Bed Wedge

Why would you need to use a bed wedge pillow?  Well, if you are like me, then you probably have a bad night once in a while.  I don’t mean nightmares, just those days when you wake up in the morning feeling like a truck ran you over in the dream, only the effect is physical.

It is actually worse in some circumstances, like when you are pregnant or suffer from certain health conditions like hernia, acid reflux, back problems or even troubled breathing. These conditions normally prevent you from lying down conventionally.  Well, luckily for you and me, there are ways of beating these trying situations and one of such ways is by using a bed wedge pillow.

A bed wedge pillow is an unconventionally shaped pillow that is used to give gentle level of support to the upper parts of the body. It also provides such support for the legs or the trunk as a stabilizer if you wish to lie down in a sideways position. It works so that the sloping shape allows air flow within your breathing system and also keeps reflux down.

I will highlight five circumstances in which you would be able to use the bed wedge pillow to alleviate your physical conditions;

1. Pregnancy: Backache is one of those side effects that come with pregnancy. Although you are normally advised not sleep on your back while in this state, many women prefer it and if you ask your doctor, he might just advise you to go ahead. Funny enough, it actually keeps down pregnancy gas/acid reflux and the usual pregnancy breathing problems. So a bed wedge pillow can be very useful in this condition.

2. Heart conditions: Even people who have heart conditions such as congestive heart failures can benefit from the bed wedge pillow on their mattress. It raises the upper body and makes it much easier for such people to breathe while they sleep.

3. Hiatal hernia and acid reflux: These are two of the most common conditions in which you might need to use a bed wedge pillow. It takes the weight off the upper parts of the body and relaxes the back. This in turn makes it much easier for the sufferer to sleep because it keeps the pain away in the case of the hernia. In the case of those troubled by acid reflux, it helps a great deal in keeping the reflux down, thus allowing you to sleep well on your mattress.

4. Reconstructive Surgery: If you have had surgical operations such as tummy tuck or liposuction, you will know that sleeping on your stomach is out of the question. This leaves you the option of lying on your back and the bed wedge pillow helps you do that. The gentle sloping shape takes the pressure off your usual pain spots.

5. Snoring: Okay, this is an addition, but the bed wedge pillow does seem to help some people with their snoring. If you are a chronic snorer, you could simply try this out and see if it works for you.

The more popular varieties of bed wedge pillow are the foam bed wedge pillow and the inflatable wedge, both of which we discuss at length via other articles on this site.