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If your current pillow just isn’t cutting it anymore and your (or your partner’s) snoring has gotten severely out of hand, you might want to look into getting an anti-snore pillow. But do they really work? Will they really help you stop snoring? Let’s find out.
How do anti-snore pillows work?
Anti-snoring pillows work in helping you to reduce snoring by altering your sleeping position as well as helping provide you with better body alignment.
Anti-snore pillows are wedge pillows that help alter one’s sleep position and are specifically designed to provide a more elevated head and neck support. Although they can be made from any pillow fill material, the most popular pillows are ones made out of memory foam since they are firmer and help keep the head and neck in place.
Coupled with an anti-snoring device such as a ZQuiet anti-snoring mouthpiece, an anti-snore pillow can help reduce snoring and for some people, maybe even stop it. But not everyone who snores can benefit from using an anti-snore pillow, especially those who suffer from sleep apnea.
For those who suffer from sleep apnea, a CPAP machine along with medication can help. In some cases, adding an anti-snore pillow into the mix may work as additional positional therapy but not always.
But for those who do not have sleep apnea and need a little bit of help, how exactly would anti-snoring pillows work?
Encouraging you to sleep on your side
Back and stomach sleepers have a higher chance of snoring than those who sleep on their sides. Studies show that out of all the sleep positions, side sleeping helps reduce pressure on the chest, throat and airways, keeping them open for easier breathing.
An anti-snoring pillow can help shift your sleeping position to encourage you more to sleep on your side.
How, you might ask?
Anti-snore pillows are shaped differently than traditional pillows. Instead of having a flat surface, they are specially designed to have curves and/or grooves that help keep your head in a better position for side sleeping.
Supporting better breathing
Laying flat on your back can also contribute to snoring but what if you are only a strict back sleeper?
Some anti-snore pillows can allow you to continue sleeping on your back but elevate your head slightly more than a traditional pillow can to help keep your airways open. This can help you breathe easier and better while you sleep.
Supporting proper body alignment
Proper spinal alignment is crucial whether you sleep on an anti-snore pillow or not but anti-snore pillows take it a notch further by ensuring that everyone gets proper spinal alignment – stomach, back and side sleepers alike. They do so by aligning your upper body with your lower body ensuring that your spine stays straight, depending on your preferred sleeping position.
Anti-snore pillows also sure that each sleepers gets proper neck support, which is important especially if you suffer from chronic neck pain.
Accommodating CPAP masks
A lot of anti-snore pillows can accommodate a CPAP machine and make it more comfortable to sleep with them on. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines are devices that can help treat those who suffer from sleep apnea. Not like your typical anti-snoring device, CPAP machines often require masks and tubes that deliver oxygenated air straight to your airways.
More often than not, CPAP machines can be a little finicky and uncomfortable to sleep with, adding to a sleep apnea sufferer’s discomfort and sleeplessness. Specially designed anti-snore pillows can help with that.
Benefits and downsides of using an anti-snore pillow
Just like with anything in life, there are pros and cons to using an anti-snore pillow.
Anti-snore pillows pros
- They can help reduce snoring
- They may aid in positional therapy
- They can help facilitate easier breathing
- They help back sleepers and stomach sleepers train themselves to be side sleepers
- Some anti-snore pillows can make sleeping with a CPAP machine more comfortable
- They offer extra support for those who suffer from neck and shoulder pain
Anti-snore pillows cons
- Anti-snore pillows may not help if you continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle (such as drinking alcohol frequently, bad diet, not taking proper medication when needed, no exercise, etc.)
- Not all anti-snore pillows can help those with sleep apnea, especially if it’s severe
- Sleeping comfortably on an anti-snore pillow may take some time to get used to
- An anti-snore pillow may not suitable for those who snore because of issues with their lower jaw or muscle tone
FAQs
There are certain types of anti-snore pillows called smart pillows that can help detect snoring. They usually work through movement or vibrations, waking up the sleeper when snoring is detected. These types of pillows can be expensive.
Bad pillows can definitely cause snoring. Sleeping on the wrong type of pillow loft for your sleep position, sleeping on an old pillow or sleeping on a pillow that may contain a material you are allergic to can certainly lead to snoring.
Conclusion
Sleeping on an anti-snore pillow can help reduce your or your partner’s snoring but not everyone can benefit from them, especially those who suffer from sleep apnea.
Anti-snore pillows work by elevating your head to keep your airways open while you sleep, allowing you to breathe better. They can also help provide proper spinal alignment as well as provide extra support for your upper body.
Next step: Read our guide to the best king-size pillow. We rated the top brands and listed pros and cons for each so you can decide for yourself which one is right for you.
Michelline loves nothing more than a cozy bed, with a stack of books at her side. She loves getting lost when she travels, can bake an entire British afternoon tea from scratch, is obsessed with all things analogue and does calligraphy on the side. She currently suffers from mild insomnia and is more than happy to be your guinea pig, so you won’t have to go through all the trouble of finding out what works best for you.
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