak

Ned haven’t you ever heard of a money back guarantee? I won’t be wasting my money, I’ll simply be handing it over for 30 days, and then taking it back

Thanks for the comments Whippet. I actually do have OSA but the waiting time for the sleep labs in Vincent’s in Dublin is one and a half years. I’m from Galway originally and the waiting time there is much less. I am currently waiting for my GP to come back from holidays to give me a recommendation for the Sleep Labs in Galway. I know I have OSD because my girlfriend tells me I regularly stop breathing for over 10 seconds and most of the time she needs to wake me to get me to start breathing again. This happens several times an hour and apparently is very funny for my GF, it happens a lot much less if I sleep on my stomach or side.

I’m only really trying the ring thing (lol) as a temporary measure.

SO Whippet, can you tell me everything about the CAP system? Did you get it free or did you have to pay for it? How long does it take after you are admitted to the sleep clinic before you get a good nights sleep? Can you fill me in?

r3nu4l

Anyone watching 'Sleep Clinic' on BBC2? It's on at 7pm tonight. Well worth watching...also the hospital that they film in isn't too far from where I live

Interesting to see the types of sleep problems that exist out there...
...and yes, persistent snoring can warrant a GP visit but feel free to try the ring and let us know what happens, because I'm curious now

whippet

a year and a half seems to be a very long time to wait for an appointment in the sleep clinic .. i would hassle your GP. Have you VHI or other insurance?

It took me about 6 months in total to get my sleep study .. 2 nights in the Mater Private and the morning I checked out I was sent away with my prescription to Medicare to collect my CPAP that very day. The cost is about €90 per month rental (you can claim back on the Med1)

The CPAP itself takes a bit of getting used to, it is so important that you have a mask that is comfortable and suits your style of sleeping. I found for the first few weeks that I was waking up in the middle of the night and taking the mask off .. quickly followed by a nudge from the wife to put it back on. I noticed the results after the first night, awake early in the morning and feeling fresh and ready for the day.

It took a good while to get used to wearing it after a night out !!

After a year of using it I have noticed that I don't doze off on the couch anymore, don't get sleepy at the wheel (big danger) and find myself more active.

I have to take it as hand luggage any time I fly, recently I did a round the world trip for a month and that was a bit of a pain (quantas actually let me use it on board) but well worth it, as it was the first proper holiday where I didn't need to go for naps in the middle of the day!!

I could count on one hand how many nights where I havn't used the CPAP (due to staying over at someone elses house with out planning) and the following day is terrible, just like it was pre-CPAP, lazy, tired and generally in bad form !!

If there is anything that you need to know or have any questions PM me, but OSA is such a complicated disorder my experiences may not apply to yourself. You might not have OSA, that is what the sleep clinic is for.

boru1960

I've been involved with acupressure rings for 2 yrs and I know they work!
I have developed a ring now available in Ireland at an affordable price of €16.99 in various pharmacies and health stores
There's a lot of sceptics who seem to refuse these rings work as it defies their 'scientific' beliefs but I would respond by saying............check out ebay enter stop snore ring in the search box and read the customer feedback!
Mise le meas
Brian O'Brien

Owen

boru1960 wrote:

I've been involved with acupressure rings for 2 yrs and I know they work!

Sure of course you do, you're selling the things. I'm sure PT Barnum told everyone who bought his tonics they worked also.

boru1960 wrote:

I have developed a ring now available in Ireland at an affordable price of €16.99 in various pharmacies and health stores
There's a lot of sceptics who seem to refuse these rings work as it defies their 'scientific' beliefs but I would respond by saying............check out ebay enter stop snore ring in the search box and read the customer feedback!
Mise le meas
Brian O'Brien

a) You're spamming the forum, if you want to sell something, pay for advertising on this site.
b) You're peddling ****e.
c) See point b above.

If you've 'developed' these rings, what scientific methods did you use to test their effectiveness? You claim that scientific beliefs are worthless, yet you went to the trouble of developing the ring? That's one hell of a contradiction. Show me proof of this ring working in the form of :

a) Video's of people sleeping for nights on end using the ring and people without, both before and after.
b) Audiotapes verified by the people involved in the tests before and after.
c) Medical evidence linking *any* part of the hand's nervous system with nasal cavity counterparts.
d) Your medical qualifications.

r3nu4l

Reported for mods to decide how to act. If boru1960 isn't banned then I'd like him to provide some scientific rationale and some published evidence for the product as I'm interested professionally and personally. According to my wife, if I've had too much to drink I snore

Of course, if it is blatant spamming of a 6-month old thread I won't be expecting a reply

EDIT: boru1960...anyone can write a review for a product online. I know plenty of people working in marketing who make a living writing so-called "personal" reviews of products online.

boru1960

As a response to the previous 2 postings

PT Barnum was a travelling showman who entertained the public with freaks and hoaxes I don't recall his selling snake oil no more than I would

I do not at any point 'claim that scientific beliefs are worthless' indeed science has been at the forefront of the advance of the human race not all beneficial unfortunately weapons of mass destruction spring to mind
Scientific methods of testing the ring were not required as snoring is not a medical condition
The facts are that thousands of these rings have been sold Worldwide and many people have stated that the rings have either stopped or reduced their snoring
Naturally the ring does not work for everybody no more than prescription drugs which have undergone extensive clinical trials and yet may only average a curative effect of c30%
Nevertheless they are still available and prescribable to see if they do have a curative effect
'You're peddling ****e'.........begs 2 questions
1 Are you condemning a product without any first hand experience?
This seems as relevant as saying 'I don't like whiskey' without having tasted it
2 Would you deny people who suffer the effects of snoring the chance to buy a product which so many people have found a help with their snoring?
I am not advocating that all 'alternative' therapies are effective I am indeed sceptical myself of them
The difference with the ring is a person is a habitual snorer he wears the ring and stops or significantly reduces his snoring level
Now to me that is black and white
Finally responding to Del the ring is less effective for a number of people when they have consumed alcohol
Slan

r3nu4l

boru1960 wrote:

Scientific methods of testing the ring were not required as snoring is not a medical condition

Scientific methods may not have been required for your product but have any been conducted on similar products that claim to act via the same forces?

That's what I'm looking for, not necessarily to scoff but out of pure interest. Yes I am sceptical but then again a long time ago the ideas of a certain Charles Darwin didn't exactly receive a warm welcome on publication Personally, as a scientist it would take a lot to convince me that these things work. As for them not working when alcohol has been taken, the same is true of many medications and other medical devices so I can accept that

I'm only asking if such studies have been done because as a product developer I thought you might know of some or have looked into them, again out of interest, nothing else. Take a snotty attitude with others if you like but not with me, it doesn't do you any favours and makes you come across as a little too defensive.

boru1960

Hi Del

Thanks for your reply!
Can I just say that I'm having a quiet day and came across this website and topic while 'googling'
I never understood what spamming meant but you have explained it!.... and can assure you that I don't make a habit of this and rather than advertising sought to argue the point for these rings
I also apologise if you considered my reply as 'snotty' I thought my reply very measured as some might say that another poster was vitriolic in some of his comments
Can the effects of the ring be scientifically measured or explained?
The answer to that is 'no not at the present time!'
I would justify that response as maybe sometime in the future science may or may not discover the mechanics or otherwise involved or not involved!
If you were to visit the ebay site and go to the stop snore ring page you will find a link to a similar product that was given a consumer test on Fox tv in the USA
A member of the medical profession took part and indicates that there have been positive results measured albeit not part of a clinical trial
He also mentions the placebo effect as perhaps a factor
One could speculate that the acupressure principle applied by the ring is sending an unconscious message to the brain which could be classed both as placebo effect or acupressure
All conjecture I know but as I said before there is to much evidence from people claiming that it benefits them to deny it works and there is no potential harm wearing a ring
Slan
Brian

Owen

So, from your own post, there's no medical evidence, and you are indeed peddling snake oil. People like you who sell crap like this to the unsuspecting public make me sick.

homah_7ft

boru1960 wrote:

Hi Del

I would justify that response as maybe sometime in the future science may or may not discover the mechanics or otherwise involved or not involved!

All conjecture I know but as I said before there is to much evidence from people claiming that it benefits them to deny it works and there is no potential harm wearing a ring
Slan
Brian

Future science might explain the mechanics but current science could show whether it actually works or not.

What evidence?

There is potential harm to ones bank balance. Not to yours of course since you are benefitting financially from selling what amounts to a barn brack ring.

*I have a magic banana which when placed under your pillow will simulate the effect of a well known vasodilating drug. I think I'll sell it for €30. You can bring it back if it doesn't work.

*No I don't. Please don't be foolish.

r3nu4l

Well I must admit that as a Biologist with a PhD in molecular biology and post-docs in molecular immunodiagnostic development my initial reaction is highly sceptical. However, as a scientist I've also learned never to totally dismiss something until I know more about it We must remember that accupuncture was dismissed as nonsense for a long time...although I'm not using that to lend any credence to the usefulness of snore rings

Right now, I'd love to see someone doing some good research on the electromagnetic effects of snore rings on brain impulses, and respiratory patterns. There are plenty of intrusive methods to decrease snoring including tonsilectomy and adenoidectomy. Air can also be continuously forced down the throat to keep airways open but I wonder are there better ways?

I'm trying to stimulate some thought here rather than defend snore rings. A placebo effect can be measured in many things, some people are far more open to suggestion and placebos can show brilliant results in these people but in the vast majority of people placebos have no effect. On that basis alone, I wouldn't advocate the buying of a snore ring absed on potential placebo effects. That said, if you are desperate to stop snoring then you might try anything and if it works, great!

boru1960

'people like you who sell crap like this to the unsuspecting public make me sick'

I can assure you that people like you make me sick also Who do you think you are the arbiter of what people may or may not choose or believe in
You are as dangerous as a religious fanatic who has blinkered vision and insults and threatens anything that does not conform to their own set of beliefs

Again I point to the evidence of the ring's effectiveness by the unsolicited feedback on ebay
You presumably imagine it collective hysteria or imagined but whether you like it or not there are many people there who are delighted with the results

Nobody is coerced into buying the product it is a free choice one that you would see taken away because you cannot understand how it works so refuse to believe it can work

Fortunately there are people of vision who embrace the unknown and seek explanation understanding and advancement

If we all had your attitude we would still be living in caves frightened to venture out because we don't understand the World outside

The other poster's banana gag hardly merits a response

homah_7ft

boru1960 wrote:

'people like you who sell crap like this to the unsuspecting public make me sick'

I can assure you that people like you make me sick also Who do you think you are the arbiter of what people may or may not choose or believe in
You are as dangerous as a religious fanatic who has blinkered vision and insults and threatens anything that does not conform to their own set of beliefs

Again I point to the evidence of the ring's effectiveness by the unsolicited feedback on ebay
You presumably imagine it collective hysteria or imagined but whether you like it or not there are many people there who are delighted with the results

Nobody is coerced into buying the product it is a free choice one that you would see taken away because you cannot understand how it works so refuse to believe it can work

Fortunately there are people of vision who embrace the unknown and seek explanation understanding and advancement

If we all had your attitude we would still be living in caves frightened to venture out because we don't understand the World outside

The other poster's banana gag hardly merits a response

I trust you are making money from this. As the saying goes, there's one born every minute. Would any ring work or is it special in some way?

boru1960

Homagh

I make no apology if I profit from this product isn't that what business is all about?
My investment so far however leaves me a long way from making a profit however
The ring has 2 protruberances inside the ring which when worn exerts pressure on the outside of the finger
I suppose if you would care to experiment you could do as Chinese monks used to thousands of years ago to relax themselves for prayer and meditation

Bind a couple of seeds to the outside of your finger!

I can imagine the other fella's blood pressure going through the roof when he reads that one lol

Since I last posted I have had visions of him in a previous life as an assistant to Hippocrates

I see him reading Hippocrates 5th Century BC notes on a bitter powder extracted from willow bark that eases aches pains and reduces fever

'Hippo! what scientific trials have you conducted on this'
'None I was experimenting mixed a paste and administered it to a number of people complaining of headaches and fevers They nearly all said they felt better and I observed no ill effects'
'That's as maybe but if there have been no trials it cannot possibly work!'
'But.....'
'No buts I'm going to destroy your papers and the millions of people who may want to take this will not take it until 20th Century trials can show how it works'

And so the relief that aspirin has brought to millions of people over the Centuries was lost .....perhaps for ever?

Owen

boru1960 wrote:

You are as dangerous as a religious fanatic who has blinkered vision and insults and threatens anything that does not conform to their own set of beliefs

First of all, that's funny, because it's you who has the idiotic belief that a ring on a finger can cure snoring, and won't accept that science can't prove your hamfisted theory.

boru1960 wrote:

Fortunately there are people of vision who embrace the unknown and seek explanation understanding and advancement

Secondly, this is funny, because you were claiming that this wasn't an unknown, and it would work, and a member of 'the medical profession' (BTW, that wasn't Dr. Nick, was it?) has staked his name on it working. And now, all of a sudden it's an unknown that only the enlightened can seek? Who's the religious fanatic now?

boru1960 wrote:

If we all had your attitude we would still be living in caves frightened to venture out because we don't understand the World outside

And thirdly, this is the funniest part of your post. If we were the type of people to stupidly accept the psuedo science behind the premise that placing a ring on the finger can cure snoring, we'd all be wearing kelp around our necks when we get a cold, and putting warm flahavans oats on strained muscles.

You are selling an unproven product that doesn't work. The company behind the Silent Knight ring (A product identical to yours) in the UK was put off the air by the Advertising Authority because of the hogwash the company was claiming. Hogwash, not that dissimilar to the particular brew you're serving up.

And finally, I'm even sorrier that someone with the intelligence to set up an entreprenurial forray such as yourself, could be as stupid to believe that something so childish could actually work. Or do you? I'm guessing you don't, and PT Barnum is alive and well.

Here's a link to the result from the Advertising Authority :

Report in PDF format originally posted by Del Griffith

Owen

And we've all asked you for scientific tests and proof by the way, and you've yet to supply any. No wonder we're skeptical.

boru1960

Your posts become more vacuous as you lose ground and either put words iN my mouth or ignore what I have said

I'll spell it out again in big letters so you can understand it

SNORING IS NOT A MEDICAL CONDITION SO THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR PROLONGED EXPENSIVE CLINICAL TRIALS!

I would point out that sleep apnea IS a medical condition and the leaflet expresses quite clearly that if a person has or believes they suffer from sleep apnea they must not wear the ring

Your previous request for video evidence

I PREVIOUSLY SAID THAT IF YOU VISIT THE EBAY SITE YOU WILL FIND A LINK TO A FOX TV CONSUMER TEST CARRIED OUT BY 3 COUPLES

Evidence it works

AGAIN I SAID LOOK AT THE FEEDBACK FROM CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED THE RING OR ARE YOU CALLING THEM LIARS FANTASISTS ETC

If you want to do something really useful why don't you lobby Government and tobbacco companies about the obscene profit they are making from the misery they have been inflicting on the populus for decades (I include Government as a party as they are quite happy to take countless millions in tax to fill their coffers)
Scientific trials have proven beyond doubt that smoking is responsible for a myriad of illnesses and diseases so you should be very passionate about it

Owen

boru1960 wrote:

Your previous request for video evidence I PREVIOUSLY SAID THAT IF YOU VISIT THE EBAY SITE YOU WILL FIND A LINK TO A FOX TV CONSUMER TEST CARRIED OUT BY 3 COUPLES Evidence it works

I asked for :

a) Video's of people sleeping for nights on end using the ring and people without, both before and after, or
b) Audiotapes verified by the people involved in the tests before and after, or
c) Medical evidence linking *any* part of the hand's nervous system with nasal cavity counterparts, or
d) Your medical qualifications.

boru1960 wrote:

If you want to do something really useful why don't you lobby Government and tobbacco companies about the obscene profit they are making from the misery they have been inflicting on the populus for decades (I include Government as a party as they are quite happy to take countless millions in tax to fill their coffers)
Scientific trials have proven beyond doubt that smoking is responsible for a myriad of illnesses and diseases so you should be very passionate about it

Okaaay, your'e loosing the plot by using CAPS to shout and make your point, but that last point above just plain makes no sense. Of course we'd be passionate about smoing being hazardous, it's been proven scientifically, whereas you being passionate about your magical rings makes no sense, as they have no scientific basis, or tests behind them whatsoever.

If you want to do something useful, how about arranging for independent clinical trials on the ring. Surely if they work, you'd have nothing to loose, right?

boru1960

DUH!!

Why should I go to clinical trials which as I'm tired of repeating are expensive and prolonged

a) b) jeez! I've directed you to a link at least twice OK so it wasn't for 'nights on end' but I would guess that if I said it was a week you'd want 2 weeks and if I said a month you'd want 2 months etc

c) again I said science has not recognised the link .....yet!

d) I am not advocating a cure for cancer or any other medical problem so what is the relevance of medical qualifications

You have variously accused me of being a snake oil salesman and 'you are selling an unproven product that doesn't work'

I'm tiring of your condemnation of the ring even though you have never tried it or know anybody personally that has tried it

All I want to see from you is your confirmation that you have viewed the Fox TV video read customer feedback extolling the benefits they have gained from wearing the ring A commitment to print that despite the undeniable evidence you still refuse believe it works

How about it's all a conspiracy that's always a good one

I really couldn't careless whether or not you believe in it what I really dislike about you is your self appointed position as the harbinger of what's right and wrong and choice should only be given on products that fit your own criteria
You are like a scientific Nazi

Owen

boru1960 wrote:

I really couldn't careless whether or not you believe in it what I really dislike about you is your self appointed position as the harbinger of what's right and wrong and choice should only be given on products that fit your own criteria. You are like a scientific Nazi

Indeed. But the fact remains, that you bounded onto our Forum, with the intention of using this forum as a means of free advertising for a ring, which after the Advertising Authority in the UK investigating, was found to be useless, despite your many biased, unfounded claims.

boru1960

OK my very final word on the matter

In an earlier post I indicated that I had time on my hands and was googling when I came across this site and thread

Albeit an old thread I was compelled to respond as in my opinion there was disinformation about acupressure rings

It was not my intention to gain free advertising and any neutral looking through this thread will IF they were swayed by me probably purchase the ring that this thread started on ie not mine! lol

Your last post again spreads disinformation 'found to be useless' is totally unfounded
The facts are that the ASA ruled that the field trial evidence was not sufficient to merit the claims they were making
They DID NOT say suggest or intimate that the ring was 'found to be useless'

If that was the case then the ASA in the UK and the Irish equivalent would not have permitted further advertising of the ring with an amended script

DrIndy

Boru1960

This is a scientific forum. You must provide evidence for what you claim to continue this discussion.

We do not require a placebo controlled trial - but a case-based trial is sufficient to show evidence for this.

If not provided, this thread will be locked. If your antagonistic tone continues, you will be banned.

acedia

Ned78, I believe you're hysterical. Demanding evidence when it's right under your nose - the testimonial of many who tried the anti-snoring ring and found it worked for them. I snored every night, sometime light, sometimes loud enough to wake my fianceé. When I purchased the Silent Knight ring in Boots (apparently with a money-back guarantee) it worked within a week. I can only speak for myself but you shouldn't be so closed to products out there, especially with something that can work for many people. Sleep is something we all need as part of our daily lives, we're not talking about a "6-minute-abs" package here, and if some people find it works for them, don't be so quick to put it down. I don't believe there is any advertising in this forum, boards.ie is used by Irish people who log in for advice and opinion. If someone whose experience can help to benefit others, then surely it's worth a try?

sportswear

@ acedia



lol wonder who you are!