Sleep Apnea Pillow Helps Keep Airway Open  

Many people suffer from sleep apnea; in fact there are millions of people who do.  Not sure what causes this condition? It is often caused by obstruction of the airway during sleep. There are different treatment options that be discussed by the doctor and the sleep specialist and they will offer the option best suited for each patient. One of the available options is the sleep apnea pillow. The pillow was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and has been designed to help keep the airway open while the individual is sleeping. 

Many people have been using breathing masks, dental devices and other mechanical methods for keeping the airway open during sleep have been developed, but not everyone needs the more restrictive devices. A sleep apnea pillow may be enough for some patients to achieve the positional change they need to ease their breathing while sleeping. With obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles in the throat and tongue become relaxed while sleeping and fall into the airway.   A sleep apnea pillow might be all you need to keep the airway open. 

Who knew that all you needed was a pillow to correct your position to be able to sleep more comfortably?  Consider when a person is being ventilated and how their head is tilted back to keep the throat open. They may also use nasal strips to help airflow through the sinuses, but without their head being in the right position, like when using a sleep apnea pillow, their throat restricts the amount of air they can breathe in.  As you can see, a proper pillow really is essential even if other tools are being used. 

Replace Bulky Devices with the Sleep Apnea Pillow 

Those who obstructive sleep apnea will especially have trouble sleeping on their back, as their throats may be narrower, restricting their ability to breathe. A sleep apnea pillow is designed to keep their head tilted slightly back, still in a comfortable position, and keep their throat open to breathing regularly.  It is important to note that the sleep apnea pillow is not the right treatment for every sleep apnea patient.  Talk to your doctor to see if they think this is worth trying out. 

Breathing masks that provide continuous positive airway pressure are prescribed for many obstructive sleep apnea sufferers, while losing weight, mechanical devices to keep the airway open and avoiding muscle relaxers such as alcohol to help keep the throat open for breathing. For less restrictive sleep apnea, a sleep apnea pillow may be the only device needed to help the person continue breathing throughout the night. You might find with the right pillow that you don’t need any of these fancy and often uncomfortable devices.  Work closely with your doctor to determine if this an option for you.