Q: I have dry skin and the Ziezta® strip is hard to remove. What do I do?

A: The time to fix this is before the strip is applied. First fold a tiny corner of the strip over on itself on the top of each side of the strip, making 2 tabs not adhered to the skin. You can use these tabs to pull the strip off in the morning. Next stick the entire strip on the palm of your hand once or twice to diminish its grip, and then apply it to your face. Some people apply a facial moisturizer or petroleum jelly to the skin prior to using the strip. This works too, but the face creams need to be rubbed in very well or the strip may fail to adhere properly. Especially on sensitive skin, always remove the strip by pulling down, never up.

Q: Is there a test to see if Ziezta® sleep strips could stop my snoring?

A: Relax your face, neck, and shoulder muscles. Hold your lips together with your mouth closed. Breathe through your nose for 30 seconds. Did you hear any snoring? If not, Ziezta® strips can help end your loud open-mouth venting and snoring at night.

Q: I tried a Ziezta® strip for one night, but I can’t tell if it helped me. What should I do?

A: Use a strip for successive nights for 3-4 weeks. By that time, your body will be re-programmed for a restful sleep. Some people adjust quickly from mouth-breathing to nasal breathing; others take longer.

Q: How does the Ziezta® strip work? Is it the strength of the strip that holds your lips together?

A: No, not really. While the medical grade tape that comprises the strip may seem strong, the muscles of the jaws are much stronger. Most people could simply open their jaw wide and rip the tape in two if they chose to. The strip works because nerve endings in the skin communicate to the brain that an object is stuck on the skin surface; the mouth remains closed so as to avoid stretching or distorting the skin. The same principle applies to football players who tape their ankles. There is no way a flimsy piece of tape can work as an ankle splint for a 300 pound lineman. However, the tape creates a kind of message center for the skin at ankle level. The brain responds by selectively firing muscles in the leg to keep the ankle straight. Since these messages are monitored at the subconscious level, neither the football player nor the sound sleeper is aware they are occurring.

Q: What are the benefits of the Ziezta® sleep strip?

A: Think of Ziezta® as a solution for open-mouth breathing. Let’s say your mouth falls open when you sleep, but you don’t snore. A Ziezta® strip will keep your mouth closed so you breathe through your nose—eliminating the dry mouth and sore throat you typically wake up with if you are a mouth-breather at night. If you also snore, in addition to preventing a dry mouth, the Ziezta® sleep strip can eliminate the snoring itself so you and your sleep partner can get a deeper, more restful sleep and both wake up refreshed the next morning. If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine, the Ziezta® strip will keep your mouth closed so you don’t wake up with a raw throat and possibly bloated belly from ingesting air under pressure all night. (Ziezta® does not cure sleep apnea, but it does address the primary reason most apnea patients abandon CPAP therapy—open-mouth breathing at night.) Finally, there is nothing that says you can only use Ziezta® strips at night. We are finding that people are using them on airplanes or wherever folks might take a nap. Since snoring and drooling on your seatmate is considered offensive in polite society, Ziezta® sleep strips may one day be as common as pillows and blankets on aircraft.

Q: What happens if I get sick at night or just need to open my mouth?

A: The U-shape of the Ziezta® strip provides a small opening for the mouth, permitting a person to breathe, talk, drink water, or expel fluids if needed. In a true emergency, a person can open the mouth forcefully and literally rip the strip in two using only the strength of the jaw muscles. One has only to make the conscious decision to override the subconscious urge to keep the mouth closed. See “FAQ: How does the Ziezta® sleep strip work?”

Q: Is the Ziezta® sleep strip a recent development?

A: The Ziezta® brand was established in 2009. The product design was patented in 1997, cleared by the FDA in 2004, and marketed on a limited basis primarily to the medical community. The product has been so well received that we decided to make it available to the general public under the Ziezta® brand. Tell your friends!

Q: I have tried a jaw strap to keep my mouth closed at night. Why doesn’t it work?

A: The jaw strap is read by your subconscious mind as an unnatural constraint—something that must be overcome for the jaw to function properly. Often the tighter you make the strap in the evening, the harder your body will fight it all night. In addition, as you tighten the strap, you increasingly restrict the air passages in your throat, making airflow more difficult. The Ziezta® sleep strip works on a different principle—with your body, not against it. See “FAQ: How does the Ziezta® sleep strip work?”

Q: Do Ziezta® strips work over long beards or goatees?

A: Unless you have a shadow-beard, Ziezta® strips would probably not work well for you.

Q: I am allergic to medical tape adhesives. Should I use Ziezta® sleep strips?

A: No. Ziezta® sleep strips utilize medical tape adhesives so their use would not be recommended.

Q: I am allergic to latex. Will Ziezta® strips be a problem for me?

A: No problem! Ziezta® sleep strips are latex-free, hygienic, gluten free, and hypoallergenic.

Q: I have heard that Ziezta® sleep strips can prevent sleep apnea. Is this true?

A: No. Neither Ziezta® strips nor nasal strips have been shown to be effective in preventing sleep apnea either alone or in combination. Although some patients with mild sleep apnea have told us anecdotally that this is true for them, there are no case studies that we are aware of that have documented this conclusively. Sleep apnea is a very serious ailment. Our recommendation is that if you have sleep apnea, use Ziezta® sleep strips only with approved therapy prescribed by your doctor. For example, we believe that Ziezta® strips can dramatically improve the efficacy of CPAP therapy—but this is something you need to discuss with your doctor or sleep therapist.

Q: Is it true that people who use Ziezta® sleep strips have fewer colds?

A: It is true that many Ziezta® users make this claim. However, there have been no clinical studies proving it, so we cannot say conclusively that the claim is true. What we can say is that the science seems to favor nasal breathing over mouth breathing. The nasal passages, with their mucous membranes and abundant blood supply (with white blood cells), provide a hostile environment for microorganisms entering the body, whereas the mouth offers an easier entry. In addition, mouth breathers often acquire dry, sore throats which can become irritated and inflamed and which can lead to more serious consequences. Finally if Ziezta® users get more sleep than their non-Ziezta® friends, it seems logical that a well-rested person might have more resistance to colds and other ailments. Someday we may conduct clinical studies to test this theory, but for now we only claim that Ziezta® sleep strips help prevent loud mouth snoring. If they also happen to prevent colds, then that would simply be a welcome side benefit.