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How Important is the Pillow?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Rentel on
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That is such a GREAT ? I am currently seeking a pillow for my BIPAP. I would welcome other people's suggestions to what they are currently using.
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Permalink Reply by Banyon on
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It is very much overstated.
I have four expensive "CPAP pillows" languishing in my closet. Eventually found that the most common polyester-filled "standard" pillow worked quiet well. It works fine whether I am sleeping on my tummy, sides or back.
If you have spine problems, a special pillow may be called for.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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This is a great question. I am presently using a FitLife Total Face Mask which is primarily for back sleepers. The side profile is so pronounced- it's wide at the bottom and the top and sticks out a good inch, to sleep on my side with a regular pillow I practically have to hang my head over the side of the pillow. Not very comfortable. My Regenesis pillow hasn't been very comfortable either, but maybe I need to take some more hulls out. I might just try a down pillow and see if I can arrange the down to accomodate the side of the mask. Right now with a regular foam pillow when I lay on my side it dislodges the fit of the mask and it's very difficult to get the seal back.
For
me, wearing a primarily back sleeping mask and being a side sleeper, I'd say a pillow that could accomodate my mask is very important. The special pap pillows with the cutouts- well the cutouts don't look large enough to accomodate this mask. Pillows are expensive. Wish I was handy with scissors, needle and thread! LOL.
I recommend the Regenesis pillow for say, a Mirage Quattro.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Tache on
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It is not critical but I find that the horeseshoe shaped cervical pillow that I use in addition to my "normal" pillow keeps my comfortably elevated so that I have more mobility with my CPAP. I will NOT affect the efficacy of the CPAP either way i.e. the pillow.
Dr. Tache
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Hi
I have been on a BiPap machine for 2 years tried several different expesive pillows nothing seemed to work well. My wife took a regular pillow cut both ends in a horse shoe shape large enough for my full fase mask. I put this on top of another pillow the horse shoe cut gives me space for my forehead and chin it is very comfortable and I have cut my leaks down to zero most every night.
Don
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When we bought our intelligel mattress several years ago, we invested in the intelligel pillows to go along with it. By invested, I mean they were very expensive. When I went to a full face mask, I was worried about the pillow not being right and that I would have problems. To my surprise, it works great. The pillows actually have an adjustable air chamber, surrounded by a high quality foam, and the intelligel layer on top of that.
When my head hits the pillow, I'm usually out for the night, no leaks, perfect fit, and curves just right for total comfort. I'm a side sleeper, and haven't even tried anything else because I got lucky, I guess. By the way, it was here that I actually got advice about going to a full face mask, and I am ever grateful for that. I appreciate the help I get here on the sleep apnea forum.
I do have a question though: I see quite often talk about a 'neti-pot' (not sure on spelling). What is that and would it help me with stuffiness? Thanks.
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The Neti pot is a small pot with a small spout. You use warm salt water, the packets for the right concentration of salt are usually included, hold your head over the sink, follow the directions to position the head and pour water through one nostril out the other one. They are supposed to clean out the sinuses. Some people on the forum swear by them. I myself am too lazy and find that getting in the right position takes practice. It would certainly be worth a try to give those sinuses a good rinse.
I do have a question though: I see quite often talk about a 'neti-pot' (not sure on spelling). What is that and would it help me with stuffiness? Thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Amy on
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I believe that the right pillow can make or break you. I think that people do not think about the fact that pillows should be replaced on a regular basis and that depending on your position the right pillow will support you and your mask or it will cause you to be uncomfortable and have to adjsut the mask during the night.
We do have one of the Contour pillows in our lab as well as a wedge pillow and medium, firm and extra firm pillows to allow patients to be more comfortable.
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Permalink Reply by Jim on
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I'm sorry. I was all gung-ho when I first signed up but have nbot been very active on the forum. I've been a CPAP user for about 15 years and have been through I think 5 CPAP machines in that time and more masks than I can recall. In the first few yeasrs I was always looking fior the "perfect" mask. I don't think the PERFECT ONE existsa but have settled on the Breeze which for me comes pretty darned close to perfection. I had always been a side sleeper, sleeping on my right side until I had to start wearuing a CPAP at night. A few years after I was diagnosed with sleep apnea my wife also was diagnosed withe the problem. I am at 18 and she at 10. We are both 100% compliant. As a matter of fact, 7 yars ago I had a very bad problem. My CPAP machine just quit and I had an awful time trying to get a loaner from my DME supplier while we got a repair/replacement. I was finally rushed to the hospital where for about a week I hovered at the edge of death. I had problems with fluid which had knocked the whack out of my potassium level, had lung, liver, and cardiac problems which ensued. The first time I can recall my doctor visiting me when I was lucid he gave me his sincere urging to sue the pants off the company who had done this. I suffered a stroke at this time and was more concerned with learning how to bwalk again.
At anyrate back to the question at hand. I guess that I have just learned to modify my sleeping pattern to becoming a 100% back-sleeper. I do use one thing, one of those neck pillows that is the length of my pillow and about 4" in diameter. It's made of foam and slips right inside my pillow case. I've gone to a semi-soft down pillow. And it is so comfortable that usually I fall asleep in about 2-3 minutes. I find that it feels so comfortable that it just lulls me to sleep. I don't think I move a muscle all night during sleep. I know that every morning for the past 10+ years that I am in the exact same position each time I awake.
I think that it will be a very individualized situation for people. Mask styless will have a definate strong affect on a person's position. I persoally would like to hear all of the positive points of going to a full face mask.
Oh, by the way, during the weeks just prior to suffering my last stroke, I was having a lot of pulmonary trouble which got worse as my CPAP was getting worse in it's operation. I had gotten to the point that I was wearing my CPAP during the day as well just to be able to breath. Has anbyone else ever had to use their CPAP during the day to make it easier to breath?
Thank you for your time.
Jim
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I bought a special CPAP pillow, cost $59.00 plus shipping. It now sits in the closet. Why? It's not comfortable enough for me, even sleeping on my side didn't help at all and it has special cut-outs on the lower corners for cpap mask fit. What a joke. I wound up buying the flattest, cheapest pillows I could find. I used to call this type of pillow a 'dead' pillow as it had no life to it. Now I can bunch up two of them and make myself comfortable and not have a problem with my full-face Mirage Quattro mask. Try flat pillows but make sure they are not hard. Hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by Edy Flexser on
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I use a travel size pillow. It works great for me since I am a side sleeper and switch sides often. I hang the mask off the side and when I turn I don't have far to get to the other side! When I first started using cpap I was wondering why my neck was hurting when I got up. Well pulling that hose across the length of a standard size pillow was doing that for me. Now my hose hangs on a bracket above my head and with the smaller pillow I have no problems now! A good night's sleep. Yeah!
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Jim, I have never heard of anyone having to use their CPAP during the day to breathe.
Have you gotten past that point now as it seem to point to some much more serious problems than sleep apnea. Was this at the time you ended up on deaths door at the hospital?
< I had gotten to the point that I was wearing my CPAP during the day as well just to be able to breath. Has anbyone else ever had to use their CPAP during the day to make it easier to breath?
Thank you for your time.
Jim
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