If you snore — or you’re the one lying awake next to a snorer — the pillow is the easiest thing to blame, and often it really is part of the problem. Tom’s Guide asked me, a sleep doctor, and a chiropractor how to pick a pillow that helps you snore less, and I was glad to weigh in on the pillow part. But as an airway-focused dentist, I also wanted to say the thing the pillow aisle won’t.

On pillows, my advice is simple: stop treating it like a one-and-done purchase. Something too tall or too soft can feel great for a week and quietly crowd your airway for months, and most people never reassess. Skip anything that claims to be perfect for everyone — an adjustable pillow you can fine-tune to keep your head and neck neutral beats a ‘perfect’ one every time.

I recommend evaluation by an ENT and an airway-focused dentist, and in many cases, a sleep study should be part of that conversation.

Here’s the part I care about most. A great pillow can quiet snoring by keeping you aligned, but it can’t fix what’s often underneath it — sleep apnea, a misaligned jaw, a bite that crowds the tongue, or a nose that won’t pass air. Those are airway problems, not bedding problems. If you wake up gasping, feel exhausted after a full night, or your partner notices you stop breathing, take it seriously — not to scare you, but because it’s treatable. As an airway-focused dentist, I look at the whole picture , not just the symptom.

A better pillow is a great place to start, and I hope you find one that fits. But if the snoring doesn’t budge no matter what you sleep on, that’s your cue to stop guessing and get it looked at. The first step is just a conversation . Your sleep — and the person next to you — is worth more than another pillow.

Keep Smiling,

Dr. Yenile Pinto

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