Abstract:
Devices and methods for supporting the head of a sleeping person during sleep so that the top of the head of the sleeping person is tilted upward are disclosed. These devices allow the users to sleep comfortably through the night even if the physical builds of the users differ substantially, and also allow the users to sleep on the side or on the back while keeping the head tilted upward from the horizontal position. The device is especially suited for users with benign paroxysmal position vertigo, and other conditions that can benefit from head-up sleep.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The disclosed device and methods are in the field relating to aiding people affected by motion-induced dizziness including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and related diseases with head-maneuvering exercises and rest comfortably in a reclining position. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Elevating the head while a person is resting or sleeping through the night has been recognized to provide potential wellness benefits to the resting or sleeping person. For example, in the art, it is known that keeping the head elevated during a dizziness episode for patients diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and related diseases caused by conditions in the inner ear may help alleviate dizziness symptoms, and doctors sometimes recommend that patients sleep on a stack of pillows for a night or two. However, the actual head position that is beneficial to BPPV patients is not being elevated so much as being tilted with the top of the head at a higher position than the lower portion of the head. Moreover some head maneuvering exercises repeatedly position the patient&#39;s head at certain angles from either horizontal or vertical positions for a short duration of under a minute at each position. 
         [0003]    Pillows in the art are typically designed for a particular sleeping position: on the side, on the stomach or on the back based on the degrees of firmness of the pillow. A “well-designed” pillow is said to “cradle” the head so as to conform to the natural position of the user while lying on the bed rather than elevating and tilting the top of the head upward. Stacking two or more pillows together may produce a head rest that may induce large strain to the neck, spine and hip regions and cause pain that may be extremely uncomfortable to the user. Even if the configuration of two or more stacked pillows can be made comfortable for a particular period of time, it would be difficult to maintain that configuration during the usual six to eight hours of sleep time. There are also “wedge” pillows which allow the sleeper to be sleeping on his or her back only so that the user cannot position the head in more than one orientation. Moreover people of different physical builds such as broad versus narrow shoulders, long versus short necks and so forth are forced to use the same-sized pillow designed for the general public such that they must go through different pillows with different firmness to find the pillow or the combination of pillows that fit their physical builds. It is the object of this application to describe a head rest that elevates and tilts the head position of the user during a regular night sleep duration of six to ten hours, allows the user to sleep on the back or the side, provides comfort for users for different physical builds, allows the user to choose the optimized configuration and locked in the inclination angle of the head-rest, and change the angle to a different one when desired. It is also an objective of the present invention to disclose a method to prevent and minimizing the symptoms of motion-induced dizziness in an affected person. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention discloses a device in the form of a head-rest that enables a user to sleep on his or her side, and on his or her back with comfortable support for the head, neck and shoulder regions, and with his or her head elevated and inclined in a range of inclined angles from about 10 degrees to about 40 degrees with respect to the horizontal. The device comprises of at least two layers which may be separate layers or two distinct portions of a contiguous structure. The layers are made of a single material or a combination of materials usually used in constructing sleep pillows in the art such as gel fibers, polyester fibers, foams including polyurethane “memory” foam or cut-up foam pieces, beads, buckwheat hulls and other natural materials such as cotton, wool, wood, water fowls&#39; feathers and the like used in the art for stuffing pillows. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the top layer which provides the sleep surface is made softer than the second layer which provides the support for the top layer. The second layer and the top layer are stacked in such a way that the top layer overhangs and protrudes over the second layer by up to about two-thirds of the width of the top layer, and the width of the overhang, i.e., the amount of the top layer protruding away from the edge of the support layer, is adjustable. The width of the overhang is adjustable by means of fastening devices such as hook and loop devices under the trade name of Velcro®, non-permanent adhesive-based devices, hook-and-eye devices, buckles and the like known in the art, or by interlocking means such as grooves and mating ridges, poles and holes, and the like installed on the mating surfaces of the top and second layers. As the head of the sleeping subject rests on the device, the top layer pivots on the edge of the second layer and the overhanging part of the top layer tips down creating an inclined sleeping surface. The adjustable inclined angle of the sleep surface with the fastening or interlocking devices due to the user&#39;s placing his or her head more on the sleeping surface over the support layer or more on the overhang portion of the top layer ensures that the head of a subject of a particular build can be made to tilt at an inclined angle with respect to the horizontal with adequate support for the neck and shoulders for both the on-the-back or on-the-side sleep positions for a prolonged period of time. When the subject sleeps on the back, the head slides down the inclined sleep surface until the neck is comfortably supported by the leading edge of the overhang section, and yet the top of the head is still resting on the part of the top layer closest to the edge of the support layer to prevent the head from resting horizontally or close to horizontally with respect to the surface of the bed. 
         [0005]    If the user of the disclosed head-rest device suffers from motion-induced dizziness such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the head-rest device allows the user to have his or her head inclined at an angle at various orientations during the natural tossing and turning over the head-rest device of over the six to ten hours of sleep, which mimics to a degree some of the head maneuvering exercises that are designed to help relocate the loose otoliths (“ear rocks”) out of the semicircular canal or canals of the inner ear, and at the same time, prevents the head from going to the horizontal position which is the most vulnerable position for the otoliths to fall into the semi-circular canal. Since the vertigo symptoms are due to the presence of otoliths in the semi-circular canals, the minimization of the potential of the otoliths falling into the semicircular canals by the use of the disclosed head-rest may potentially help prevent dizziness symptoms of 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURES 
         [0006]    The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1 : Schematic drawing of one embodiment of the disclosed head-rest device comprising two discrete layers. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2 : Schematic drawing of the approximate configuration of the disclosed device when the head of the user is resting on the device while the user is lying on his or her back. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3 : Schematic drawing of the configuration of the disclosed device when the head of the user is resting on the device while the user is lying on his or her side. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4 : Schematic drawing of another embodiment of the disclosed head-rest device comprising the top and the support layers being two distinct portions of a single structure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5 : Schematic drawing of another embodiment of the disclosed head-rest device with a third component which possess regions of rolled up materials to make the regions firmer and higher than the rest of the component. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The device being disclosed in this invention is a support for the head, neck and shoulders of the user so that the top portion of the head of the user is elevated and at an inclined angle with respect to a more or less horizontal flat surface on which the user lies. Referring to  FIG. 1  which shows one embodiment of the invention, which is the preferred embodiment of the device, the device  10  comprises at least two discrete layers, a top sleeping layer  100  with a first surface  110  and a second surface  120 , and a bottom support layer  200  with a first surface  210  and the second surface  220 . The second surface  120  of the layer  100  lies partially on top of the first surface  210  of the bottom layer  200 . The portion of the layer  100  that juts out from the edge  230  of the layer  200  forms an overhang  130 , the width of which when measured from the edge  230  is from about 3 inches to about 15 inches. The total width of the layer  100  is from 14 inches to 25 inches, with the preferred width to be about 20 inches. The length of the layer  100  is in the range of 12 inches to about 40 inches. The layer  200  has a width that is also from about 14 inches to about 25 inches. The preferred width of the layer  200  is about half of the width of the layer  100 . The heights of the layers  100  and  200  depend on the materials of which the layers  100  and  200  are made. The layer  100  is made softer than the support layer  200  either by using a softer material for the top layer  100  and a firmer material for the second support layer  200 , or by stuffing a casing with sufficient material to make a firm structure for the layer  200 , or a combination of both methods. The layer  100  and the layer  200  are shaped by casings made of a textile fabric and stuffed with a material or a combination of materials that are used in stuffing a pillow known in the art. These materials include gel fibers, polymeric fibers such as polyester fibers, poly fiber clusters, structural foams including polyurethane “memory” foam of various degrees of firmness, cut-up foam pieces, buckwheat hulls, other natural materials such as cotton, wool, wood, water fowls&#39; feathers and the like. Therefore the layer  100  may be of the form of a conventional pillow made by filling a fabric casing with pillow-stuffing material, or of foam sculptured into a one of the pillow forms known in the art. The preferred materials for making the layer  100  are polymeric fibers, water fowls&#39; feathers, cut-up foams and buckwheat hulls and other non-structural organic or inorganic materials for stuffing a casing. The layer  200  may be made of sculptured foams without sharp edges formed by ˜90 degrees angles or unstructured materials listed above stuffed in a casing. If unstructured materials stuffed in a casing is used for constructing the layer  200 , then the layer  200  should be stuffed to the firmness of a firm or extra firm pillow known in the art. In one embodiment, the surface  210  of the layer  200  is slanted at an angle of about 5 to 10 degrees with respect to the surface  220 , and the surface  210  does not have sharp edges. Because of the inclined angle of the surface  210 , the preferred height of the layer  200  is about 5 inches on one end of the width and about 4 inches on the other end. On the second surface  120  of the layer  100  and the first surface  210  of the layer  200  are fastening means  150  such as hook and loop devices exemplified by devices under the trademark of Velcro®, non-permanent adhesive strips, hook and eye, buckles, or interlocking structures such as ridges and grooves that fix the position of the layer  100  over the layer  200  so that the width of the overhang  130  can be varied and then once the desired position is achieved, the fastener or interlocking means  150  ensure that the relative position of the layer  100  and the layer  200  is fixed. When the user of the device  10  places his or her head on the sleeping surface  110  of the layer  100  with the overhang region  130  under his or her neck and shoulder regions while lying on his or her side on a flat surface, the weight of the head tips the device  10  so that the sleeping surface  110  forms an incline angle  500  in the range of about 10 degrees to about 40 degrees with the flat surface of the bed, as exemplified in the illustration in  FIG. 2 . The magnitude of the inclined angle  500  depends on the width of the overhang  130 . To achieve this range of inclined angles  500 , the height and firmness of the layers  100  and  200  are adjusted which can be carried out effectively by one skilled in the art. The layer  200  should be firm or extra firm as represented by conventional description of the firmness of pillows in the art. For example, to achieve firm or extra firm pillow packing in the art, the weight of the gel fiber used to stuff a standard 20 inches×26 inches standard-sized pillow is from about 20 ounces to over 30 ounces. The overhang  130  supports the neck and the shoulder while the head is mainly supported by the part of the sleeping surface  110  directly over the layer  200  and behind the overhang  130 . The leading edge of the overhang  130  may be rolled toward the leading edge  230  of the support layer  200  by the user to gain more height for the head rest and at the same time increases the incline angle. This configuration of the layers  100  and  200  may also be more comfortable for a user with broader shoulders than average. When the user of the device  10  lies on his or her back, the head of the user slides down the inclined sleeping surface  110  until most of user&#39;s the head and the neck region rest on the overhang region  130 . Only the top portion of the head is supported by the part of the surface  110  wrapping around the edge  230  of the support layer  200 , or the distal end of the overhang over the edge  230 . By having the lower part of the head resting on the leading edge of overhang region  130 , the neck and shoulder regions are much closer to the flat surface of the bed than when the user is lying on his side. The strain on the neck and shoulder regions, as well as on the back of the user is substantially reduced. The incline angle of the head while the user is sleeping on his back and resting the top of the head on the distal end of the overhang  130  of the device may be as small as about 10 degrees. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIG. 4 , the layer  100  and the layer  200  are attached at a connection region  300  such that layer  100  can be folded over to lie one top of layer  200 . The relative positions of the layer  100  and the layer  200  are also fixed with fastener or interlocking means as in the previous embodiment. The connection region  300  may be made of a flexible piece of fabric or strap to link the layer  100  and the layer  200  together. As is also known in the art, an additional thin narrow-width cushion strip or foam strip may be used underneath the neck region or the lower back region to give supplemental support while the user is lying on his or her side or his or her back. Likewise additional conventional pillows may be used to provide support on the user&#39;s back. In still another embodiment of the device, the additional support is a strip structure that can be rolled up in some parts so that the rolled-up parts provide a firmer and higher support than the rest of the structure. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the strip structure  400  is about 3 inches high and about 3 to 9 inches wide. The length of the structure  400  may be the same as those of the layer  100  and  200 , or longer. The width of the structure  400  may be rolled up in the middle or along the whole length and the rolled-up shape  410  is maintained with the help of non-permanent fastening device  450  such as Velcro™ strips. The structure  400  is made of the same kinds of materials as that of the layers  100  and  200 . The preferred material for making the strip structure  400  is polyurethane foam with a low impression load deflection (ILD) of about 12. The rolled-up portion of the structure  400  has an ILD larger than the ILD of the foam making up the structure thus enabling the strip structure  400  to have variable heights as well as variable firmness along the length of the structure. The strip structure  400  is not attached to the layer  100  or layer  200  and can be placed under the overhang region  130  to add support for the neck and shoulder region, or placed a portion of the spine for lumbar support. 
         [0014]    It is also an objective of the present application to disclose a method for aiding the head maneuvering exercises aimed at alleviating the dizziness symptoms of persons suffering from benign positional dizziness such as BPPV and related diseases. Since the user&#39;s head position is always at an inclined angle in the range of 10 to 30 degrees with respect to the horizontal dining the entire night of sleep whether the user is sleeping on his or her side or on his or her back, the head movements of the user during natural tossing and turning mimic to a degree the head-maneuvering exercises used by BPPV patients outside of the clinic to relieve dizziness symptoms. Some exercise includes positioning the head about 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal or vertical and keeping each position for about 20 seconds while a sufferer of BPPV is reclining on a flat surface for a total of about 10 to 20 minutes for each session and about 3 times each day. The user of the disclosed head-rest device positions his or her head at an inclined angle for six to eight hours each night with the head well-supported during the positioning. 
         [0015]    The rationale behind positioning the head on the head support to alleviate dizziness symptoms at an inclined angle in the range of 10-35° is based on information derived from some published scientific results that show that the horizontal position of the head might be the most vulnerable for the otoliths to enter the semicircular canal. The disclosed process in the invention eliminates the potential that a person diagnosed with BPPV and possesses BPPV symptoms may have his or her head in the horizontal position even during sleep. 
         [0016]    Patients who suffer from motion-induced vertigo can attest to the high frequency of episodic attacks occurring in the morning when they get up from the horizontal position. Since having the patient sleep in a recliner or hospital bed arrangement with the upper body and therefore head position at an almost upright position every night is unacceptable to most patients for a variety of reasons, using the disclosed head-rest device in the patient&#39;s bed every night or frequently delivers the same benefits. 
         [0017]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.