Your pillow could be killing you

[Galactus]

There's also "mypillow" The last pillow you will ever buy or so they claim. I never tried one, but while we are on teh pillow subject, I thought I'd add it. I use a down pillow myself.

[coolbranch]

Buckwheat hull pillow. I am using one and it works well to stabilize sleeping head position.

[PaytonA]

I tried a buckwheat pillow years ago before PAP and found that I must move my head too much. I would get the pillow shaped the way I wanted but before long my head. still on the pillow, was almost down to the mattress. Not a good position for a side sleeper. I also found the buckwheat pillow "noisy". I am currently using the MyPillow but I have found another pillow sold by Serta that I like better.

[Galactus]

Oooooohhhh someone using the mypillow pillow..... interesting, I keep looking at that pillow. Do tell, how do you like that mypillow?

[GrammaBear]

Hubby and I bought a new bed last year and memory foam pillows too. Both of us really like them, although they were a little expensive.

[TorontoCPAPguy]

I have heard of the buckwheat pillow and pillows filled with other fillers to make them a bit stiffer as well.

ONE THING that we should all remember is that the vents of our masks are there for a purpose. That purpose is to discharge gases that we are exhaling to prevent rebreathing them. And there is a reason for this... a long and convoluted reason which I won't get into in this post, but suffice it to say the rebreathing what you are exhaling is a recipe for absolute disaster and at the very least a recipe for lousy sleep (as your CO2 levels rise your SpO2 levels drop and your are aroused). A smooshy pillow, as I used to love, is part of that formula for disaster. If you can't stand using a buckwheat or hardened pillow, try using one of those pillows that looks like it was made for the posterior of hemorrhoid sufferer but with a bite out of one side. I gather that they are both comfy and more condusive to solid sleep and I am going to try one out at my first opportunity. We must always be cognizant of the folly of covering our mask vents. Just one last thing. Remember this.. higher CO2 = lower SpO2 = harder working heart and lungs to aerate and circulate oxygenated blood to vital organs. The result is SpO2 below the distress level (about 89%) which shoves BP sky high. Embolisms, strokes, decaying health of vital organs, etc., are the result and the tombstone says "He died peacefully in his sleep". YOUR PILLOW is, believe it or not, the most important part of the XPAP system unless you have an exhaust hose running into the air intake. In all seriousness, we should all try to maximize comfort while reducing the risk of covering those exhaust holes. The topic of other ramifications of covered exhaust holes is, I think, being covered, in terms of 'static leakage' which your blower wants to see and take into account. Static leakage means that those exhaust holes are uncovered and leakage is X for a set pressure Y. Most user manuals (check yours) will have the numbers in them. I know that the Mirage Quattro FFM has the chart in it. One of the other advantages of the buckwheat pillow is that should you not like it, you can always heat up some water and eat it.

I switched over to buckwheat hull pillow a couple of years ago, primarily because it was cooler and I could sculpt its shape better. for the most part, if I don't move too much overnight, it maintains its shape and supports my neck while tipping my chin up, rolling my head back slightly which also helps in keeping airway open while on my back.

OMM

I hadn't heard of that type of pillow before but I see they are available here in Oz. My duck feather type has been pretty good at retaining its shape once I get it right, but it's a few years old now and probably due for replacement. I might try the buckwheat next time - thanks for the tip!

[PaytonA]

One of the other advantages of the buckwheat pillow is that should you not like it, you can always heat up some water and eat it.

I do not think that the buckwheat hulls are going to be very yummy.

[retired_guy]

High in fiber though....

[PaytonA]

Galactus asked for info on "my pillow" so here goes nothing. My pillow is stuffed with small clods of what I think is a closed cell foam. You can form and shape it but, as is normal for me, it does not hold its shape through the night. The pillow does seem to breathe fairly well which for me is very good since shape memory pillows make my head hot and sweaty. The manufacturer advises to use pillow cases of less than 500 thread count. I think that this is so that the pillow breathes better. The "my pillow" comes in different densities of fill to accomodate different people and different sleeping attitudes. I find it one of the better pillows that I have used including the buckwheat pillow that I used for a while 8-10 years ago.

Serta makes a similar pillow with their own fill that I like better. I use one of the Serta pillows at a different location.

For what it's worth.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[Galactus]

Galactus asked for info on "my pillow" so here goes nothing. My pillow is stuffed with small clods of what I think is a closed cell foam. You can form and shape it but, as is normal for me, it does not hold its shape through the night. The pillow does seem to breathe fairly well which for me is very good since shape memory pillows make my head hot and sweaty. The manufacturer advises to use pillow cases of less than 500 thread count. I think that this is so that the pillow breathes better. The "my pillow" comes in different densities of fill to accomodate different people and different sleeping attitudes. I find it one of the better pillows that I have used including the buckwheat pillow that I used for a while 8-10 years ago.

Serta makes a similar pillow with their own fill that I like better. I use one of the Serta pillows at a different location.

For what it's worth.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Thanks for that information. I thought you didn't love me anymore, and were not going to tell me I keep looking at the mypillow (or in your case yourpillow ) commercials and their website, and keep wondering if it is better than my down feather pillow or not. I'm not a big fan of the buckwheat pillows as they feel weird to me. The memory foam makes me feel like I am sleeping in a pool of grease. And that ridiculous looking cpap pillow that looks like.... I don't know what to even say it looks like.... like a rectangle with two half circles cut out... man that thing just looks ridiculous and uncomfortable in so many ways. I'm almost ready to replace my pillow and just can't decide what to get.

Thanks again though for the info.