Sleep apnea pillows: A review
Sleeping problems are a serious problem and with increasing pollution and stress in society, sleeping problems are more common than a few years ago. Sleep apnea is disorder that interferes with the breathing pattern while you are asleep. With some patients, the breathing will stop for a few seconds till almost a minute while you are asleep. Afterward you will continue breathing again. It also causes a very loud snoring noise and because of that many people have sleeping problems. However, sometimes small things can achieve big results. Sleep apnea pillows are sometimes enough to improve sleeping quality drastically for both snorer and the person sleeping next to it.
A sleeping apnea pillow is a special designed pillow that gives relieve to the tension in the neck and supports all muscles in the neck and throat area. It also forces you to sleep in a certain position that reduces snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. A sleep apnea pillow is an invasive way of treating a serious disorder. It will not always be enough to fully treat the disorder but most often it significantly reduces snoring and improves sleeping quality.
There are many types of sleep apnea pillows on the market and all have their advantages. They come in different sizes but are most often white and filled with anti allergy material.
Snore-No-More Pillow
This pillow keeps the airway open by giving extra support to the jaw and chin. It fixes the chin in a forward position and in this way keeping a constant distance between your chin and chest. Next to this it also keeps your body in a comfortable alignment. It prevents you from rolling over to your back
The Side Sleeper thigh cushion and knee pillow
This pillow fixates your body in a certain position. It will fixate you legs and thigs forcing you to sleep on your side in a comfortable way. With this cushion your thighs and legs are angles in a 30 degree position (see picture). Although you have to get used to the forcing element of this cushion this pillow works very well in reducing sleep apnea.
Obus Forme-Anti snore pillow
Alike the Side Sleeper, this pillow also forces you to sleep on your side. Sleeping on your side has proven to be the most effective way to reduce sleep apnea and snoring. This pillow provides excellent comfort and support for achieving this.
Actually this is the only pillow that is approved by the FDA. It achieves all objective that are required for sleep apnea pillows. Although it might look a bit odd, the double triangle system gives complete support to your body and has proven to be very effective in reducing sleep apnea.
It is quite a personal matter what is the best sleep apnea pillow. Although the SONA is the only one approved by the FDA, the others have also proven to reduce sleep apnea. Some patients can not stand the forcing character of some pillows while others have no complaints about them. When you are considering sleep apnea pillows as a first step in reducing apnea, than always consult your physician and ask for some proper advice in the matter. Most often he is able to help you choosing the best pillow suited for you.