JP2012249997A

JP2012249997A - Pillow for sleep apnea prevention

Info

Publication number: JP2012249997A
Application number: JP2011134585A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Masayuki Jinbo; 雅之神保
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-01
Filing date: 2011-06-01
Publication date: 2012-12-20

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pillow for sleep apnea prevention, which prevents a person from sleeping in a supine position throughout his or her sleep, unlike several devices for supine position prevention during sleep by devising the shape of a pillow in order to prevent snore or a suspension of breathing, all of which, however, temporarily prevent supine position during sleep.SOLUTION: A narrow projection is provided in the central part of a wide, hard pillow almost equal to the width of bedding so as to extend over the full length of the pillow and vertically relative to a person sleeping with his or her head resting on the pillow. A downward inclination part extends to the middle of each of the left and right sides from the basal part of the projection. A flat part extends outside each inclination part. Thus, the pillow for sleep apnea prevention is obtained.

Description

本発明は、睡眠時の仰臥位を自然に何度でも横臥位に誘導する形状を有する睡眠時無呼吸症を防止する枕に関するものである。 The present invention relates to a pillow for preventing sleep apnea having a shape that naturally induces a supine position in sleep to a recumbent position any number of times.

イビキや無呼吸を防ぐ目的から、枕の形状を工夫して睡眠時の仰臥位を防止する考案はいくつもあり、特許や実用新案の登録がなされているものも以下の通り多く見受けられる。 For the purpose of preventing snoring and apnea, there are a number of ideas to prevent the supine position during sleep by devising the shape of the pillow, and many patents and utility models have been registered as follows.

特許公開２００６−２３１００８号公報（図３）Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-231008 (FIG. 3) 特許公開２０００−２３８１３号公報（図１）Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-23813 (FIG. 1) 実用新案公開平６−３３５７４号公報（図２）Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-33574 (FIG. 2) 登録実用新案第３１６２５００号公報（図２）Registered Utility Model No. 3162500 (FIG. 2) 登録実用新案第３１５２５９９号公報（図１）Registered Utility Model No. 3152599 (FIG. 1) 登録実用新案第３００９８４４号公報（図１）Registered Utility Model No. 3009844 Publication (FIG. 1)

（イ）仰臥位の睡眠がもたらす問題は、過去には主にイビキの騒音の問題ととらえられており、この観点からの考案も多かった。しかし、仰臥位がもたらす軟口蓋と舌根による上下からの気道の圧迫、閉塞は、今日ではより深刻な睡眠時無呼吸症候群の原因ととらえられている。
「厚生労働省メタボリック症候群が気になる方のための健康情報サイト」はこれについて、「高血圧が引き起されたり、動脈硬化が進行して心筋梗塞や脳梗塞を起こしやすくなったり、糖尿病が悪化したりと、生活習慣病が引き起こされます。このため、中等症以上の睡眠時無呼吸症候群を放置すると１０年後には３〜４割の方が死亡してしまう」と警告している。
（ロ）しかしながら、これまで睡眠時無呼吸症を防止する枕はなかった。特許文献１）では、枕に内蔵する電動ローラーを一定時間ごとに左右に移動させることで、頭部を横向きにするとしているが、これでは頭部をいたずらに刺激するばかりで必ずしも横向きにはならない。特許文献２）では、中央部の凸部の両側に凹部が形成されていることから、むしろこの位置に頭部を捕え仰向けに誘導することで逆効果となる。特許文献３）一度だけ、仰向けから横向きに誘導するが、その後、繰り返される寝返りに対応していない。特許文献４）は単に中央部に凸部を設けるだけでは、図のように頭部は回転せず、凸部を外れて仰向けになるだけである。特許文献５）も特許文献４）と同様だが、横向き時に顎が落ちて気道を圧迫することはないので、長手方向の凸部は無意味である。特許文献６）は凹部に頭を捕えて寝返りを抑制するが、凹部で仰向けとなることを抑止できない。
（ハ）発明者自身の永年の工夫と経験では、就寝時の頭部の向きの変化や体幹の移動は、若干の左右への水平移動のほかは、頸椎や背骨を軸とする回転により生じるものである。このため、枕中央への凸部の設置だけでは、左右に外れた頭部がそこで仰向けとなるのを防げない。これまで無意識の睡眠時に、頭部を繰り返し横向きに回転させることが不可能であった。
（ニ）このため、睡眠時無呼吸症の対策には、肥満の解消のほかに軟口蓋の切除手術や就寝時のマウスピースの装着など、患者に大きな負担を強いるものであった。
（ホ）本発明は以上の問題点を解決するためになされたものである。(B) The problems caused by sleeping in the supine position have been mainly regarded as a problem of noise in the past, and there have been many ideas from this viewpoint. However, the airway pressure and obstruction caused by the soft palate and tongue base caused by the supine position are now regarded as the cause of more serious sleep apnea syndrome.
“Health information site for those who are concerned about metabolic syndrome from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare” If you leave sleep apnea syndrome more than moderate, 30 to 40% will die after 10 years. "
(B) However, there has never been a pillow to prevent sleep apnea. In Patent Literature 1), the electric roller built in the pillow is moved left and right at regular intervals to make the head sideways, but this only stimulates the head mischievously and does not necessarily turn sideways. . In Patent Document 2), since the concave portions are formed on both sides of the central convex portion, it is rather counterproductive to catch the head at this position and guide it upward. Patent document 3) Although it guide | induces from the back to the side only once, it does not respond to repeated rolling over after that. In Patent Document 4), merely by providing a convex portion at the center portion, the head does not rotate as shown in the figure, and only the convex portion is removed and turned upside down. Patent Document 5) is the same as Patent Document 4), but the ridges in the longitudinal direction are meaningless because the jaws do not fall and press the airways when facing sideways. Although patent document 6) captures a head in a recessed part and suppresses turning over, it cannot suppress that it becomes a supine in a recessed part.
(C) According to the ingenuity and experience of the inventor himself, the change in the orientation of the head and the movement of the trunk at bedtime are due to rotation around the cervical spine and spine, in addition to slight horizontal movement. It will occur. For this reason, it is not possible to prevent the head that has been moved to the left or right from being turned upside down only by installing the convex portion at the center of the pillow. Until now, it was impossible to rotate the head repeatedly sideways during unconscious sleep.
(D) For this reason, countermeasures for sleep apnea impose a heavy burden on patients, such as removing soft palate and wearing a mouthpiece at bedtime, in addition to eliminating obesity.
(E) The present invention has been made to solve the above problems.

寝具の横幅ほどの幅の長い硬質の枕の中央部に、就寝者の天地方向一杯に幅の狭い凸部を設け、凸部の基部から左右に半ばまで下り傾斜部を設け、その外側に平坦部を設けた睡眠時無呼吸症防止用枕。 A narrow convex part is provided in the center of the bedside pillow that is as wide as the width of the bedding, and a downwardly inclined part is provided from the base of the convex part to the left and right, and flat on the outside. Pillow for preventing sleep apnea with a part.

本発明により、安眠を妨げることなく、睡眠時間を通じて何度でも仰臥位を横臥位へと誘導することができる。これにより、仰臥位が引き起こすイビキや睡眠時無呼吸症を防止することができる。睡眠時無呼吸症は、高血圧や心臓疾患など多くの成人病の原因であり、本発明は睡眠時無呼吸症のもたらす、これら深刻な健康被害を予防することができる。 According to the present invention, the supine position can be guided to the recumbent position any number of times throughout the sleep time without disturbing the sleep. Thereby, the snoring and sleep apnea caused by the supine position can be prevented. Sleep apnea is a cause of many adult diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease, and the present invention can prevent these serious health damages caused by sleep apnea.

本発明の斜視図Perspective view of the present invention 本発明使用時の頭部の移動と気道の開閉を示す状態図State diagram showing head movement and airway opening and closing when using the present invention

１凸部、２傾斜部、３平面部、４頭頂部、５気道、６軟口蓋、７舌根1 convex part, 2 inclined part, 3 plane part, 4 parietal part, 5 airway, 6 soft palate, 7 tongue base

以下本発明の実施の形態を説明する。
（イ）寝具の横幅ほどの幅の長い硬質の枕の中央部に、就寝者の天地方向一杯に幅の狭い凸部（１）を設ける。凸部（１）の幅は、仰臥位での就寝を可能にするものの、睡眠時の脱力で頭部が容易に左右に外れる程度である。
（ロ）凸部（１）の基部から左右に半ばまで下り傾斜部（２）を設ける。傾斜角度は凸部（１）を外れた頭部を仰臥位で安定させず、徐々に平坦部（３）に向け回転させる程度の緩い角度とし、安眠を妨げたり、凸部（１）方向への寝返りを妨げない程度である。
（ハ）その外側に平坦部（３）を設ける。平坦部（３）の幅は横臥時の頭側部が安定し、横臥位での睡眠に適した幅とする。
本発明は以上のような構造である。
（ニ）本発明を使用するときは、使用者は図２のＡのように仰臥位で凸部に頭をおいて就寝する。これは無呼吸患者の習慣である仰臥位をとることで睡眠に入りやすくするためである。この状態では気道はａのように、舌恨の落ち込みと軟口蓋の下降により、閉鎖されやすい状態となっている。
（ホ）やがて、睡眠時の脱力により頭部は幅の狭い凸部（１）から左右いずれかの傾斜部（２）に外れＢまたはＢ´の状態となる。この状態では、舌恨の落ち込みが緩和され、体幹を仰臥したまま残して首をひねる形となることから、軟口蓋がやや引き上げられる。このように頭部がわずか１０度ほど左右に振れるだけで気道の閉塞は解消する。この状態では、傾斜が重力により頭部を徐々に下方へ回転させようとする働きをする。
（ヘ）この働きにより、やがてＣまたはＣ´のように顔が真横を向いた状態で平坦部に至る。この平坦部で回転は止まり、頭部は安定する。さらに、この頭部の安定に、やがて体幹も追随して安定した横臥位の睡眠となる。この状態では、気道はｃまたはｃ´のように十分解放されている。
（ト）図２の示す流れのように、睡眠時間を通じて繰り返される寝返りや、習慣として無意識に取る仰臥位に対しても、必ずこの動きが繰り返されて仰臥位を許さず、姿勢は安定した横臥位に帰着する。このため就寝時から起床時まで、継続して仰臥位を防止し、無呼吸を防ぐことができる。
（チ）加えて、使い続けることで安定した横臥位での良質な睡眠が習慣となる。このため、旅行先など本発明のない状況においても横臥位の姿勢での睡眠により睡眠時の無呼吸を予防することができる。Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
(A) A narrow convex portion (1) is provided at the center of the bedside pillow, which is as long as the width of the bedding. Although the width of the convex portion (1) enables sleeping in the supine position, the head is easily detached from side to side due to weakness during sleep.
(B) A downwardly inclined portion (2) is provided from the base of the convex portion (1) to the left and right halfway. The inclination angle is set so that the head off the convex portion (1) is not stabilized in the supine position, but is gradually inclined to rotate toward the flat portion (3) to prevent sleep, or toward the convex portion (1). It is a level that does not hinder overturning.
(C) A flat part (3) is provided on the outside. The width of the flat part (3) is such that the head side part is stable when lying down and is suitable for sleeping in the lying position.
The present invention has the above structure.
(D) When using the present invention, the user goes to bed with his head on the convex part in the supine position as shown in FIG. This is to make it easier to go to sleep by taking the supine position, which is a habit of apnea patients. In this state, as in a, the airway is in a state of being easily closed due to the drop of the tongue and the soft palate.
(E) Eventually, due to weakness during sleep, the head comes off from the narrow convex part (1) to either the left or right inclined part (2) and enters a state of B or B '. In this state, the drop of the tongue fold is relieved and the trunk is twisted while leaving the trunk upright, so the soft palate is slightly lifted. In this way, the airway obstruction is eliminated by merely swinging the head from side to side by about 10 degrees. In this state, the inclination acts to gradually rotate the head downward due to gravity.
(F) Due to this action, the flat part is reached with the face facing sideways like C or C ′. At this flat part, rotation stops and the head is stabilized. Furthermore, the stability of the head will eventually follow the trunk, resulting in a stable recumbent sleep. In this state, the airway is sufficiently released as c or c '.
(G) As shown in the flow of FIG. 2, this movement is always repeated even for the lying position that is repeated throughout the sleep time and the supine position that is unconsciously taken as a habit. Return to the place. For this reason, the supine position can be prevented continuously from bedtime to waking up, and apnea can be prevented.
(H) In addition, it becomes a habit to keep good sleep in a stable lying position by continuing to use it. For this reason, sleep apnea can be prevented by sleeping in a lying posture even in a situation where the present invention is not present, such as a travel destination.