I've been a flight attendant for American Airlines for 37 years.
I'm 61 now. My husband passed five years ago.
Flying is the only thing I have left that still feels like mine. The crew, the routine, the cities. It's not just a job. Some mornings it's the only reason I get out of bed.
I'd been tired for months. Exhausted, really. My roommates on layovers kept telling me I snored. Bad.
I finally went to my doctor.
Moderate obstructive sleep apnea. 22 events per hour. My airway was collapsing in my sleep.
He said if I didn't treat it I was looking at high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke.
He prescribed a CPAP.
I tried. I really tried.
The mask. The hose. The air blowing into your face all night. Waking up with a dry mouth so bad it hurt to swallow.
At home it was barely manageable.
On the road it was impossible.
I fly four days a week. Different hotel every night. I had to pack the machine, the mask, the hose, the humidifier, distilled water. On top of my crew bag, my carry-on, my uniform bag.
The outlet was never where I needed it. The mask wouldn't seal on hotel pillows. I'd rip it off at 2 AM without even realizing it.
On domestic layovers we share hotel rooms. That's been the deal for the past year, part of the airline's cost-cutting. You're paired with whoever's on your trip.
I'm 61 years old trying to maintain some dignity and I've got a machine strapped to my face making Darth Vader sounds while a 28-year-old I just met is trying to sleep four feet away.
After six months I stopped bringing it on trips.
My doctor said I was putting my life at risk. I know. But he's not the one dragging that thing through O'Hare at 5 AM.
Without the CPAP the snoring came back worse. I was exhausted. Brain fog on the beverage cart. Forgetting which row I'd already served. Falling asleep during layovers and almost missing my alarm.
I started thinking about retirement. Not because I wanted to. Because my body was telling me I couldn't keep going.
Then in March we got snowed in on a Jackson Hole trip. Flight got cancelled. AA had to put us up somewhere while they sorted it out.
Only hotel with availability was the Four Seasons. I couldn't believe it.
I lay down around 10:30. No mask. No machine. Just another hotel room.
I woke up at 7 AM.
Over eight hours. I can't remember the last time I stayed asleep that long.
Terri was on that trip with me. She said I didn't snore. Not once. She was awake reading for an hour and kept waiting for it. Nothing.
I stripped the pillowcase back that morning. The pillow was heavier than a normal hotel pillow.
When I pressed into it, it contoured around my hand. Soft but supportive.
There was a small tag sewn into the corner. I had to squint to read it. "Nuzzle."
Never heard of it.
There was a zipper around the outside. I unzipped it. Two layers inside. A thicker one and a thinner one.
I pulled out my phone and Googled it right there. First thing: Trustpilot. 4.7 stars.
I scrolled.
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Before we checked out I went to the front desk. Asked about the pillows.
"Those are Nuzzle. We switched all our rooms about a year ago."
I ordered two for $39 each from my phone standing in the lobby.
It made sense when I thought about it. My doctor told me sleep apnea happens when your airway collapses. A flat pillow lets your head drop and your neck bend. That narrows the airway. This pillow kept my head and neck aligned all night. Airway stays open. Simple as that.
I was skeptical of a pillow making a huge difference. But I don't know what magic is stuffed in them. It works. You can see by my sleep score on my Apple Watch that once I started using it, I've had consistently high scores.
Since I got two, I take the second one to work as my travel pillow. Roll it up and squeeze it into my crew bag. No machine. No mask. No hose. No distilled water. No outlet hunting. No embarrassment.
Just a pillow.
Terri was my roommate the first week back on the line. No snoring. She actually thanked me.
I'm not thinking about retirement anymore.
If you don't believe me, go read the reviews.
Right now they're up to 60% off with free shipping.
If you've been fighting with a CPAP or gave up on one like I did, this is worth trying.
90-day guarantee. If you're still snoring or still waking up exhausted, send it back. Full refund.
