Pillows are hands down the most comfortable element of sleep. They can easily decide how we sleep at night and how we will wake up in the morning. Pillows are much more important than we give credit for. Do you ever find yourself using a pillow that doesn't feel right?
Even if it does, it's unhealthy to stick with the same pillow for too long. Let us pinpoint why it is essential to change your pillow. That’s not all; this article has many tips for you not to make a mistake next time you buy a pillow.
Why is a Good Pillow Important for Sleep?
While many prioritize getting enough sleep each day, it's easy to pay attention to the quality of our rest. However, there are compelling reasons why quality sleep should also be a top priority:
Promotes Healthy Sleep
Ever observed the comfort difference between a fresh, soft pillow and an old, thin one? A cozy pillow positions your neck and spine correctly, lessening stress spots so sleep comes easier. An extra pillow under your knees or lower back boosts the quality of your sleep pose. Invest in superior pillows and witness the change in your energy levels!
Evens the Firmness of Your Mattress
Your pillow and mattress work together to create the ideal spot for sleep. If your mattress is firm, choose plush pillows. They can calm pressure points that may cause discomfort. To achieve this, combining a soft mattress with a firmer pillow is recommended to offer proper support and prevent your head from awkwardly sinking in. Finding the right pillow and mattress combination allows you to tailor your comfort to suit your needs.
Aligns the Spine
Having back or neck issues makes your pillow more critical. Good sleep lets your body heal and regain energy. But, if you're wiggling around on a pillow that doesn't support you, it could make spine alignment issues and joint pain worse. Get a pillow that fits your needs for a refreshing wake-up.
Reduces Snoring
A lousy pillow may result in strained neck muscles, leading to snoring during sleep. Understand that a high-grade pillow supports your neck's standard curve. This aids in maintaining open-air passages, thus reducing snoring and amplifying sleep quality.
Provides You with Support and Structure
Many types of pillows are available, providing various degrees of support. Although natural fillings such as down and feathers offer less contouring, they are highly valued for their softness. Other pillows, like ortho-pillows filled with polypropylene capsules, provide the utmost comfort.
To get the best pillow for yourself, thoroughly research the options available before rushing to the store. Using a particular pillow for about one week is advisable to ascertain if it properly supports your requirements.
Maintains a Healthy Skin
There is absolutely no doubt about the role of sleep in maintaining healthy skin, which we are all familiar with. Using an antibacterial, anti-dust mite, and hypoallergenic pillow helps create a good atmosphere.
So, it’d be good to clean your pillows and pillowcases to create the most hygienic environment while sleeping. Mind you, this is not limited to pillows!
How Long Do Pillows Last?
We understand that changing your pillow more than often is quite taxing, but experts suggest that if you replace your pillow once every 1-2 years, depending upon the material, you might notice a healthy sleep routine with clean and fresh pillows.
Now, if you keep using the same pillow for years without much care and cleaning, it will collect allergens, and sleeping on these will bring many health issues like runny/stuffy nose, itchy skin, eye irritation, smelly hair, and whatnot. That’s too much to go through, so cleaning your pillow as often as possible is better. That being said, certain aspects decide the life of your pillow:
Material: Considering the material of some pillows, polyester works out much faster than memory foam or latex. So, that’s something to think about while getting a good pillow.
Usage: Anything, literally anything, if used vigorously, will soon lose its fresh touch. The same goes for a pillow. If you rough it, it might need to be replaced too soon.
Pillow cases/protectors: Pillowcases or covers protect your pillow from dust, allergens, stains, wear and tear, and anything else that can attack it. So don’t forget to get a good pillowcase, too.
Brand Value: It’s no news that buying a good pillow from a trusted manufacturer will ensure an extended life for your pillow. It might cost you more at the time, but it will save you some serious bucks in the future.
Wash & Care: This is very obvious but needs to be addressed. How you wash your pillow and your efforts into its aftercare say a lot about its life. You should know how to clean your pillow correctly by reading the washing instructions that come with it.
Why Should You Change Your Pillow?
We tend to drain out an item until we enjoy its total worth, which is okay, but waiting for your pillow to become flat or be ruined beyond use is just not ideal. If you see any of the following symptoms in your pillow, know that it’s time to make some wise decisions:
Acne
Can you imagine putting your face on a dirty pillow? But we do this more than we are aware. Now imagine the dust mites or allergens causing you the acne you never had. It is pretty jarring but can be avoided, as it is not coming out of your skin. It is caused by something else.
Your pillow collects dirt, oil, and dead skin cells over time, especially when you don’t clean it quite as much. Other things, too, are transferred to your pillow, such as face cream, makeup, and drool. Cleaning your pillow will help you with all this, but you will still have to change it at some point.
Long Time No New Pillow
Is your pillow all flat or lopsided? It might be too old or too used. It is wise to get a new pillow. According to the National Sleep Foundation, you should change your pillow once every 2 years. So ditch the oldie and go for a newbie. A hypoallergenic down pillow would be a good pick, as it doesn’t trap dust mites. If you prefer flat and firm pillows, how about a pancake pillow you’ve considered?
You Wake Up with a Stiff Neck
It's no news that pillows lose their authentic shape over time. They become uneven or flat, which also causes our bodies to misalign. We can rave about how we prefer a flat pillow, but that might be better for the kind of sleeping position you like. You should chop for a pillow that gently cradles your neck and supports your spine correctly. If you want to avoid morning headaches and neck stiffness.
Allergies
What happens when you flip or pat your pillow after a long time? Dust puffs out. Pillows tend to gather dust and dirt over time if cleaned only occasionally. Sleeping on such a pillow can be pretty uncomfortable for your nose, especially with specific allergies. So, it's wise to wash your pillow often and replace it every two years.
Past the Expiration Date
It sounds odd for a pillow, but it is accurate. Some pillows have an expiration date mentioned on their tag. That certainly doesn’t mean you have to rush to the store the next day, but it requires you to change your pillow soon. Not all pillows have such tags, but you can deduce by seeing the fabric's condition that it needs to be replaced.
How to Care for A Pillow and to Change Yours?
It goes without saying that if you care for your pillows well, their life will increase. Washing them often, layering them up with good protective pillowcases, and using them carefully will most assuredly make them last long. If you are confused about where to begin, here are some tips for you to go on:
Washing the Pillow
People have their own ways of caring for their pillows. Some wash their pillows, while others wash their pillowcases. Well, on the side of hygiene, we suggest you wash your pillow every other month to keep it fresh. Usually, such pillows come with the manufacturer’s wash and care instructions. Follow these directions, and you’ll be able to clean your pillow without ruining it.
If you own a memory foam pillow, you should use a spot-cleaning technique to clean it gently with a mixture of soap and water. You just need to dry clean for down and feather pillows to protect the fill. Make sure you use a washable pillowcase, as pillows are prone to gathering dust and dirt. Further, with latex pillows, you need cleaning more than often. You can use lukewarm and mix it with a mild detergent. You can machine wash your polyester pillows on a ‘gentle cycle.’ You can clean a microbead pillow with a damp cloth without making it overly wet.
Drying the Pillow
Again, with every pillow comes an instruction manual detailing how to care for it. It not only has washing guidelines but also drying techniques. Generally, you should dry a pillow on a flat and shaded surface. This will help your pillow keep its natural shape and not attract dust or dirt while being damp. Make sure to dry your pillow thoroughly before further use or storage. The time your pillow takes to dry highly depends on the material or fiber it fills.
Covering the Pillow
Pillowcases are more than just a convenience item—they're a necessity for your pillow. Make sure you cover your pillow with a good pillowcase. It will protect your pillow from dust, dirt, and stains. You can easily wash these pillowcases once a week and then limit the pillow washing to once a month.
Protecting the Pillow
Pillow protectors are an additional way to preserve your pillow. There are different kinds of pillow protectors with various unique features in the market:
- Quilted pillow protectors
- Anti-allergy pillow protectors
- Waterproof pillow protectors
- Stain-resistant pillow protectors
A pillow protector will shield your pillow well and save your investment in the long run. It will prevent your pillow from attracting:
- Bed bugs
- Dust mites
- Spills and stains
- Skin cells and hair
- Bacteria and allergens
- Body oils, sweat, and drool
You can get an excellent breathable pillow protector that doesn’t collect moisture. Cleaning the protector is essential to preserve its barrier surface from collecting germs.
Changing the Pillow
As we have discussed all the way through, cleaning is good and helps keep your pillow daisy fresh. However, after a while, even cleaning it won’t do the trick. The only option you’ll have to resort to is changing it and getting a new one. Unevenness, lumps, fabric wear and tear, and discoloring stains are some signs that will tell you when to change the pillow.
Final Thoughts
By now, you must be quite well versed in why we need to change our pillows once every 1-2 years. That being said, it's not like just changing the pillow after 2 years is all that needs to be done. During that span, you need to know how to wash and care for it as well, or your pillow may not survive even until the end of the year. Also, if you want your pillows to last long, you should begin by investing in a good pillow.
Pillow prices range from steep to very low. But often, cheaper pillows don’t have that kind of good lifespan. So it's better to spend some extra bucks today than to keep spending in the future. You also need to look for some excellent pillowcases and protectors; these will ensure the long life of your pillow.
Sources:
How Often Should You Replace Pillows? : U.S. News
How Often Should You Replace Your Pillow?: Sleep Doctor
How Often Should You Replace Your Pillows? Time Magazine
How Often Should You Replace Pillows?: Better Homes and Gardens
