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Do anti-snore pillows work and should you buy one?
If your snoring is keeping you awake at night, you might benefit from sleeping on an anti-snore pillow. Around 90 million Americans snore, with men more likely to suffer from it than women. Snoring can affect the quality of your sleep as you're more prone to waking up constantly throughout the night. It can also lead to disturbed sleep for your bed partner (if you share), making it a sleep problem that can impact more than just you.
Although you may have tried every sleep solution imaginable, you probably haven’t considered an anti-snore pillow. But do they actually work, and should you buy one? We’ve done the research for you here to help you find out what an anti-snore pillow does and whether you should buy one.
And if you are looking to upgrade various aspects of your sleep set up, also take a look at our guide to this year's best mattresses for different sleep needs, as well as the best pillow for every sleep position.
- Expert reveals the best sleep positions for snoring — plus 5 anti-snoring tips
- How to fix a squeaky bed and reclaim peaceful sleep
What is an anti-snore pillow?
Anti-snore pillows are specifically designed for adjusting your sleeping position to either reduce or stop your snoring. Typically, lying on your back causes snoring as the air flows through your throat creating harsh, vibrating sounds. Anti-snore pillows are designed to align your head and shoulders to kеер your airways open as much as possible, reducing the chances of you snoring.
Unlike regular bed pillows, anti-snore pillows are usually lower in the center and higher on the sides. The center part may be narrower and firmer than the softer sides, and some types might have a cutout to prevent you from rolling onto your back. In addition, most anti-snoring pillows are made with a memory foam material, similar to what's used in memory foam mattresses.
How do anti-snore pillows work?
This type of pillow is designed to help open up your airways to reduce snoring, to improve spinal alignment and offer extra support for your neck and head. Anti-snore pillows come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging from rectangle and oval to triangular. They also offer a range of firmness and support based on your sleep preferences.
There are ones that have ridges to encourage side sleepers, and ones with neck support or wedge pillows designed to offer more airflow for back sleepers. Prices start from as little as $30 right up to $400 plus for more specific needs.
How can you reduce snoring?
— Change your sleep position. Sleeping on your back increases your chances of partly blocking air flow, causing you to snore. Sleeping on your side is the best position to allow air to flow easily, and to reduce or eliminate snoring.
— Elevate the head of your bed by a few inches to allow enough airflow to breathe clearly. You can easily prop your head up with one or two of the best pillows to get a little height.
— Stay healthy. Experts recommend maintaining a healthy or moderate weight as excess tissue might be a contributing factoto snoring. Similarly, smoking habits and drinking alcohol a few hours before bedtime can disrupt sleep and cause snoring.
Should you buy an anti-snore pillow?
If snoring has become the bane of your life, it might be worth trying an anti-snore pillow to see if it makes a difference. Not only are these designed to change your sleeping style, they allow for more airflow to help you breathe more easily at bedtime. What’s more, anti-snore pillows help to align your spine and are generally more supportive.
These factors combined could help to reduce your chances of snoring, but it's important to speak to your doctor for advice on your specific snoring issues and whether they need to be investigated further.
This article is part of Tom’s Guide’s Sleep Awareness Week 2022 celebration, running until Saturday 19 March. Stay tuned for plenty of sleep tips, advice and expert-rated products to help you sleep better this year.
