Before we get into details of the best recliners for sleep apnea, let’s understand what sleep apnea is for a better understanding.
Sleep apnea is a severe sleeping disorder where the breathing of the affected person is interrupted (stops and starts) during sleep. The apnea itself as a word refers to the pause that occurs in breathing. A common symptom is snoring loudly and feeling of tiredness after a full night’s sleep. There are three main types of sleep apnea and they include,
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome: This type of sleep apnea is what happens when someone has central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. They are two other types of sleep apnea we will also look into.
- Central sleep apnea: This type of sleep apnea is what happens when the brain does not send out the right signals needed to control breathing in people.
- Obstructive sleep apnea: This type of sleep apnea happens when the muscles situated around the throat relax and sort of close in. it is the most common type of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can be treated and the treatment can help ease symptoms and prevent possible severe complications like heart conditions. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include gasping for air in the middle of the night, dry mouth early in the morning, morning migraine, insomnia, and hypersomnia.
A common cause of sleep apnea is drinking and smoking. These two habits are known to promote swelling in the upper airway of the throat. Sleeping flat on your back could also increase the chances of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a severe issue where people have been known to die from in their sleep. Yes, you heard correctly, you can die from sleep apnea and this is often a result of a sudden cardiac attack.
Best Recliners for Sleep Apnea
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best recliners for sleep apnea in no particular order.
Dorel Living Slim Recliner Chair – Best known for its cozy comfort
The Dorel living recliner chair has comfortable and thick padding that covers the seats, the backrests, and the armrests. The backrest is tall for added comfort when users recline into a sleeping position, the arms are wide and a bit flared to accommodate varying sizes of users and suit the natural arm positions of users.
Its adjustment mechanisms are smooth and easy to work around and the chair is made with a microfiber cloth material that is super comfortable on the skins of users. The backrest has elevated head support that is perfect for sleeping with apnea. This would help in keeping the head elevated slightly throughout the night and reduce sleep apnea.
This is one of the reasons this chair is among the best chairs for sleep apnea. Another reason is the space users have to adjust whenever they want to, unlike other recliners that do not encourage turning or sleeping sideways and holding users immobile for long hours.
This chair is sturdy and durable and extremely comfortable. Users may not even need to use extra pillows with this recliner. It is lightweight, cozy, and can fit into almost any space because it doesn’t take up a lot of space.
Christopher Knight Home Gaius Classic Recliner Chair – Best known for its affordable quality
The Christopher Knight home Gaius recliner is an affordable recliner chair that offers good quality to its users. The chair has a high reclining back and a long footrest that users find very comfortable.
The chair is maximally padded to provide optimal comfort to its users and they have a modern and minimalistic look that fits into several homes. It is small enough to fit into small spaces or environments and offers satisfaction.
It is durable and has a strong and sturdy build, the chair is made with fabric material and the legs are made with plastic. This may cause it to slide on some floors, hence users may need to apply some grip to wherever they decide to place it on.
It can recline up to 160 degrees, making it a good choice for people suffering from sleep apnea. The reclining adjustment mechanism is smooth and easy, users do not have to struggle with it. It accommodates small and tall users.
Christopher Knight Home Haddan Recliner Chair – Best known for its comfortable functionality
This Christopher Knight’s Hadden recliner chair is best a strong and sturdy chair which makes it durable. It is made with fabric material and birch.
They are very comfortable chairs designed to look very modern and classic. The chair has a slightly elevated headrest that doesn’t call for users to need extra pillows because of all the soft paddings.
The armrests are slight flared out and padded and the weight limit is a recommended 250lb. this chair is not designed for big persons to sleep comfortably in even with the tall backrest.
CANMOV Power Lift Recliner Chair for Elderly – Best known for its plush comfort, thick paddings and power lift
The CANMOV power lift recliner chair is a super-super comfortable chair. It has thick paddings that both children and adults find very comfortable. The cushions have tufted designs, deep seats and the armrests have thick paddings.
The chair wraps an unseen arm of comfort around you and sucks you into another world of bliss. It is made with a soft and comfortable material that is also easy to clean. The backrest is high and the reclining function makes it very comfortable for spending the night in.
The chair is big enough to allow users to wiggle and turn all they want throughout the night. This is another great functionality for people living with sleep apnea. It has an adjustment mechanism situated at the side of the chair that is easy to work with. It is also affordable and comes with a pocket storage space. It has a weight carrying capacity of 300lbs.
Artiron Heavy Duty Power Lift Recliner Chair – Best known for its power lift, heat, and massage functionality
The Artiron heavy duty recliner chair is a power lift chair that is . It can be fully reclined, giving the user a zero-gravity weight while using the recliner chair. It provides much room for moving around and adjusting during the night.
The chair has a heat and a massage design feature that provides great relief to users. It improves the general posture of the user and relieves lower back pain and pressure, it also improves the alignment of the spine. The heat and massage function can be controlled with a remote.
The chair has a super soft and plush comfortable look and design, the chair is heavily padded and the cushions have a biscuit-like tufted design. The armrests are big and super comfortable because of the paddings, you probably would never need to use an extra pillow for this chair.
The adjustment mechanism is easy and convenient for users. It is strong and sturdy with a weight capacity of about 300lb. This is one of the best recliners for people living with sleep apnea.
Does sleeping in a recliner chair help with sleep apnea?
People that suffer from sleep apnea can get a better night’s sleep when they use recliner chairs instead of a bed. This may sound strange to people who are only used to conventional beds but I will explain the usefulness of this in detail and why sleeping in a recliner is better for people living with sleep apnea.
Before we get into that I must first talk about the treatment a little bit because recliners do not in any way take the place of a treatment plan for sleep apnea but they are often used side by side with the treatment plan.
The most common treatment for sleep apnea is the CPAP or the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device. Sleep specialists and medical practitioners almost always recommend this device to help with sleep apnea.
However, some patients may find the CPAP treatment plan uncomfortable after some time and thankfully there are other preventive treatment plans and this is when some people fall to the usage of recliners.
A study that supports this movement was carried out in thirteen obese male patients suffering from sleep apnea. The study highlighted that the sleep apnea symptoms in the thirteen patients reduced significantly or even disappeared entirely after they were made to sleep in a 60 degrees sleeping position for a period.
Another clinical study was carried out on fifty-two middle-aged male and female sleep apnea patients who were a bit overweight. Unlike the first study, these patients were made to sleep with their head elevated o an angle of 7.5 degrees. The researchers noticed a 30% significant reduction in the symptoms of sleep apnea in the patients used during the experiment.
These two studies are all the proof you need to gain an understanding of why sleeping in a recliner at the right angles would help in reducing your sleep apnea. This is especially so for people who do not suffer from severe sleep apnea.
Sleeping in a recliner with your head slightly elevated keeps the muscles in your throat from relaxing and closing in. Recliners have amazing adjustable functionality and you have the option of sleeping on your sides, which is the best sleeping position for sleep apnea patients while still keeping your head at an elevated angle.
What to look for in the best recliner for sleep apnea
Even though I have recommended some of the best recliners for sleep apnea, we still have to go over some important features every good recliner should have. This section of the article should be a buying guide for people who suffer from sleep apnea and intend to purchase a recliner chair, these are some of the things you have to always look out for.
- Reclining angle: The angle of the chair is important for people living with sleep apnea because this is what determines if you would be sleeping completely laid back or slightly reclined to prevent your airways from relaxing
- Space and comfort: The best position for someone living with sleep apnea to sleep in is sideways and lots of recliners do not promote this position because they are too narrow. Users may even have difficulty turning at night. You should make sure to get a recliner that is wide enough to turn in and sleep sideways
- Chair Type: Recliners always come in two types, the manual, and the electric recliner
- Motor type: A recliner is always either a single motor or a double motor
All of these will ultimately determine the type of recliner you get, other factors to consider are price and durability among others.
Recommended Best Recliner for Sleep Apnea
After compiling a list of the best recliners for sleep apnea, we have to go with the Artiron Heavy Duty Power Lift Recliner Chair as the recommended recliner chair for sleep apnea for all the reasons mentioned above, this chair is simply amazing.