Best Pillows for Use With a CPAP Machine

Top 7 Best CPAP Compatible Pillows Reviews

Some of our top reviewed pillows have some of the most supportive cpap nasal pillow masks reviews associated with them as well. We have intermixed those pillows in with other types of top rated CPAP pillow reviews below to provide you with more detailed comfort accounts pertaining to sleep position and snoring support.

How To Find A Pillow To Go With Your CPAP

Waking in the morning feeling more tired than when you went to bed is a good indication of a night full of interruptions. Sometimes this means you have poor posture support, maybe it pertains to a busy mind, or maybe you are struggling with airway obstructions- causing you to snore, or worse yet, pause your breathing altogether as you sleep.

A diagnosis of sleep apnea is not a bad thing, in fact, if you have been diagnose it means you can better go about treating the underlying causes. There are a few things you can do to support a better night’s rest if you do have this condition, including making use of a prescription for a CPAP machine. For an even better rest, and proper use of a CPAP, you will want to choose the best CPAP pillow that supports both your sleep posture and the machine through the night. Below, our CPAP pillow reviews provide a few ideas to help you in making a choice.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep Apnea is characterized by an interruption to a person’s breathing through the night. It is a diagnosis that is as alarming as it sounds, although most people subconsciously wake briefly and begin breathing again. This does create an interrupted night’s sleep, which overall, is incredibly unhealthy in the long run. There are three different types of Sleep Apnea categories, of which most people who struggle with alleviating snoring problems, and continually wake feeling more tired than they went to bed as, eventually get diagnosed with.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Characterized by a relaxation of the soft tissues within your throat and your tongue, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) creates an obstruction to your airways, forcing you to snore, wake, or stop breathing altogether for short periods of time. Although CPAP machines may be recommended for this, sometimes choosing the best mattress and pillow for posture support can help alleviate the worst of the symptoms.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is more complicated to both diagnose and treat and is defined by an interruption of brain signals that control your breathing. Many people who suffer from CSA do so because of other chronic issues that may be seriously ill with. It is not uncommon to find CSA a problem that goes hand in hand with Parkinson’s disease, stroke, heart failure, diseases and injuries to the brainstem, kidney failure, arthritis, and certain drug use.

Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Complex sleep apnea may also be known as treatment-emergent sleep apnea, and is when both OSA and CSA are the cause of symptoms. Obviously this is a complicated issue that requires different treatment approaches to try and solve, and the definition itself is somewhat fluid within the medical field as doctors attempt to better diagnose and treat it.

What is a CPAP Machine?

CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, and is a therapy that is considered the best choice for treating sleep apnea that has continued to be problematic despite other supportive airway choices. A CPAP machine is a small machine that has a motorized fan that draws air from from the room, pressurizes it, and delivers it in the supportive setting you have programed it for.

It also includes a humidification chamber that provide warm, moist air to soothe nasal passages and upper airway to help avoid drying, discomfort, and swelling- all problematic causes to snoring and airway obstruction. The airflow is gently forced into your airways through the night through a flexible hose that attaches to a mask that covers your nose and mouth. The machines try to accommodate all sleep positions, and allow for movement with the use of long, flexible hoses and other materials, but care must be taken not to pinch or cut off the airflow as you sleep- hence why certain positions are recommended, as are pillow specifically designed for CPAP machine compatibility.

See related article: All About the CPAP Machine

What Position is Best to Sleep in With Sleep Apnea?

Obviously people who sleep in all positions suffer from sleep apnea, but the recommended position for those suffering from it is to sleep on your side, or stomach as it is less likely that your airway will become obstructed as your tongue and other soft tissues found in the throat are unable to fall backwards.

Stomach sleepers are faced with their own issues, however, pertaining to poor cervical alignment that results in back, hip, and neck pain. But if this is your preferred position, there are supportive ways to make it work, such as the Falcon position.

Sleep apnea is often worsened by back sleeping due to how gravity pulls upon the soft tissues of the throat and the tongue, although there are supportive pillows to help with this as well if this is a preferred position.

What Position is Best for a CPAP Machine?

No matter whether you are a back, stomach, or side sleeper you can take advantage of what is most comfortable for you when using a CPAP machine. The key for proper use is in the type of mask you use. If you have been prescribed a CPAP machine, you will need to find both a mask, and a pillow that supports your position.

How do Pillows Help Support CPAP Machines?

When supporting your body through the night you want to choose a pillow that works with your sleep position for proper cervical alignment. Thinner pillows work best for back and stomach sleepers, and thicker, firmer choices are often best for side sleepers. But when you take into account the addition of a CPAP machine, you also need to consider the location of the machine and the tube that connects to your mask.

There may be a more limited array of choices to choose from when considering this added factor, but there are still choices. In fact, there are many reviews pertaining to the best pillow for sleep apnea, as well as for CPAP users.

What to Consider When Choosing a CPAP Compatible Pillow

Sleep apnea is already an overwhelming diagnosis, as it is a bit scary to think that you are spending your night in various states of unrest due to a lack of oxygen. When prescribed the use of a CPAP, and the thought of having to now address sleep position, and the various products that go along with it, can add to your general anxiety. But with a few simple tips going into your research, you should be able to better address your needs without feeling overwhelmed.

What is your natural sleep position?
As mentioned, there is no need to try and introduce a new sleep position on top of everything else. Chances are your body will fall into your old position through the night, so address what is most comfortable for you. Look for pillows that are made for your sleep position and then research if it works with the machine.

Do you sleep warm?
Various material can create heat sinks, and if you already sleep warm, this could be contributing to your sleep interruptions. Again, focus on your sleep comfort and look for pillows that breath well, or contain cooling properties, such as gel infused foam layers, natural materials, and consumer reviews pertaining to this detail.

Do you wake with aches and pains?
Poor posture is not the only thing that contributes to waking in pain- not resting properly doesn’t allow your body to heal. Body comfort is especially important when taking advantage of the support a CPAP machine can provide, and you might want to consider using more than one pillow, or differing types in conjunction with a CPAP pillow.

Pillows are so much more than just a place to rest your head. Soft, malleable pillow position allows for pressure relief, lift hips and knees, and help keep you in position through the night. Body pillows are also worth considering to keep your whole body well supported.

Conclusion

Obviously, as with any other pillow choice, you need to first look towards the ones that you know will support your sleep position, help keep you stable through the night, and allow for collaborative use with a CPAP machine. As you can see, there are actually many variations of pillows available to you, some of which we can personally speak on concerning general comfort, and airway support.

Be sure to consider the type of mask you use as well, as some work better with certain types of materials to help alleviate pressure points. If you have any suggestions concerning pillow use and CPAP machines, we’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.