[Measures against snoring] Explaining the price range of pillows and how to choose the best one

It is said that about one in five Japanese people snore. Many people are likely troubled by snoring, whether it's their sleeping partner pointing it out or experiencing poor sleep quality that leaves them feeling exhausted. The causes of snoring vary, including illness, body type, and unsuitable bedding. This time, we will introduce the causes and countermeasures for snoring, as well as how to choose a pillow to prevent it.

Understanding the Mechanism of Snoring

First, let's understand the mechanism of snoring.

During sleep, muscles relax, causing the tongue to fall back into the throat due to gravity, narrowing the airway. When air passes through this constricted airway, it vibrates the surrounding mucous membranes, producing snoring. While temporary snoring due to fatigue or alcohol consumption is usually not a problem, chronic snoring can disrupt the sleep of those nearby and potentially lead to unexpected interpersonal issues.

Furthermore, it could be a sign of various illnesses, so it's important to take proper measures.

Characteristics of People Prone to Snoring

Next, we will introduce the characteristics of people prone to snoring. If you find yourself identifying with any of these points, pay attention.

Irregular lifestyle habits

Smoking and drinking are lifestyle habits that can lead to snoring. Smoking weakens the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, causing them to become inflamed and swell with slight irritation, which can narrow the upper airway. Alcohol consumption also relaxes muscles, causing the tongue to fall back and narrow the upper airway.

Being overweight

People with fat around their neck or a short, thick neck often have fat on their tongue and throat, which narrows the upper airway. Furthermore, Japanese people tend to have smaller and more recessed lower jaws compared to Westerners, making the base of the tongue more prone to falling back, which can cause snoring.

Frequent nasal congestion

Nasal obstruction (stuffy nose) caused by colds or hay fever can lead to snoring. When nasal obstruction occurs due to a cold or allergic inflammation and swelling in the nasal cavity, people tend to breathe through their mouth during sleep to get enough air, which then causes snoring.

In such cases, treating the nasal obstruction at an ENT clinic can improve snoring.

Poor sleeping posture

Poor sleeping posture can narrow the airway and lead to snoring. The key is to ensure the airway remains open during sleep, so be mindful of proper sleeping posture. Generally, sleeping on your side is considered the least likely to cause snoring, compared to sleeping on your back or stomach.

Unsuitable bedding

If your pillow height is not right, your sleeping posture can become unnatural. Sleeping in this position for a long time can lead to a blocked airway and cause snoring.

How to prevent snoring?

Snoring might disturb the sleep of your family or housemates. Also, being told you snore can make sleeping with others uncomfortable. Here are three self-help measures you can take to prevent snoring.

1: Change your lifestyle habits

Smoking, drinking, and taking sleeping pills are lifestyle habits that can make you prone to snoring. Smoking weakens the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, causing them to become inflamed and swell with slight irritation, which can narrow the upper airway. Also, alcohol consumption and taking sleeping pills excessively relax muscles, narrowing the upper airway.

2: Change your sleeping posture

Changing your sleeping posture can prevent the upper airway from narrowing during sleep. Sleeping on your side or stomach is less likely to obstruct your throat than sleeping on your back, increasing the possibility of improving snoring. Therefore, using a pillow that supports side sleeping or a body pillow is effective in preventing snoring.

3: Change your pillow

If your pillow is too high, your neck can be compressed, making you more prone to snoring. If you are using a pillow that is 7cm or higher, consider re-evaluating it. Especially for women and petite individuals, a lower pillow is recommended.

The relationship between snoring and pillows

We discussed that ensuring an open airway is crucial for improving snoring. While lifestyle habits and body type can be contributing factors, reviewing your bedding can also lead to snoring improvement. Here, we will explain in detail the relationship between snoring and pillows.

Snoring can sometimes stop by correcting your posture

The ease of maintaining an open airway varies with sleeping posture, so it is said that sleeping on your side or stomach is less likely to cause snoring than sleeping on your back. If you naturally sleep on your back, try choosing a pillow that supports side or stomach sleeping.

Regular pillows can't suppress snoring

Regular pillows are not designed to address snoring. While they offer a comfortable, cradling sensation, your head often sinks, causing you to sleep on your back and making you more prone to snoring. Therefore, they are not recommended for people suffering from snoring.

Benefits of suppressing snoring

People who snore often have difficulty breathing and light sleep, leading to a state of sleep deprivation, which lowers their daytime performance. It can also disrupt the sleep of family members or housemates. By not snoring, you can not only achieve quality sleep but also sleep soundly with others.

We conducted a survey on problems caused by snoring!

Generally, snoring is considered a significant sleep issue, often linked to sleep apnea and other complications.

BrainSleep surveyed 10,000 people across 47 prefectures nationwide (allocated by gender, age, and prefecture) regarding their Sleep Deviation Score® (Table 1).

According to the survey results, completed after confirmation with family or cohabitants, 30.6% of respondents stated that they had snored loudly in the past month. However, when asked if they personally were bothered by their snoring, only 15.8% answered that they were.

This suggests that even if individuals believe their snoring isn't an issue, others perceive them as snoring loudly, indicating that approximately one out of two people who snore could be categorized as "hidden snorers."

Furthermore, when asked if "snoring, sleep apnea, or other sleep-related issues caused problems in their family or personal relationships," 5% answered "yes." Including those who answered "unknown," a total of 22.5% of people reported that snoring had affected their personal relationships or had the potential to do so.

Types of snoring prevention pillows

Recently, many pillows designed for snoring prevention have appeared. Each has different features, so please find the pillow that suits you best.

Airway-securing pillows

Side sleeping is less likely to block the airway and cause snoring, so pillows that encourage side sleeping are recommended. If you prefer sleeping on your back, choose a pillow that helps keep your airway open even in that position.

High-resilience pillows for easy tossing and turning

For those who toss and turn frequently, choose a high-resilience pillow with moderate elasticity. It supports natural tossing and turning, adapting to any sleeping posture—back, side, or stomach—which can reduce snoring and lead to better quality sleep.

Snore detection & vibration function

For those suffering from chronic snoring, an electric pillow that detects snoring and vibrates is recommended. It automatically guides you to a natural sleeping posture, allowing you to continue sleeping comfortably.

Pillows that maintain side sleeping position

As repeatedly mentioned, for snoring prevention, it's crucial to make side sleeping a habit for easier breathing. Choose a pillow that supports you to naturally stay on your side without causing pain to your ears or arms.

Price range of snoring prevention pillows

While there are many types of snoring prevention pillows, their functions vary greatly, with prices ranging from inexpensive ones around 2,000 yen to high-end ones costing around 20,000 yen. Furthermore, custom-made pillows can be even more expensive. It's not just about the price; it's important that the support features, height, and firmness suit you. So, find a pillow that fits your body type and neck curve.

How to choose a snoring prevention pillow

Here are six points to check when choosing a pillow to prevent snoring.

1: Pillow height

If the pillow height is not right, your neck will bend, resulting in an unnatural sleeping posture. If this continues, your airway will be compressed and narrowed, leading to snoring. Although it varies from person to person, a pillow height of 7cm or more is generally considered to cause snoring.

Know the depth of your neck curve

The most important thing in determining pillow height is to know the depth of your neck's curve. Stand with your back against a wall in good posture, tuck your chin slightly, and measure the distance between the deepest part of your neck's curve and the wall. Generally, this is said to be 5-6 cm for men and 3-4 cm for women.

Ideal pillow height is plus 2cm

The ideal pillow height for you is said to be the depth of your neck's curve plus 2cm. The additional 2cm accounts for how much the pillow sinks under the weight of your head when you lie down.

2: Sleeping posture such as on your back, side, or stomach

The selection criteria for pillows vary depending on your sleeping posture.

Back sleeping

When viewed from the side, choose a pillow height that allows your neck to form a gentle S-curve.

Side sleeping

For those who sleep on their side, choose a height that keeps your spine straight from your head to your back, matching your shoulder width. A type that firmly supports your head and neck is recommended.

Stomach sleeping

In a prone position, the tongue is less likely to fall back into the throat, and the airway is more easily secured, making snoring less likely. Therefore, rather than preventing snoring, simply choose a pillow that prevents your arms and shoulders from hurting.

3: Pillow firmness

Pillow firmness is determined by the material. Pipes, cypress, and buckwheat hulls tend to be firm, while polyester and feathers are softer. Choose a pillow with a firmness that suits your preference.

4: Breathability

The temperature of your head also affects sleep quality. Choosing a breathable pillow instead of one that traps sweat and heat can lead to better sleep onset and deeper sleep.

5: Ease of care

Pillows tend to accumulate dirt from sebum, sweat, drool, and dandruff. Being able to wash not only the pillowcase but also the pillow itself at home provides greater peace of mind regarding hygiene.

Checkpoints for sleeping posture when using an anti-snoring pillow

Here are 5 points to check regarding sleeping posture when trying out an anti-snoring pillow.

1: Shoulders and back touch the futon

Choose a pillow height that allows your shoulders and back to firmly touch the futon when you lie down.

2: No pressure on the neck

It's important to be able to lie down in a relaxed posture without undue strain on your neck. Be especially careful with pillows that are too high, as they can compress the cervical spine.

3: Head position is stable

If the pillow sinks too much or is too bouncy, your head won't be stable, leading to poor sleep. Choose a pillow that naturally cradles your head.

4: Lower back is not floating

To avoid straining your spine, choose a pillow height that matches your sleeping posture and body type. For people with a thicker back and good physique, a higher pillow is recommended, while for slender individuals with a thin back, a lower pillow is better.

5: Neither too soft nor too firm

A pillow should be neither too soft nor too firm. If you have a strong preference for pillow firmness, try a pillow that has different firmness levels depending on the part of your body it contacts, gently holding your head while firmly supporting your neck.

Recommended pillows for snoring prevention

Overweight individuals may find it difficult to sleep on their back because their neck wrinkles and feels constricted. Additionally, many Japanese people struggle with maintaining a proper sleeping posture due to their naturally small jawbone structure.

For such individuals, it is said that simply sleeping on their side can alleviate snoring. There are also pillows available that help maintain a side-sleeping position, effectively preventing snoring, so be sure to check them out.

Review your pillow to prevent snoring!

We have introduced the causes of snoring and how to choose a pillow that can prevent it. By incorporating a snoring prevention pillow, let's ensure comfortable nights for both you and your partner.