In our busy lives, everything gets prioritized except sleep. The basic habits that could improve our sleep are ignored. On the other hand, more of us get educated about the most complex subjects but are never taught how to use a pillow properly, an element as simple yet important for proper spinal alignment, especially with age.
If you wake up poorly, or you're all groggy and hurting a little bit in the neck or back, it might be caused by how you sleep with your pillow. Science has shown that knowing the pillow techniques to get it right greatly benefits one's sleep quality. Learn the best way to sleep with pillows to achieve the best sleeping position.
Tips to Correctly Sleep with a Pillow for Different Sleepers
Sleeping improperly with a pillow can cause many short-term and long-term problems. A wrong pillow can strain your neck, back, and shoulders, causing pain that prevents you from having a complete sleep cycle. Here are the correct ways to lay on a pillow:
Back Sleepers
When it does not support the natural curve of the neck and spine, it causes neck pain because a pillow that is too high or flat strains neck muscles and causes stiffness. It can also cause back pain from added stress on the spine and tension headaches from muscle strain. Most of the time, discomfort leads to restless sleep, which will break the sleep cycle and prevent one from having restorative sleep, thus making one drowsy and tired even during the day.
Tips to Sleep:
- Pillow Height: Choose a medium-height pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck without elevating your head too much.
- Positioning: The pillow should fill the space between your neck and the mattress, keeping your head aligned with your spine. It should also prevent your head from pushing forward, which can strain your neck.
- Knee Support: Placing a small pillow under your knees can help relieve pressure on your lower back by maintaining its natural curve.
Pillows: Memory Foam Pillow, Adjustable Loft Pillow, and Contour Pillow
Side Sleepers
Since side sleeping is the most common sleeping position, getting it wrong will worsen your body. When the pillow does not support the head well, it can cause neck and shoulder pain due to improper alignment. A thin pillow may cause the head to drop, straining the neck, while a thick pillow may push the head upward, causing discomfort and tension.
Misalignment of the spine results from ill-positioned pillows, resulting in backache and pain in the hips and knees. Eventually, all these cause restless sleep with frequent awakenings, which leads to sleepiness the next day.
Tips to Sleep:
- Choose the Right Pillow Height: Select a thicker pillow to fill the gap between your head and the mattress, keeping your neck aligned with your spine.
- Knee Support: Place a firm pillow between your knees to maintain hip alignment and reduce pressure on the lower back.
- Hug a Pillow: Holding a pillow in front of you can provide additional support for your upper body and prevent shoulder strain.
- Avoid Stacking Pillows: Using multiple pillows can lead to improper alignment; opt for a single, appropriately-sized pillow instead.
- Experiment with Positioning: Keep a proper pillow placement and firmness until you find a comfortable setup that maintains alignment.
Pillows: Memory Foam, Side Sleeper Pillow, Latex, Buckwheat, and Adjustable Loft Pillow
Stomach Sleepers
Incorrect sleeping with a pillow affects stomach sleepers to the fullest extent and leads them to suffer various kinds of discomforts and health problems. If the pillow is too thick or hard, it elevates the head in an unnatural position that strains the neck and can cause pain and stiffness in the neck region. Misalignment may further reach the spine and cause lower back pain as the natural curvature gets disturbed.
Another problem is that arms falling off the side or too high on the head can lead to shoulder pain. In most cases, this creates a sleepless night and daytime fatigue from several awakenings. Stomach sleepers should always have the right pillow for a position that gives adequate alignment and comfort to the body.
Tips to Sleep:
- Use a Thin Pillow: Choose a very thin or soft pillow to avoid elevating the head too much and straining the neck.
- Consider No Pillow: Some stomach sleepers find that sleeping without a pillow helps maintain a neutral neck position and reduces strain.
- Head Positioning: If using a pillow, place it under your forehead rather than under your head to keep the neck aligned and avoid hyperextension.
- Arm Placement: To reduce shoulder strain, keep your arms at your sides or under the pillow. Avoid placing them above your head.
- Leg Positioning: You might benefit from placing a pillow under your hips or lower abdomen to support the spine's natural curve and reduce pressure on the lower back.
Pillows: Memory Foam, Soft Down, Gel Pillow, and Buckwheat
Final Thoughts
There is much to live in the midst of which many of us forget good sleep habits, especially about using a pillow. When the right pillow is used with the proper sleeping position—the back, side, or stomach sleeper—this significantly impacts alignment, and discomfort will be much reduced. Such techniques and ensuring quality sleep will improve overall well-being and wake up refreshed, ready to face the day. One must invest in the sleep of oneself as it's an investment in one's health, so don't let a bad pillow die in silence.