This is completely unrelated to pillows, but I’ve been listening to this podcast the other day, and heard a phrase that really stuck to me:

And so this concept is also very applicable to finding the best anti snoring pillows. I was originally going to post about the top 10 pillows yadda yadda yadda, just like all those other posts out there, but I thought I would apply this new intriguing concept and present only the top 3.

Hopefully that saves you time and effort from scrolling endlessly.

Should I just buy a cheap wedge pillow from Walmart?

Obviously we all want cheaper products. 

However, you pay for what you get. They often are lower quality, and break easily. 

Hopefully the store still lets you return it after you give up on it.

From a customer that recently purchased a cheap wedge pillow from Walmart:

“I bought a wedge from Walmart as it was cheap. However, after giving the wedge a try, it killed my back and was not something I could use.”

The total amount spent on low quality products would probably be equal or higher than the amount spent on the nicer, higher quality one. Now, I’m not saying splurge your entire paycheck on buying the fanciest, highest tier item. I’m just saying to definitely consider a mid-tier product that has developed a reputation of creating high quality products, since the company’s reputation is on the line.

Top Recommendations

#1. MedSlant: Acid Reflux Wedge Pillow

See it on Amazon

Just in case the above link stops working, we have located an alternate link here just in case it goes down.

As evident by the thousands of positive reviews, we’ve identified the MedSlant as the top recommendation for the anti-snoring pillow. I’ll detail the pros and cons below.

Pros:

You might be wondering: “Why in the world is this pillow so expensive?” It is because it cures/relieves so many sleeping issues, such as:

• • • Snoring for many side sleepers, including those with neck and back issues
    • Nighttime acid reflux issues (GERD issues)
    • Nighttime coughing
    • Relieves sleep apnea symptoms

Larger dimensions is a plus (30″ length, 29″ width, 6″ height).

• • To some, it may not sound like a large pillow is necessarily a plus. However, our research tells us that there is a higher tendency for the head to fall off of a small generic wedge pillow vs. a large (Medslant) pillow. 

Its side and back sleepers approved.

There is no strong odor, as opposed to some other vacuum packed products. We hear about this a lot and totally understand that its practically impossible to sleep if there is a ton of odor.

Its the right amount of firmness vs. extremely firm generic wedge pillows.

This is a company that makes a quality product and stands behind it. If you encounter any issues, they are very responsive to your comments and concerns. An inspiring story from the founder:

Cons

• • Pricey due to the higher quality and size of the pillow
  • Size of pillow may be bulky / cause inconvenience for whoever is sleeping next to you
  • Some quality control issues have been reported, but those occurrences do not happen often

All other concerns will come down to personal idiosyncratic preferences. You would just have to test it out for yourself to find out if this is truly the best pillow for kill your snoring issues, or if it is completely ineffective. It should be fairly easy to return this if necessary. Please do let us know by leaving a comment if you are unable to return this easily after testing it out.

In addition to the regular (left column), we’ve also included MedSlant’s smaller, travel size wedge (right column).

#2. Xtra-Comfort: Bed Wedge Pillow

Pros

This is a soft, well-made pillow that kills both back pain and snoring simultaneously.

For those with GERD, acid reflux, and sleep apnea, this is the pillow for you. No more pain or numbness in my back, hips, or legs.

In addition to being a great pillow for side and back sleepers, this pillow even works with pregnant stomach sleepers.

Its machine washable, and unlike many others, there’s no odor from the foam.

The company stands behind their product, sending us emails when the pillow has shipped. Sounds like they are guaranteeing their 100% customer satisfaction rating.

However, a few cons as well:

• • Some dislikes based on individual preference: some believe its too firm, and some believe its too tall in terms of height
  • No gel cooling feature, so may be a bit warm at night – if that bothers you.
  • The memory foam may not conform to your shoulders/neck/head as compact as you like

#3. Wondersleep: Premium Adjustable Loft Pillows

Pros

One of the most comfortable pillows used to stop snoring.

It also comes with a soft and thick outside cover.

Since its adjustable, you can easily remove the foam if the loft is too high (a microfiber inner layer where the stuffing resides). The memory foam is shredded so it distributes weight evenly.

Say goodbye to neck and back pain!

Cons

• • There is an odor initially, but after a while it fades away. To speed this up, you can put it in the dryer, add some Bounce dryer sheets in, and let it spin for a while
  • May be too flat for some users, and too thick/lumpy for others, contributing to neck pain.

What Causes Snoring?

If you snore, it basically means that your airway pipes are not fully open. Aka your throat muscles are not strong enough to hold your airways completely open.

Things that can cause that to happen:

• • Being overweight

Extra fat around your throat presses on airways and leaves only a small opening, if any. And when there is lots of air that tries to pass through, it will make a loud sound.

This is very similar to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is when the airways become completely closed and the person temporarily stops breathing completely.

• • Soft palate issues:

From MayoClinic: “Some people may have a long soft palate, or large tonsils or adenoids, which can narrow the airway and cause snoring.”

• • Excessive relaxation caused by sleeping medications or alcohol

Alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, so they end up blocking your airways and cause you to be unable to breathe. That’s what creates that foghorn sound when you snore.

• • Nasal Congestion

Excessive mucus production can cause blockage and again, less air can get through those airways.

• • Enlarged tonsils (or adenoids in children)
  • Sleeping your back (tongue falls back in the throat, causing partial blockage)
  • Anatomical variations which change the position of parts of the airways in relation to each other

If you or someone you know and care about snores, that person should definitely make an appointment with a sleep medicine specialist/doctor to get it checked out. It could save your/their life.

Other Possible Cures/Solutions

In addition to wedge pillows, there are also other solutions to cure snoring.

CPAP Machine & Face Mask

If you have sleep apnea, and a wedge pillow is not enough, this might be for you. 

Sleep apnea is a serious and chronic disease that negatively impacts a patient’s sleep, health and quality of life (Source)

• • OSA occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep by a partially/completely blocked airway and can affect anyone.
  • Obstructive sleep apnea (“OSA”) is the most common form of sleep apnea
  • Left untreated, OSA increases the risk of high blood pressure, hypertension, heart failure, stroke, coronary artery disease and other life-threatening diseases.

Continuous positive airway pressure (“CPAP”) is the leading therapy for patients with moderate to severe OSA.

• • CPAP is delivered through a face or nasal mask that connects through a hose to a bedside air pump.
  • In order for CPAP to be most effective, the mask must form an airtight seal on the patient’s face or nose and the mask must be worn every night. 
  • However, since it is very cumbersome and uncomfortable to put the mask on every single night, the effectiveness of CPAP has become limited.

When CPAP cannot be tolerated, the patients’ remaining treatment options currently only consist of invasive surgical procedures developed to modify or remove existing tissue in an attempt to create free air flow. 

These invasive surgical procedures have limited or unpredictable clinical benefit, are irreversible, and can be extremely painful. (Source)