Is a wedge pillow for snoring the answer to minimize this annoying and potentially dangerous nightly occurrence? Let’s learn why an elevated pillow for snoring can help decrease this annoying action by first learning why we snore.

Why do you snore?

To successfully pick out an elevated pillow for snoring, it helps to know why you snore. If you think about it, no one snores when they are awake. This means that snoring has something to do with sleeping. When you sleep, the muscles in the back of your throat relax. If the muscles in your throat cannot keep your airway open when you breathe in, your airway narrows, leading to the vibration we know as snoring.

Snoring happens most often when sleeping flat on your back. When you sleep flat on your back, it is more difficult for the muscles in your throat to overcome the narrowing of your airway when your throat muscles relax. Sleeping on your back also reduces your lung volume.

Do wedge pillows help with snoring?

A bed wedge for snoring will keep you lying on your side and slightly elevated. This position puts you in optimal alignment to minimize snoring. When you lie on your side, your airway is less likely to collapse. In addition, lying in an elevated position increases your lung volume, making it easier to breathe.

This means the best wedge pillow for snoring is a contoured incline pillow for side sleepers. Choose an inclined pillow with strategically placed curves that support your waist, hips, and low back. Find one that is also topped with memory foam to eliminate any pressure points. The more comfortable you are on your side, the easier it will be able to sleep on your side full time.

A leg separator pillow is also helpful when you sleep on your side. This pillow supports your low back, hip, knee, and foot in a way that allows your spine and hips to completely relax. It will help keep you on your side by minimizing your body's urge to turn over to your back.

After using a wedge pillow for snoring, get ready to wake up feeling energized and ready to take on the day!

-Hillary Blare, Doctor of Physical Therapy