What's In This Article?
Adjustable beds can offer relief to those who suffer from sleep apnea. By raising the upper body, an adjustable bed can provide relief from snoring, which improves the quality of sleep for a person with sleep apnea as well as their spouse or significant other. In this article, we’ll discuss additional benefits of adjustable beds to help battle symptoms of sleep apnea and we’ll make suggestions for selecting the best adjustable bed for you.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a fairly common condition which causes you to temporarily stop breathing while you’re asleep. There are several different types of sleep apnea, with the most prevalent being obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Symptoms associated with sleep apnea include loud snoring, waking up in the middle of the night (sometimes repeatedly), and making choking sounds in your sleep.
There are several treatment methods, including surgery or using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to pump oxygen into a mask you wear while you sleep.
Sleeping on an adjustable bed is another way to help alleviate some of the unpleasant symptoms of sleep apnea to help you get a better night’s rest.
Before we get to the nitty-gritty of adjustable beds, we’d like to make you familiar with some providers of adjustable beds. If you want to skip down to the deep dive on how adjustable beds help with sleep apnea, click here.
Amerisleep offers a range of mattresses and two models of adjustable beds. They have been in business since 2010 and have established a solid reputation for their mattresses and adjustable beds that are designed to reduce pain, help with sleep apnea, and give you a good night’s rest.
| 😀 PROS | 😡 CONS |
| Wide selection of sizes | Limited physical store locations |
| Offers 100-night trial | Can take 3-6 weeks for delivery |
| 20-year warranty | Mattresses delivered curbside unless special White Glove Deliver is ordered |
Idle Sleep offers three different types of mattresses and three different adjustable bed frames to go with them. Their mattresses consist of thousands of wrapped springs, and the frames are designed to offer a perfect base for them. Their customer care team is available by chat seven days a week and by phone five days a week. You can also contact them by email.
| 😀 PROS | 😡 CONS |
| 18-month sleep trial | Choice of two adjustable bed bases |
| Free pillow with mattress purchase | Limited head and adjustment height |
| Free shipping and returns | Base does not come pre-assembled |
Nolah mattresses is a specialty company that focuses on side sleepers, but they offer products for those who prefer other sleep positions, too. They use advanced materials and offer plenty of amenities for the price. They make an adjustable base that features a wall-glide feature, which is perfect for smaller spaces.
| 😀 PROS | 😡 CONS |
| Affordably priced | Company focuses on side sleepers |
| Base offers massager | Customer service does not list available hours |
| Wall Glide model saves space | No return on adjustable bed frame |
GhostBed began in 2001 and was the creation of a founder who is from a family with over 100 years in the mattress business. This allows him to understand what it takes to give people a good night’s sleep. The company has a small selection of options available. They have a philosophy of focusing on one thing and doing it well.
| 😀 PROS | 😡 CONS |
| Quality products | Small selection of products |
| Affordable prices | Limited selection |
| Decades of experience in the business | Does not offer base model without as many features |
How Can Adjustable Beds Help With Sleep Apnea?
Adjustable beds can be an effective way to help you breathe while you sleep and reduce the other symptoms associated with sleep apnea.
An adjustable bed is simply a type of mechanical bed that allows you to elevate or lower certain parts of your body.
Using an adjustable bed to elevate your head by just a few inches can significantly reduce the pressure placed on your throat muscles as you sleep, in turn helping keep your airways open and allow for better, smoother breathing.
These beds can be adjusted either via an attached controller or a mobile app which you can easily install and set up on your smartphone.
How Much Does an Adjustable Bed Cost?
Adjustable beds range in price from $800 to over $3,000+, so they are quite a big expense but can be well worth the money for people suffering from sleep apnea.
Keep in mind that this is the cost of the adjustable bed frame; you’ll also need to buy a mattress, though it’s sometimes possible to use an existing mattress (more about this later on.)
Benefits of Adjustable Beds
As mentioned, adjustable beds can be an effective way to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea and help you get better rest. Using an adjustable bed also has other benefits, such as:
An Adjustable Bed Can Improve Blood Circulation
Setting up an adjustable bed in certain ways – for example, with your feet at an elevated position – can improve your blood circulation while you sleep. This improved circulation can decrease edema (swelling) in your legs and improve joint mobility and reduce pains and aches in your legs.
Adjustable Beds Offer Improved Comfort and Support
As adjustable beds allow you to set them up in various different ways, you can adjust them to give more or less support to certain parts of your body.
So, in addition to simply helping you get more comfortable and get a better night’s rest, an adjustable bed can help you alleviate back and leg pain, and help reduce acid reflux and heartburn.
An Adjustable Bed Can Help Improve Posture
Adjustable beds allow you to set them up in a way to improve your posture when you’re sitting or sleeping in bed. Over time, this can help alleviate neck and upper body pain and tension, and even help your body digest food.
Negative Aspects of Adjustable Beds
They’re Expensive
There’s no denying that adjustable beds are expensive, with the most expensive ones costing close to $10,000. However, most adjustable beds cost between $1,000 to $3,500, which is a reasonable amount to pay for the relief one can provide over many years.
There are some especially cheap options on the market, but it’s advisable to stay away from adjustable beds which cost under $500 as they are likely to be very low quality and prone to getting damaged.
You May Have to Purchase a New Mattress
In addition to the cost of buying an adjustable bed frame, you usually need to buy a special mattress to go with your adjustable bed. This is another expense and it can also be quite costly depending on what kind of mattress you go for.
How to Find the Best Adjustable Bed For You
There are many different adjustable beds on the market to choose from, so it’s good to be thorough and methodical in your search so you can find the best one for you without overspending.
Determine If You Need a Split Adjustable Bed
Split adjustable beds, AKA a dual adjustable bed, can be useful if you are sleeping with a partner and don’t want the entire bed to have the same configuration.