What Are The Best Pillows for CPAP Users?

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Getting a good night’s sleep is so important to helping you have a productive day. When you struggle with sleep apnea, you recognize that you have to make a few adjustments to help you get at least a few hours of restful sleep.

Sleep apnea is characterized by a person’s breathing being interrupted throughout the night. Your body subconsciously wakes briefly and then begins breathing again. There are three categories of sleep apnea, all of which people struggle with snoring problems and never get a full night’s rest.

 

Obstructive sleep-apnea creates an obstruction to your airways, which forces your body to snore, wake up briefly, or stop breathing for short periods of time. Central sleep-apnea is caused by an interruption of brain signals that control your breathing.

Many other chronic issues often go hand in hand with this type of sleep apnea, including heart failure, brainstem injuries, stroke, and others. Complex sleep-apnea is a mix of the two symptoms, and there is a lot of research still being done in the medical field to help people that struggle with these symptoms.

For those who struggle with sleep apnea and have not been able to find relief through making supportive airway choices, using a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway-Pressure) machine can help.

Why Use A CPAP Pillow?

Think about it – you have a tube attached to your face and you’re trying to sleep. For those of us who move around at night, this could be potentially very uncomfortable or entangling, for that matter. Not to mention your pillow can totally get in the way. Pillows are designed for your head, not for your head plus CPAP equipment.

Have You Ever Tried A CPAP Pillow?

These specially designed pillows not only helps you have a better sleep posture, but it also helps you better use your CPAP machine through the night. Some other benefits to using a CPAP pillow are:

  • A decreased pressure of mask on face
  • Increases neck as well as spine support
  • Improves airway alignment

There are several CPAP pillows available, all made with various materials, and designed to help you sleep more comfortably with a CPAP machine. Listed below are the top 5 CPAP pillows for sleep apnea suffers.

TOP CPAP Pillows

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Large-CPAP Comfort-Pillow by EnduriMed

The EnduriMed Large-CPAP Comfort-Pillow is made with high quality memory foam, which creates a contour pillow design for comfort. This feature makes it a perfect choice for all CPAP users, regardless of whether you sleep on your back, side or stomach.

In their 2nd generation pillow, the patent pending-design offers 2 levels of thickness. With a one-size-fits-all design, ready to use, it is meant to help you have a great night’s rest without having to make constant adjustments.

The sloped design of this pillow allows any tubing or mask to have plenty of room to move freely or connect to your machine without getting caught on your pillow. It is also firm enough to support your neck and spine as you sleep, but soft enough to rest your head. The pillow fits in standard pillow cases or in their custom cover. Compliant to be used with Bi-Pap, CPAP, and APAP masks with full face and nasal designs.

Pros:

  • Reduces the pressure from the mask and supports a variety of masks
  • Offers great neck as well as head support.

Cons:

  • May not be enough support for side sleepers.
  • May not support all hose sizes.
  • There may be an unpleasant smell from manufactured memory foam.

CPAPMax2.0 Pillow by Contour-Products

The CPAPMax Pillow-2.0 is uniquely designed to help you have a better night sleep if you sleep on your back as well as side, or stomach. It has dual sides, one with memory foam and the other with fiber, giving you the option to flip it over to your desired comfort.

The pillow provides pressure free zones to allow more flexibility for the CPAP mask to rest freely and better stay in place. With a concave center for your head and shoulder cutouts, you can lay in a neutral position with less strain on your back and neck.

This pillow is also made with 3 removable foam layers to adjust to 4 different heights. With a foam layer for support, charcoal infused foam layer to neutralize odors, and a plush memory layer for contouring comfort.

Pros:

  • Offers great support for any sleeping position.
  • It also can be firmer than usual pillows.
  • You can use the pillow with variety of masks.
  • It comes with an adjustable height, offering much flexibility.

Cons:

  • May be too small for some sleeping positions

Premium-Pillow for CPAP by MARS-WELLNESS

The MARS-Wellness Premium-Pillow for CPAP is designed with the position of the mask and tubing in mind. The pillow prevents red marks and pressure sores from the mask, as well as mask leakage.

The re-designed pillow has a more supportive, cushioned base and includes a dual fabric design. The soft, quilted material fits the pillow’s contours to help you easily rest and move throughout the night. The cover also zips off easily for washing.

Pros:

  • Supportive foam base.
  • Soft and comfortable cover and material
  • Removable and machine washable pillow-cover

Cons:

  • Questionable durability of the washable cover

Coisum Sleeping Pillow

Last but not least is Coisum’s Sleeping Pillow. With an ergonomic design, developed by a leading chiropractic doctor, this pillow offers comfortable support and stability for all sleeping positions.

Made with 100% foam, it was intended to help correct spinal posture of the neck. The contour design helps keep your head and neck level and provide relief for conditions affecting the neck and shoulders. These pillows are designed to maintain its shape and comes with a fitted cover.

Because of its chiropractic design, the pillow is on the firmer side during first use. However, over time, it will soften. Adjustments may need to be made during the first several weeks of use while your body acclimates.

Pros:

  • Features a corrective design.
  • 100% foam.
  • Removable and machine washable cover.

Cons:

  • Not a soft, comfort pillow.
  • Very firm so you may need to adjust it several times during your first few weeks of use.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, getting a good night’s sleep will make all the difference. A CPAP pillow may help with the exhausting task of maintaining and adjusting CPAP equipment to find your own personal equilibrium.