Side sleeping pillow

Abstract

A pillow is shaped to encourage a sleeper to sleep on a side, rather than on the back. This is accomplished by providing a pair of arms extending forwardly from a head support. The arms are spaced apart less than the width of the sleeper's shoulders so it is uncomfortable for the sleeper to roll over onto the back. The arms are spaced from the edges of the pillow to provide for a side ramp, inclined upwardly toward the head support, to receive the forearm of the sleeper.

1 . A pillow arranged to encourage the user to sleep on a side, comprising 
 a head support assembly to receive and support a person's head and neck connected to a thoracic support assembly which is, in turn, connected to a waist and lumbar support assembly;    the head support assembly extending generally perpendicularly upwardly from the thoracic support assembly to provide a shoulder receiving area between the thoracic support assembly and the head support assembly, the head support assembly extending laterally for a predetermined distance and terminating in first and second sides;    a pair of arms merging with the thoracic support assembly and extending from the head support assembly toward the waist and lumbar support assembly, the arms being spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive a sleeper's torso when on a side and an insufficient distance to receive a sleeper's torso when the sleeper is supine, a first of the arms being spaced from a first side of the head support assembly to provide a space for an arm of the sleeper; and    a side ramp inclined upwardly from the thoracic support assembly to the head support assembly providing an inclined position for the sleeper's arm.    
   
   
       2 . The pillow of  claim 1  wherein a second of the arms is spaced from the second side of the head support assembly to provide a space for an arm of the sleeper and further comprising a second side ramp inclined upwardly from the thoracic support assembly to the head support assembly providing an inclined position for another of the sleeper's arms.  
   
   
       3 . The pillow of  claim 2  wherein the arms are not more than about eighteen inches apart.  
   
   
       4 . The pillow of  claim 3  wherein the arms include a long dimension extending from the head support assembly toward the waist and lumbar support assembly, the arms tapering in the long direction from a large end adjacent the head support assembly toward a small end.  
   
   
       5 . The pillow of  claim 4  wherein the arms taper dowardly toward the thoracic support assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The pillow of  claim 5  wherein the head support assembly includes an upper generally horizontal planar surface.  
   
   
       7 . The pillow of  claim 2  wherein an upper surface of the head support assembly provides an inclined section merging with and aligned with the side ramps.  
   
   
       8 . The pillow of  claim 1  wherein the head support assembly includes an upper substantially planar surface.  
   
   
       9 . The pillow of  claim 1  wherein an upper surface of the head support assembly comprises a pair of spaced generally planar surfaces and a depression, between and below the planar surfaces, aligned with an area between the arms, the depression being below a top of the arm.  
   
   
       10 . The pillow of  claim 1  wherein the arms are not more than about one foot apart.  
   
   
       11 . The pillow of  claim 1  wherein the arms are not more than about eighteen inches apart.  
   
   
       12 . The pillow of  claim 1  wherein the head support assembly includes an inclined section adjacent the side ramp, the inclined section and side ramp merging and being at substantially equal inclination, the inclined section and the side ramp cooperating to provide a long inclined support for a sleeper's arm and hand.