Sonapillow?

elliejose · Post by **elliejose** » Mon May 29, 2006 6:12 pm

Has anyone tried this pillow yet???

http://www.sonapillow.com/

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Mon May 29, 2006 6:18 pm

My friend has been going to a chiropractor and has bought a few things including a special pillow that looks very close to this, and some sort of exercise/stretching seat that you sit on. I've noticed my neck is a bit sore the last couple of nights on CPAP, and it did that occasionally before I got CPAP anyway. But between a slightly sore nose and that, I'm ready to pay $70 for a special pillow, which is exactly what my friend's pillow cost too. Are these some sort of relax the back/neck pillows? Or something special for the sleep apnea challenged?

Sleepy Dog Lover · Post by **Sleepy Dog Lover** » Mon May 29, 2006 7:50 pm

What I don't like about that ad is that it makes it sound like you can treat sleep apnea by just using the pillow. Here are some of their claims:

• SONA pillow may be utilized as an alternate to CPAP, Mandibular devices
and/or surgical procedures for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.

• Only product besides CPAP to control sleep apnea and snoring, certified by the FDA

• This is not a gimmick. This is an FDA certified treatment designed by board certified
sleep specialists for treatment of sleep apnea and snoring.

• Sleep apnea is a life threatening condition with fatal consequences. Treatments up
to now involved using uncomfortable, ugly, bulky devices or major surgeries. But
now you can use the SONA pillow.

I would like to see the proof that the FDA approved this as a treatment for sleep apnea, I just don't believe it.

Now, for some of the testimonials:

"I've used the CPAP machine, and it kept the entire house awake with all its beeping. Now that I use the Sona Pillow, everyone gets a good night sleep. We all love the Sona Pillow."

L.A. - New Jersey

"I was going to have surgery to help with my sleep apnea. Three days before the surgery a friend gave me the Sona Pillow, and I no longer need to have the surgery. Thanks to Sona Pillow."

I think I will look it up on the FDA site and see if they really think it is legit.

Sleepy Dog Lover · Post by **Sleepy Dog Lover** » Mon May 29, 2006 8:05 pm

OK, I found the FDA reference:

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf4/k040161.pdf

They are allowed to market it as "May treat mild obstructive sleep apnea"

It does not say moderate, as the website claims.

Personally, I think it is just something that helps you sleep on your side and not your back.

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Tue May 30, 2006 5:25 am

Sleepy Dog - Great research! I agree. This is just a pillow that has an area for your arm, when side sleeping. I guess because some people's OSA is worse when back sleeping, they make these unrealistic conclusions....

Dale92 · Post by **Dale92** » Tue May 30, 2006 7:21 am

I would hate to see anyone stop CPAP and rely on this as a cure. I have serious doubts that it would help anyone except an extremely mild apnea and I don't feel any apnea should be considered mild or acceptable. I think this would most likely as effective as my 1st sleep doctor who told me to sew tennis balls into a t-shirt to keep me from sleeping on my back. Needless to say I didn't go back to him

Dale

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:09 am

I could be way out on a limb here but this pillow is VERY close to a "therapeutica" pillow which is about the exact same size, shape, and cost. $70. From visual observations of one (not online) it has a little ramp where if you're sleeping on your back you get better neck support than your average $5 to $10 pillow. That, and ofcourse you can hook your arm underneath the edges, which is "nice". Is it worth $70? I don't know. Will it cure sleep apnea. Probably only if sleeping on your side actually reduces it anyway.

I sleep on my back and occasionally on my sides. I could see it being cool. But I'm thinking more along the lines of a "memory" foam pillow myself. They're about the same cost or cheaper. I've had a foam pillow before and loved it! I spent $700 or $800 on my bed and only $10 on my pillow. I need to fix the ratio's a bit. My neck is important when wearing sleep aids like the Mirage Pillow system.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:11 am

Has anyone seen any studies on it NOT related to the doctor who is selling it? (Red Flag!) I want to see his results duplicated by an independent sleep lab. Maybe they're out there and I didn't search deep enough. Anybody on this forum with auto titrating and reporting equipment who has the pillow and has compared their reports with and without the pillow?

One of the pillow's claims is that the incline of the pillow puts the head at a downward angle, thereby causing gravity to keep the jaw forward. Some thoughts on that?

I could benefit from the angle of the pillow due to bad disks in my neck, and I'm one of those folks who go to sleep on their side but wake up on their back. And I slide off my pillows and end up lying flat (on my back - not good). I'm just not convinced of it's value for snoring or sleep apnea just on position alone. If their marketing had taken the high road, and listed it's benefits along with prominent appropriate warnings, I wouldn't have been as wary. But for a sleep doctor to allow advertising that implies that sleep apnea treatment could be so simplistic makes me suspect.

I'd rather hear from our folks here who have used it and documented their results.

sleepybon · Post by **sleepybon** » Tue May 30, 2006 12:53 pm

a good pillow to try is a Mediflow or Chiroflow. It is a water pillow. My husband and I both have one and we love it! You adjust it to what firmness you like by the amount of water you use. After one night of using it my neck was no longer stiff. It cost us $60 Canadian, no taxes. Got it from a Chiropractors office.

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:24 pm

sleepybon wrote:a good pillow to try is a Mediflow or Chiroflow. It is a water pillow. My husband and I both have one and we love it! You adjust it to what firmness you like by the amount of water you use. After one night of using it my neck was no longer stiff. It cost us $60 Canadian, no taxes. Got it from a Chiropractors office.

this is the kind of post I'm looking for on this pillow. I saw pillows like this on the web last night while searching. Sounds alot like a waterbed but in the form of a pillow. Is the gel or water somehow softer on your neck? If it does the job, then it's all that's needed. I'm just somehow wondering how water does this better than say a memory foam pillow. Maybe it's serving the exact same function?

Either way, a $5 to $10 flat de-flatable REGULAR pillow works fine 90% or more of the time but it's those 1 - 10% times that your neck hurts SO BAD for a couple of days and then goes away that I'd like to avoid. I see that as avoidable and I've had a foam pillow before that I loved!

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:53 pm

During my college days, (long time ago) we used to take the milk bags (from the big milk dispensor), rinse them, and fill them with water for pillows. I dont remember how we plugged them up though. Very comfortable, however, you did have to be careful since the water temp in the pillow is less than body temp and your eye that was down (when sleeping on your side) could get cool. These cost $0!!

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Tue May 30, 2006 10:17 pm

LOL! That sounds like it would work but it also sounds kind've funny.

brasshopper · Post by **brasshopper** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:49 pm

The incredibly long post I posted about mouth devices?

IF you are at the "14-15 AHI range and you want to get down to 10 AHI" then this pillow is for you.

The AVERAGE reduction people got while using pillows was 5. The "cutoff" AHI number is 15 - with no symptoms, under 15 is not considered sleep apnea, over 15 is.

So if you are barely over 15, then this pillow might be an effective treatment.

If you are at 25, well, a reduction to 20, or 18 and you still have OSA.

Only a tiny percantage of the OSA population can possibly actually benefit from this device - that is - only a tiny percentage would have their OSA treated. Even that small reduction would not be enough for most.

peacefrog · Post by **peacefrog** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:46 pm

bumping this because I just saw it in Men's health. Here's what the mag says:

"Finally sleep-apnea sufferers have a remedy besides the effective but annoying CPAP mask. A new FDA-approved pillow can treat sleep apnea, say University of Florida researchers. They tested the specifically angled Sona pillow overnight with 22 sleep-apnea sufferers and found that it eliminated their snoring. What's more, the pillow also led to a 60% drop in the number of times the participants stopped breathing. "That's enough to dramatically reduce the health risks, including high blood pressure," says lead author Najeeb Zuberi, M.D. The pillow tips a person's head up and forward when he's lying on his side. "Sleep apnea is often the result of the jaw fallig backward and closing the airway," says Dr. Zuberi.

May be worth a look. I'd think it would be good for traveling when you don't want to lug CPAP with you.

elliejose · Post by **elliejose** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:48 am

Dr. Najeeb Zubari is the person who invented it. What about quotes from unbiased folks? Are there any of those? I haven't seen the Men's Health article yet. I would like to hear from an unbiased study before I spend $70. When some of you try it, please let all of us hear your results.

Sonapillow?

Sonapillow?

More Sona Pillow questions

This was mentioned in that FDA discussion.

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Additional Comments: ResScan and SleepyHead software