Phil Vettel
Chicago Tribune
November 16, 2007
'Spousal Arousal Syndrome' isn't nearly
as much fun as it sounds. It's one doctor's catchy phrase
to describe what happens when one person's snoring disturbs
a partner's sleep. Forget about morning crankiness,
reduced work productivity and the like; bad sleep can
lead to marital problems and severe financial consequences,
such as divorce or remodeling (to add a second bedroom).
I can sympathize. I have it on good authority that I
am a fairly loud snorer. Snoring doesn't seem to affect
my sleep much; the only after-effect I notice is a persistent
pain in the rib area. That's where my wife jabs me.
And so an opportunity to test a few 'anti-snoring' pillows
was irresistible. Mandatory, you could say. I rounded
up a couple of colleagues with admitted 'Spousal Arousal'
issues, issued them three anti-snoring pillows and had
them test each pillow for at least five consecutive
nights. It wasn't the most scientific study in the world,
but our snorers -- and their spouses -- were eager to
try anything that might help.
Why snoring matters Snoring has been a
source of humor for centuries, but it could mask a serious
problem. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which sleep is
repeatedly interrupted by failure to breathe -- most
commonly because of a blockage in the airway (the soft
tissue of the throat collapses), though sometimes the
culprit is faulty brain signals, or a combination of
both. This constant breathing interruption -- some patients
have 'apnea events' hundreds of times per night, according
to the American Sleep Apnea Association -- can cause
high blood pressure, heart disease and other serious
problems.
Treatments There are many ways to treat
sleep apnea, including surgery (to increase the size
of the airway), oral appliances (to reposition the lower
jaw and tongue) and a machine called CPAP (continuous
positive air pressure), which uses a mask to force air
through the nasal passages. And then there's Behavior
Therapy (lose weight, stop smoking, limit alcohol intake,
eliminate late-night eating, avoid tranquilizers), which
can modify or eliminate conditions that contribute to
sleep apnea.
How the pillows work Anti-snore pillows
are behavioral in approach. The design of each pillow
encourages side-sleeping as a means of reducing snoring.
That's a valid approach, says Dr. Lisa Wolfe of the
Center of Sleep and Circadian Biology at Northwestern
Memorial Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine
at Northwestern University. 'For some people who sleep
on their back, there's not enough room for the soft
palate, tongue, uvula and tonsils,' she says. 'When
you sleep on your side, it gets the tongue out of the
way a bit.' Side-sleep pillows, Wolfe says, fall into
one of three categories: Pillows that support and reposition
the neck, pillows that elevate the entire head and neck,
and pillows designed to prevent back sleep. 'All three
types have been most successful among those who have
benign snoring -- they snore and bother their bed partner,
but that's all -- or mild to moderate sleep apnea. 'Anyone
who has low oxygen levels [while sleeping] should not
be treated primarily with a pillow,' Wolfe says. 'Nor
those with significant difficulty with sleepiness, or
safety issues such as falling asleep at the wheel. The
pillows are most successful among those who have benign
snoring, or mild to moderate sleep apnea. If you have
bad sleep apnea when on your back, but you sleep fine
when on your side, you will do well with a side pillow.'
The question, then: How do I know if my sleep apnea
is mild, or severe? 'The only way to be sure,' Wolf
says, 'is to do a sleep study. You come into an outpatient
facility or hospital, we hook you up for the night with
wires and watch what happens to the heart, brain and
oxygen levels. We can see whether the air passages are
obstructing; we can quantify whether it's mild or severe
apnea.' All therapies have their good and bad points.
Surgery can be effective, but is painful and expensive.
CPAP machines are very effective, says Wolfe, but the
bulky machines must be used every night, even while
traveling. And behavioral approaches, such as weight
loss and side sleeping, are only effective if the patient
follows through. 'All these are personal lifestyle issues,
and vary with the severity of the problem,' Wolfe says.
'There's no right answer.' Which explains why our testers
-- myself, Tribune reporter Lou Carlozo and Mike Menichini
(husband of Desiree Chen, a Chicago Tribune Magazine
editor) -- didn't always agree in our evaluations, and
why your evaluations are likely to differ at least to
some degree. But it's a start.
SnoreEzzz Pillow $39.90 standard, $55.85
deluxe fill (matching pillowcase $10.95) at www.snoreezzz.com
Appearance: Wedge-shaped foam slab topped with a soft-fill
pillow. 'Looks like an open-faced pillow sandwich,'
said Mike Menichini. It looks overstuffed, but fits,
snugly, into a standard pillowcase.
How it works: The dense foam wedge elevates
the head; the soft fill conforms to the head and neck
for comfortable side-sleeping.
The good news: Easily adaptable. 'By the
time I got through the 'getting used to it' period,
about two minutes, I was asleep,' said Menichini. 'It's
comfortable and I can sleep in any position.' Tester
Lou Carlozo found it uncomfortable; Phil Vettel reported
no problems.
The bad news: Though the pillow elevates
the head considerably (which could be particularly helpful
for those with aren't these degrees of the same thing?/mcdheartburn
or acid reflux problems), it's very easy for the sleeper
to roll on his/her back. Reported Menichini's spouse:
'One time, he slid off the wedge and was on his back,
snoring.' Sound check: Vettel's spouse reported no difference;
Carlozo said his spouse 'hit me with her pillow and
said my snoring was louder than before.'
Bottom line: An inexpensive option of
first resort.
Sona Pillow $129 (matching pillowcase
$20) at Brookstone stores; www.brookstone.com Appearance:
'Resembles a Star Wars ship in a jumpsuit' (Menichini);
'Like a cross between a football blocking pad and an
inflatable straightjacket' (Carlozo). Optional pillowcase
a near necessity, as standard pillowcases won't fit.
How it works: Unusual shape forces sleeper
to his/her side on an angle that tends to keep the mouth
open, enlarging the air passage.
The good news: It definitely keeps you
in the side-sleeping position. The center of the pillow
is much thicker than the ends, making it difficult to
roll onto one's back. Sewn-in sleeves (one for each
side) hold the lower arm in position and make it almost
impossible to roll over. High-density filling ensures
a long lifetime.
The bad news: The most difficult pillow
to adjust to. 'I felt like backing my car over it a
few times just to soften it up' (Vettel). 'Hard as a
rock' (Carlozo). Vettel and Carlozo complained of neck
or shoulder discomfort. All three testers said they'd
never use the pillow again.
Sound check: Menichini reported minor
reduction of snoring, the other two reported no change.
Bottom line: For $129, we wanted magic,
not maybes.
Thera-P
Anti Snoring Cradle Pillow $59; buy two,
get one free at www.therapyproducts.com ; 800-567-9926
Appearance: Looks like a particularly fluffy standard
pillow. Comes with its own zipped case; easily fits
into a standard pillowcase.
How it works: Hidden contour shape encourages
side sleeping; an adjustable hard-plastic insert in
the pillow's center discourages back sleeping.
The good news: Most tolerable pillow by
far. 'Not as comfortable as a regular pillow, but after
a day or two, I was used to it' (Menichini). 'Good,
no-frills support' (Carlozo).
The bad news: The pillow is scratchy;
most users will use an additional, softer pillowcase,
and maybe a quilted pillow cover besides. Two testers
wished the pillow were a bit fluffier. And one tester
found it all too easy to roll onto his back, despite
the plastic-insert deterrent.
Sound check: Two of the three spouses
(Carlozo, Vettel) reported significant reduction of
snoring. Bottom line: Best overall
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