I Snore So Much Less When I Sleep on This Fugly Pillow
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I’ve been a light snorer since I was young, and while it’s never bothered me, it can be annoying to anyone I’m sharing a room with. (My partner, Sam, says it usually isn’t loud enough to wakehim up, but will sometimeskeephim up if I happen to fall asleep first.) There are manyways to stop snoring, but one of the most commonly recommended is to sleep with your head slightly elevated. This prevents your upper airway from “collapsing” in on itself, which can happen easily when sleeping on your back and is often the cause of snoring.
Of course, snoring can also be caused by lots of other factors, includingsleep apnea, so you should always consult a doctor to rule out potential medical causes. If you’ve already done that, there are lots of products out there to help you sleep more upright, fromwedge pillowsand otheranti-snoring pillowstoadjustable bed bases. But I’d never seen an anti-snoring pillow quite like the Snorinator, which is kind of like a wedge pillow on steroids.
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The Snorinator pillow is designed to hold you in an upright position
It’s specifically modeled on theHigh Fowler position, which is used in hospitals to ensure patients can breathe easily. The pillow is shaped almost like a chair back and is designed to sit up against a headboard or the wall behind your bed. The top part of the pillow has two cushions, one on each side; your head goes in between them, so they kind of rest on the top of your shoulders, with your back supported by the lower part of the pillow. The Snorinator comes with one pillowcase, which is made of a nylon blend. (You can also buy extras, but they only come in white.) It’s available in two sizes, small for people five-six and shorter, and large for people taller than five-six. I’m about five-five, so I tried the small size.
The pillow ships compressed and rolled up like abed-in-a-box mattress. After I unboxed it and gave it some time to decompress, my immediate impression was that this large white chunk of foam is not exactly the most attractive item to have in your bedroom. Also, it looks a bit like asex pillow… or maybe akid’s car seat? I was also immediately skeptical that anyone could actually sleep comfortably on (in?) such a contraption.
Resting at an angle made it noticeably easier to breathe
My first attempt to sleep on the Snoriator was a nap. I situated my head between the side cushions and tried to get comfortable; compared to how I normally sleep, on my side or flat on my back, I was extremely “upright,” which didn’t feel natural. You can’t really change positions with this pillow, because it is intended to hold you in place, but after shifting around for a few seconds I was able to settle in. As I closed my eyes, I noticed that my throat actually did feel more “open” than usual, and it was easy to breathe deeply. But I couldn’t fall asleep — perhaps I just wasn’t tired enough for a nap.
As a point of reference, I switched back to mynormal pillowfor a quick breathing comparison. I laid on my back as I normally would, and I could feel a slight constriction in my throat that hadn’t been there with the Snorinator.
Once I got used to it, I was able to sleep comfortably without snoring
The first time I actually tried to sleep on the Snorinator overnight, I placed it on my bed and used it to read for a while before turning off the light. Its reclined angle is pretty ideal for reading in bed and would probably work well for watching TV, too. To give sleeping on the Snorinator my best shot, I read until my eyes were starting to flutter shut involuntarily; after a couple less-than-successful nap attempts, I was anxious that I would be stuck lying awake. But this time, I fell asleep about as fast as I normally would, and I was able to sleep through most of the night. I did wake up in the early morning to pee, and decided to switch back to my regular pillow until my alarm went off.
I’ve slept on the Snorinator several times now. It’s definitely effective in reducing my snoring and, given how unnatural it feels at first, it’s surprisingly comfortable once you get used to the angle. It’s made of soft memory foam that doesn’t feel overly restrictive. Despite being a side and back sleeper, I was able to stay put in the upright position it encourages. It also didn’t cause me any soreness or pain.
However, I don’t think I can commit to it long term. Night after night, I think I need to be a bit more horizontal to sleep well — and because my snoring isn’t a massive hindrance to myself or Sam, using the Snorinator doesn’t seem super-necessary. We also agreed that we felt very separated from each other when I was using the pillow, because his head was basically level with my torso. For us, that was a con, though I imagine that if my snoring were more disruptive, it’s something we’d be willing to put up with.
I think this pillow will likely work best for someone whose snoring isserious enough to require attention but who hasn’t had success with cheaper interventions like nasal strips. The Snorinator costs about $200, a comparable price to many of thebest pillowsI’ve tested and recommended. That’s still a significant amount of money, but if you don’t want to commit to something evenmoreexpensive, like anadjustable bed base, the Snorinator could be a good midrange solution.
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