Our sleep cycle defines so much about our health, our daily routine, our mood, and our day. A sufficiently good sleep will keep us healthy, spruce us up for our daily activities, keep our mood pleasant, and let us start our day the way we want to. A good night’s sleep can be helped or hindered by our own lifestyle choices. Whether we rough house till late or eat junk food, anything and everything can contribute to disturbing the proper amount of sleep we need everyday.
While these are some habits we need to improve on our own, we can make some other adjustments that are readily available to us, to enhance our sleep quality. Each sleep position need different types of pillows to ensure optimal head, neck, and spine alignment. Picking a suitable pillow will make you comfortable and able to get a good night’s rest. We have selected pillows that we believe will suit each position the best.
What are the Best Pillows for Side Sleepers?
Side sleeping is the most favoured sleeping position amongst people. Well, it is comfortable and cozy so we get it! 74% of the US population sleep on their side. A position that common certainly cannot be managed so commonly. Although side sleeping position is known for reducing multiple issues like snoring, sleep apnea, back pain, digestion, heartburn, and other gastrointestinal problems, it still can have some not so pleasing side effects such as shoulder pain, arm numbness, headaches, and neck strain. Hence, to avoid such problems there are pillows designed specifically catering to the needs of side sleepers.
ELI&ELM SPECIAL OFFER!
Side Sleepers Prefer High Loft or Thick Pillow
This is because there is space between your head and mattress while you are on the side versus other sleeping positions. When you lie on the side, your pillow needs to be thick enough to support your spine to be straight, but not so thick that it bends your neck out of alignment.
Side Sleepers will be the Most Comfortable with Medium Firm Pillow
Common issues with side sleepers is that their pillow slowly collapses under the weight of their head during the night. Folding a pillow in half or using more than one pillow will not compensate for inadequate support and loft. Buy neck pillow for best results.
Body Pillow
You must have heard of the ancient technique of sewing a tennis ball onto the back of your pajamas or night wear. This was done to keep you from turning over onto your back. A body pillow is a bolster-shaped cushion, a modern solution to serve the exact purpose. You can place it against your spine and it will help you sleep on your side all night.
What are the Best Pillows for Back Sleepers?
Although it’s not quite as popular as side sleeping, back sleeping is considered the healthiest way to get shut-eye. Why? Well, sleeping on your back keeps your head, neck, and spine in a neutral position, taking pressure off those areas—and making it a whole lot less likely that you’ll wake up in pain. This position prevents compression and twisting, which can lead to lower back pain or neck pain. It also keeps the neck well aligned and keeps the annoying nightly headaches away for good!
Thinner Low Soft Pillows are Good for Back Sleepers
A pillow which is too thick will hold your head too high for too long and a pillow too thin will result in an uncomfortable downward bend in your neck. So, pick a pillow with medium firmness to sleep peacefully.
A Malleable Pillow will Avoid Lateral Knack Twists and Stiffness
When you are on your back, gravity pulls your head to the left or right shoulders. The ideal back sleeper pillow keeps your head straight and reduces the lateral twist in your neck.
Cervical/Contour Pillow
Cervical pillows are specifically made for those who suffer through neck pain as a result of sleeping on their backs. These pillows are not too thick not to thin, they are just perfect to provide enough support that aligns your neck and head by maintaining sufficient space between the mattress and your neck.
Cervical pillows come in different sizes and shapes one of which is the contoured pillow. Such pillows have a cut-out pattern for better adjustment and comfort.
What are the Best Pillows for Stomach Sleepers?
Sleeping on your stomach is the most difficult position. And we don’t mean difficult as a task, difficult on your neck and back. Stomach sleeping can have more issues than you think. While you sleep on your tummy your neck stays twisted on either side for a long time, which can severely strain your neck. Stomach sleepers also experience digestive irregularities more than often as sleeping on the stomach prevents the body to clear the gasses naturally from the system in order to maintain a healthy digestive cycle.
Back pain is quite common too, in stomach sleepers. When you sleep on your stomach especially on a soft mattress it sinks your stomach and hips too much into the bed, thus creating a lot of pressure on the spine. Your spine may stretch out of support and you will wake up in pain.
Stomach Sleepers will Prefer Thinner Low Loft Pillows
If you do sleep on your stomach, you will want to have a pillow with less filling than someone who sleeps on their side or back. So, choose a breathable neck pillow that does not retain heat, it will help to keep the stomach sleepers much more comfortable at night.
Also Read:
Flat Memory Foam Pillow
Flat pillow are the ones with low loft. These are quite suitable for stomach sleepers as they can place it underneath their neck. Some people prefer sleeping without a pillow when they sleep on their stomach so that they don’t strain the neck. In such a situation a flat pillow can be placed under the abdomen or pelvis to help the lower back keep its natural alignment.
Mostly when you experience back pain its your lower back that takes the hit. In such a scenario memory foam pillows will be your wisest choice. Side and back sleepers can get comfort from the sturdy yet moldable support of a foam pillow to keep their head and neck at an appropriately balanced height.
Sources:
Cornerstone Physiotherapy: Choosing the Best Pillow for You
Spine-health: Best Pillows for Different Sleeping Positions
Medical News Today: How to sleep on your back
Sleep Enlightened by Saatva: How to Find the Best Pillow for Back Sleepers
