Trying Pillows to Control Snoring

Now that people are aware of the potential dangers of snoring, there has been a booming market for the production of anti-snoring devices. These come in all shapes and sizes, from apps to beds. And there are, of course, pillows designed to help you control your snoring.

Although there are some reasons why pillows might be able to help your snoring, don’t count on it.

Before you try any home care for snoring, it’s important that you first get tested for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially deadly condition that requires professional care.

With sleep apnea, you are at risk for heart disease, stroke, dementia, and other serious health dangers. If you try to treat snoring on your own, it’s possible that you might eliminate some of the noise of snoring but not improve your apnea.

Getting tested for sleep apnea is easy these days: we can help you get a test that you take in the comfort of your own home and pass the results on to a sleep doctor who will give you a diagnosis.

But if you’ve figured out that your condition really is just snoring, you can try working with your pillow to improve the sound.

The easiest way a pillow can help with your snoring is to help you sleep on your side. Side sleeping can dramatically reduce the sound of your snoring. But you have to make sure your pillow supports your head and neck to maintain an open airway. If your pillow doesn’t properly support your head, it’ll make you more likely to shift to your back or it can narrow your airway, contributing to snoring anyway.

Pillows specifically designed to hold your neck in a horizontal position have shown promise in small studies.

Another reason to get a new pillow is that old pillows may harbor allergens. This can irritate your nose and throat, causing inflammation that contributes to snoring.

There are many ads on TV for pillows that claim to be good for snoring. But Afshin E. Razi, spokesman for the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said , “I personally have not found any good data to suggest [what pillows] are good for what [conditions]. It’s all marketing.”

Instead, the key is to get a pillow that specifically fits you. And the best way to do that is to go into a store.

Go in knowing what you’re looking for. Talk to salespeople and let them know what you’re looking for. Test it out a little bit in the store, and make sure that you can return the pillow. You might not know if it’s working unless you can sleep with it for a few nights.

The truth is that a pillow is probably not going to solve your snoring problem. If you start out shopping with this knowledge, you’re less likely to be disappointed.

And if you’re looking for a truly successful snoring solution in Detroit, please call (248) 480-0085 today for an appointment with sleep dentist Dr. Jeffrey S. Haddad at the Michigan Center for TMJ & Sleep Wellness.