The Health Nut Blog

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 are many reasons for this but like with snoring, it can happen when a person is sleeping on their back and the mouth falls open.  This can cause the tongue to fall over the throat and block the air passages or the fatty tissue in the back of the mouth to do the same.  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.Just imagine how painful this can be!A sleep apnea pillow is capable of holding the head and back in a comfortable position since it is a large foam type pillow.  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.  This works something like the tennis ball trick but of course it's much more comfortable.  Ask yourself what you would rather have propping up your back as you sleep, a cold hard tennis ball or a soft and firm sleep apnea pillow.  Obviously the pillow is preferred by most!  It won't interrupt your sleep and will keep you comfortable all night as well.

Another different kind of sleep apnea pillow interfaces 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.

# posted by NeilG @ 8:58 PM