Why Should You Try a Sleep Apnea Pillow?

As doctors and scientists get a better understanding of sleep apnea and what causes it, there are more and remedies that patients can try to fix this condition.  One of those may be a sleep apnea pillow, which is gaining popularity with those who try it.

You may already know that sleep apnea refers to a cessation of breathing when you sleep.There's different reasons why this can happen but similar to snoring it may happen if a person sleeps on his/her back and his/her mouth falls open.The tongue may fall over the throat and cause the airways to become covered or fatty tissue along the back of the throat has the same effect.  A  sleep apnea pillow is designed to keep a person from sleeping on their back so that these conditions don't occur.

In the past patients that snore or are affected by sleep apnea were told to put a tennis ball on their back so that if they roll onto their back they will feel uncomfortable forcing them to roll back to their side.  But imagine how uncomfortable and downright painful this is!  A sleep apnea pillow on the other hand is a large pillow-like foam piece that cradles your head and your back to stay in place.  There are many different varieties from which to choose; some are like regular pillows and wrap around the head and neck to keep it from turning.

Another type of sleep apnea pillow is one that wraps around the midsection and back to keep a person sleeping on their side.It has the same effect as the tennis ball method but it is far more comforting.At the end of the day would you rather have a cold hard tennis ball digging into your back or a soft and firm sleep apnea pillow sleep apnea pillow supporting you.Most people prefer the pillow!Your sleep won't be disturbed and you will be more comfortable all evening.

There is also another type of sleep apnea pillow that works with a CPAP machine.  This pillow has inserts in which you can nestle the hoses for the CPAP machine, making it easier and more comfortable to use.  If you use a CPAP machine you may want to consider a sleep apnea pillow with it as well to keep you comfortable and the hoses out of your way.