PAP-Cap & buchwheat pillow

After 3 years battling with many different masks (at least 15), 6-7 different chinstraps & different combinations of pillows, the last 4 nights have been the best. First, I invested in Bret's buckwheat pillow & another buckwheat pillow for less money. The buckwheat pillow for Pur-Sleep is so much better constructed that the cheaper version. I figured if it came down to money the difference over 8-10 years is about 5 cents per week between the buckwheat made by another company & Pur-Sleep's. IMHO, there is no comparison. What a concept. My wife thought I was nuts & now she wants one from Bret.

I ordered a Pur-Sleep chinstrap about 5-6 months & since I use the Breeze there was so much velcro with the straps on the Breeze & the Pap-cap I gave up after 2 nights. It sat in the drawer while I used many different chin-straps. Finally, last week I found it & read the Pur-Sleep web site & was determined to make it work. I did & it did. Woke up only once rather than 4-5 times per night. The rest of the week was also the best sleep I've had in 20 years.

Obviously, your mileage may vary but for the little difference in money(if there is one) between alternative chin-straps & buckwheat pillows-for me is a no-brainer.

Bob

what do you like in particular about the buckwheat pillow? I've never tried one but am constantly fooling around with my pillow throughout the night...i.e. folding it over etc to get the proper height.

I'm pretty sure that Pur-sleep sells one size. I like the Pur-sleep because it's more compact than the other one. I never have to "fluff" it up. You can just tell by looking at them side-by-side that the Pur-sleep buckwheat is better made. It seems to be fuller feel when I lay my head down on it & I don't think they scrimped on the amount of hull in the Pur-Sleep pillow.
I've read (since sleep apnea) over the years about the concept of filling a pillow with buckwheat hull & laughed. Once I bought this & put my head down on it-I was in heaven.

Bob

thanks for the info Bob. I really appreciate it.

Do you hear the crunch of the hulls, the sound on a regular buckwheat pillow kept me up, as it was much noiser than my machine?

The noise is ALOT less than the other buckwheat pillow. No comparison. This pillow is alot less noisy than my machine. I use the Repironics Bi-Pap Auto (tank style).

Bob

whatrdreamsmadeof wrote:Do you hear the crunch of the hulls, the sound on a regular buckwheat pillow kept me up, as it was much noiser than my machine?

That's exactly what I thought. I was very "sold" on using buckwheat but the noise was way more than I expected and a lot more rough (I felt like something of Princess and the Pea--the pillow made my ears hurt. On top of that I couldn't get the hulls to stay under my neck.

So when I set my mind to figuring out a better way to make a buckwheat hull pillow I decided to use a pre-quilted, double layer fabric and a very high quality, soft pillowcase material so that the surface texture of the pillow is quiet and soft (much more so than any buckwheat hull pillow I've tried). To keep the hulls in place I used a vertical side panel, so that instead of a V shape under the neck area that forms when the top and bottom panels of a pillow are sewn together, I used a 4-inch vertical side panel. So there's a very nice U shaped space in the cervical area that readily conforms to your personal shape--buckwheat is 100% ergonomic. It's easy to create a little nest for the back of the head. And the hulls under the neck stay put. Just remember that the pillow comes overstuffed and works best if you remove hulls (at least 1/3 for back sleepers).

In any event, Bob, I am very happy for feedback on the pillow (and the papCAP)--happy to hear they're working for you. Best sleep in 30 years? Wow. I kind of know what you mean--it hasn't been quite that long for me but the quality of my sleep just keeps getting better.

(for people who might not know I am the person behind all of these crazy products).

Can you send me a sample of the buckwheat hulls?

There's a place up the street here (give or take) called Birkett Mills that has product for half the cost (hey, $$ is $$) and I think it would great to do a side-by-side comparison of the hulls, since that is obviously the key point.

SAG

In my opinion it is the design and material of the outer cover that is the key.

The pillow has a four inch wide gusset around the pillow. The outer material of the pillow is constructed so that it has a quilted pattern, smaller sections than what I have seen before, and is fine woven. I removed a few hulls last night from my pillow and some of the hulls got under the pillow case. I hated it and had to shake the cover to remove any stray. You simply do not have them poking you with the material Bret uses. Typically, I am a light sleeper and I don't hear the hulls shift when I move at night. A big plus.

As far as the hulls goes, I am aware of Bret's source and do know that his hulls are twice the price of what I paid for mine. I do not know if there are any significant differences between the hulls, except mine (purchased by me) had an odor that took several days to disappear. This maybe a case you get what you paid for (my cheaper hulls).

In case any one is interested why I purchased my own hulls, I tested Bret's design of the outer material of the pillow and to save him some on the cost of shipping, since he was sending me the pillow at no charge in order to receive feedback on the design.

I still use Bret's pillow nightly and have given my memory foam pillow, that I loved and used for the last few years, to my daughter. I am that sure that I will continue to use Bret's pillow!!!!

SAG, I don't know what I might have done to offend you but I am sorry.

At the risk of offending you further I disagree that a buckwheat hull pillow is all about the hulls. It's about the design of the pillow and the materials used and how those two things combine make the pillow perform in certain ways. All buckwheat and other flowable fill pillows on the market are made by sewing the top and bottom panels togehter. They are also made with single-layer fabrics. That results in a very rough surface texture and a noisy pillow. The Regenesis pillow is all about the design and materials. And of course the buckwheat hulls are the best I could find on the market after sampling Beckett Mills and some other suppliers in the midwest.

I've been using Bret's Regenesis pillow and it has worked well for me. The buckwheat hulls are not noisy - I assume because it has a nice thick cover. What surprised me is that my mask doesn't get knocked off when I roll around even though my face is no longer hanging over the edge of the pillow. I definitely sleep better.

Mindy

Be careful where you get your pillow!! Mine came from China and it had so much pesticide in it I had to immediately throw it out...the smell was unbelievable. I don't get headaches...woke up with a doozy. It made noise, was really uncomfortable. Used it only one night. I like the expensive memory foam pillows the best.

I had nothing BUT buckwheat hull pillows when I was younger. And I can categorically state without reserve that it most definitely is NOT all about the hulls. I had pillows that were made using the best hulls money could buy.... and the pillows were not good. The other materials in the pillow make all the difference in the world. Sounds like SleepGuy has a clue when it comes to materials and construction. The free-fill pillows need a little help to maintain shape (semi-rigid sides? Did I read that?). Without some help they generally become either OVER stuffed beanbags or UNDER stuffed beanbags. Not a lot of middle ground.

And... 5 pounds of hulls is awesome. I can see where some folks might consider a hull pillow noisy. The trick is to get the right kinds of layers in the "container" for the hulls. I think the sound is comforting and it reminds me of sleeping at the cottage on the lake when I was a kid. So now I can't wait to save my pennies and get one 'cause it sounds like these are being made the way they should be.

I hope I am not stepping on toes here -- but to my knowledge Bret's pillows are USA made.

Not the shoddy work usually found in China produced stuff.

Well, Birkett Mills has

The World's Finest Buckwheat Products

so how can you go wrong with that?

Is there information on buckwheat pillows and pillowcases?

The Birkett Mills "Soba" Buckwheat Hull Pillow is filled with specially processed buckwheat hulls made by the world's largest Buckwheat Mill located in Upstate New York, USA. This is the all natural Soba pillow that has been used for centuries in Japan for extraordinary comfort.

Why buckwheat hulls? Buckwheat hulls are light and flowing and move with you to cradle the contours of your neck and shoulders with soothing support. Fully adjustable, The Birkett Mills Buckwheat Pillow provides just the right support in every sleeping position. Plus, buckwheat hulls allow air to flow through the pillow keeping your head cool and dry and, unlike foam or down, resist breakdown for many years. Moreover, the hulls used in our pillows are processed using buckwheat free of herbicides/pesticides and are considered hypoallergenic.

Pillow cases are made from 100% cotton and are available in white only.

However, they don't seem to have any photos or specifications on their pillows, so SAG has purchased a pillow (total $33.55 with S&H) and will do an "unbiased evaluation". If it seems like a good product, SAG will post photos, specs, hull close-ups, sound measurements (hey, Gumby, you got one of those sound measuring things?) etc.

SAG