Snoring is more than just annoying. It can be a symptom of a serious health issue. Once you have seen your doctor about your snoring, you need to purchase the best pillows for snoring available. These products will support your head and keep your airways open, essentially stopping your snoring.
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But, don’t take our word for it. Read on to learn all about snoring and how to find a great pillow to treat this loud condition.
Contents
Details about snoring
Snoring is essentially a type of loud breathing. It happens when the walls of your throat vibrate as you breathe in and out during sleep. The throat walls vibrate because the passageway of your throat becomes narrow. The narrower your throat, the louder you will snore.
Narrowing of your throat can happen for many reasons and potentially affect anyone. However, some people have a greater risk of snoring than others. Men tend to snore more often than women. People who are older have more relaxed throat muscles, which can cause snoring. Obesity and medical conditions like sleep apnea are also risk factors for snoring.
How do you know if you snore? There are a number of different symptoms.
Someone who sleeps near you tells you that you snore.
You wake yourself up in the middle of the night—this is more common than you might think.
You’re sleepy throughout the day.
You have constant headaches, especially in the morning.
You have other breathing problems as you sleep.
If you think that you are a snorer, contact your doctor first to rule out any underlying medical issues related to your snoring. Then purchase a pillow designed for snorers.
Benefits of owning a pillow for snoring
A pillow for snoring has a number of benefits. The greatest of these benefits is of course a reduction of your snoring. Remember that this type of pillow will not “cure” your snoring. It will only treat the symptoms. But, for many people that is enough of a pro to warranty trying ones of these specialized pillows.
Characteristics of the most comfortable pillows for snoring
For the pillow to be able to stop your snoring, it needs to work perfectly with your body. Look for the following characteristics when you purchase a pillow for snoring.
Pillows for snoring should fit the contour of your head and neck. The better the pillow fits your unique body, the more support it provides. You should look for a pillow that isn’t too loose around your neck and head and isn’t too tight either. You should move, but also feel like you are being held up by the pillow.
All pillows, but especially those designed to stop snoring, should fit your style of sleeping. People tend to be either a back, side, stomach or combination sleeper. The type of sleeper you are is determined by the position that you use most often to sleep. If you mostly sleep on your stomach, then you are a stomach sleeper, and so on. Pillows are designed for one or many different sleeping positions. Choose one that works with your preferred style.
The top pillows for anti-snoring will be thick and soft. These features are discussed in more detail below. However, the thicker and softer a pillow is, the more it will keep your head and neck in the correct position. This will decrease your likelihood of snoring.
Read on to learn more about specific features to look for in your new pillow for snoring.
Buyer’s Guide for choosing the right pillows for snoring
To reduce your snoring and remain comfortable throughout the night, you need to choose the right pillow. This is a very personal decision. However, the following factors can help you narrow down your options.
Size
Type of Size | Dimensions | For snoring? | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 20 inches by 12 inches | No, this size is not a good sleeping pillow. | Can add decoration to your bedroom. | Shouldn’t use for sleeping. |
| Standard | 20-inches x 26-inches | Maybe. Smaller people and children can use this size well. | One of the most common sizes. | Tends to be flat. |
| Super Standard | 20-inches x 28-inches | Yes, as long as it fits your sleeping style. | A great pillow for combination sleepers as well. | Hard to find. |
| Queen | 20-inches x 30-inches | Yes, for adults, especially women. | A perfect size for most sleepers. | Not a good size for children. |
| King | 20-inches x 36-inches | Yes, for adults, especially men | Large enough for people who roll. | Occasionally too large |
Pillows come in a variety of sizes, but only some are conducive to pillows for snoring. Small and standard pillows are not really appropriate for snorers. Standard sized pillows will be very easy to find, but they are a little too small for most types of sleeping. Plus, they tend to be too flat to provide the support that snorers need.
The rest of the common pillow sizes—super standard, queen, and king—will work for snorers. Super standard pillows work the best with smaller people and children. Almost any adult who snores can use a queen sized pillow. And, king pillows are great for taller people or those who move a lot while sleeping.
This video explains the different pillow sizes in more detail.
Shape
Type of Size | Pros | Good for snorers? | Good for snorers? |
|---|---|---|---|
Rectangular | Super common. | Doesn’t always support snorers well. | Yes, but should be |
Square | Best used for decoration. | Not a great sleeping pillow. | No, this shape is primarily for decoration. |
Wedge | Keeps your head above your neck. | Not a good primary pillow. | Yes. |
Cervical | Keeps your spine in the right curvature. | Takes some getting used to. | Yes. |
Roll/Bolster | Perfect for supporting legs, the back, and arms. | Should not be used alone. | Yes, but really built for pregnant women or those with existing injuries. |
CPAP machine | Ideal for CPAP machine users. | Too many indentations for non-CPAP users. | Yes, as long as they use a CPAP machine. |
Although the majority of pillows in the United States are rectangular, there are a variety of other pillow shapes out there. Like the many pillow sizes, some shapes are better suited for those people who snore more than others.
For example, the traditional rectangular pillow shape is decent for snorers, but not the best option. You have to be careful with rectangular pillows, so that you find a product that provides enough support to your head and neck while you sleep. Similarly, a square and roll/bolster is not going to be a good choice for snorers. These pillow shapes will not support your head and neck correctly to reduce snoring.
But, wedge, cervical, and CPAP machine pillows are all designed for people who snore. It will be much easier for you to find a pillow that relieves your snoring in these shapes. One word of caution only use a CPAP pillow if you also use a CPAP machine. Otherwise, that pillow shape will not work correctly.
Loft
Type of Loft | Thickness | Sleeping type? | Good for snorers? |
|---|---|---|---|
Low | Less than 3-inches | Stomach | No, it does not support enough. |
Medium | 3-inches-5-inches | Combination | Yes, this loft will provide decent support. |
High | More than 5-inches | Side/Back | Yes, ideal for the snorer. |
Loft is another important factor to get right in your pillow for snoring. Lost describes the thickness of the pillow. So, a low loft pillow has a thin thickness, while a high loft pillow is thick. Medium loft pillows fall somewhere in the middle.
For the most part, medium and high loft pillows will be best for people who snore. The higher the loft, the more material there is to keep your head and neck in the correct position and stop your snoring. In general, low loft pillows are not a great option for snorers. If you are a stomach sleeper, you should consider increasing the loft of your pillow to a medium.
Materials
Type of Material | Pros | Cons | Good for snorers? |
|---|---|---|---|
Buckwheat | All natural. | Expensive. | Yes, but purchase one with an adjustable loft. |
Down | Extremely soft. | Little support. | Not really, most down pillows don’t have enough support. |
Down Synthetic | Affordable. | Will need a new pillow often. | Not really, most synthetic down pillows do not have enough support. |
Feather | Almost as soft as down. | No adjustable lofts. | No really, most feather pillows don’t provide enough support |
Latex | Natural material. | Not many options. | Okay, but find a pillow with enough support. |
Memory Foam | Conforms to your body. | Often the loft is not adjustable. | Yes, this is an ideal material for snorers. |
If you’ve read any of out other pillow-related articles, then you know all about the different pillow stuffing materials. The most common are buckwheat, down, down synthetic, feather, latex, and memory foam.
Traditionally, the most popular pillow stuffing has been either feathers or down. But, if you are a snorer, you will want to stay away from these materials. Down and feather are popular because they are so soft, but they lack the support that snorers need to resolve their problem.
Newer stuffing materials like buckwheat, latex, and especially memory foam are our top choices for people who snore. All of these materials are supportive and most have adjustable lofts, which allows you to customize the pillow to your body. Memory foam pillows do not always have adjustable lofts, but that is the most supportive and contouring of all of the pillow materials.
Cost
Material | Cost |
|---|---|
Buckwheat | Under $100 |
Down | $50-$100 |
Down Synthetic | Under $30 |
Feather | Under $50 |
Latex | Under $60 |
Memory Foam | Under $200 |
Pillows can get expensive, especially pillows that are made for a specific purpose—like stopping snoring. So, if you are on a budget, you will want to pay close attention to the price of the pillows you like.
Two things greatly affect the cost of a pillow: stuffing material and size. In general, the larger the size, the more expensive the pillow. The change in price is because the manufacturer has to use more materials—cloth, stuffing, thread, etc.—to make the product.
Also, some materials cost more than others. This is because some stuffing materials are much costlier and time consuming to gather. For example, down is taken from geese or ducks, which require time and money to raise. But, synthetic down is a synthetic material that is not nearly as expensive or time consuming to make. So, synthetic down costs much less than natural down.
Moldability
The final feature that you need to consider when looking for a pillow for snoring is moldability. The term moldability describes how well a pillow holds it shape. Sometimes this feature is call malleability as well.
Moldable pillows will hold their shape no matter how you sleep on them. So, if you tend to bunch up the corner of the pillow as you sleep, it will still straighten back out the next day.
Moldable pillows are ideal for the snorer because they will not create their own depressions in the material. If you are purchasing a pillow because it is supportive, you want to continue supporting you no matter what. Therefore, you should always consider the moldability of a potential pillow before you buy it.
Product Reviews
Ready to pick out your pillow for snoring? You finally have the knowledge to find a great pillow for yourself. But, to help you out, we’ve provided our top five picks for the best pillow for snoring available in 2019.
FitPlus Bed Wedge
Our top pick is the FitPlus Bed Wedge. This pillow has one and a half inches of memory on a polyurethane foam base. So, between the memory foam and foam base, this wedge pillow will support anyone perfectly. Plus, the angle of the wedge promotes a healthy sleeping position that will stop your snoring for good.
If you are new to wedge shaped pillows, keep in mind that it may take a couple of days to get used to the product. But, the memory foam will help the adjustment process because it naturally conforms to your unique body shape, which will help hold you in place. And, wedges lend themselves to both side and back sleeping positions. For the top all-around pillow try the Bed Wedge from FitPlus.
Xtreme Comforts Memory Foam Bed Wedge
Xtreme Comforts has also designed a high-quality bed wedge pillow to reduce your snoring. It comes with a machine washable, bamboo cover. Therefore, the cover is soft and easy to care for. Plus, the memory foam used in the pillow will support your head and neck as you sleep.
Xtreme Comforts has designed the Memory Foam Bed Wedge at an angle of 30-degrees. This is ideal for people who snore because lying flat can make the condition worse. 30-degrees keeps your head and neck in an ergonomically sound position, which allows you to get a good night’s rest.
Cushy Form Bed Wedge
Bed wedges are popular for snorers, and Cushy Form as created a great one. It is a multi-functional pillow that allows you to raise your head or legs as you sleep. And, you can be supported while sitting upright in bed.
The Cushy Form Bed Wedge is 7.5-inches, so it may be a little tall for some people. But, it is made of high density memory foam that will support and reduce the symptoms of a variety of conditions, including acid reflux, GERD, and snoring.
Visco Love Therapeutic Memory Foam Pillow
Visco Love’s Therapeutic Memory Foam Pillow is the first product on our top five list that is not wedge shaped. Instead, it has a contoured shape with an extension for neck support. The Therapeutic Memory Foam Pillow is made of 100% visco-elastic memory foam. Therefore, every part of the pillow has memory foam in it that will conform to your unique shape.
The ergonomic shape of the contoured Visco Love pillow can be used for all of the sleep styles. And, the pillow is highly moldable. So, it will never lose its shape or support no matter how you like to lay.
Wonwo Memory Foam Pillow
The final product on our top five list, the Wonwo Memory Foam Pillow is a cervical shaped product. It is also made from foam, but this time the foam is CertiPUR-US certified Dynamic Foam. Dynamic foam does not get hard in the cold like other memory foam products.
Wonwo has designed their Memory Foam Pillow to support your neck, back, and shoulders. It has different lofts in the front and back, which helps to keep your head in the correct position to reduce your snoring. Plus, the breathable cover is machine washable.
Conclusion
If you are a snorer, do not worry. There are a lot of pillow options out there. In fact, you have so many options that it can get a bit overwhelming. That is where this article comes in. Now you should have all of the information you need to find a great pillow. We’ve even provided a list of the top five best pillows for snoring available. Now all you have to do is choose one and start sleeping soundly again.