How do you choose a pillow? Do you prod at it with your finger, testing for firmness through its plastic cover?
Not all pillows work for everyone. We're trained to think that softer is better, but there are so many other factors in pillows and our own sleeping habits that influence a good night's rest.
A pillow's most important job is to support your head and maintain your body's natural spinal alignment. Experts recommend pillows should fill a space of four to six inches between the head and mattress to ease pressure points.
Depending on your sleeping position, the construction, materials, support and design of a pillow have a significant influence on a good night's sleep.
Pillows For Back Sleepers - As a back sleeper, you can choose from a wide range of down, memory foam or artificial fibers designed to support your neck, head and shoulders. Find a pillow of medium firmness and place it a little lower than it would be in a side position. Many back sleepers claim placing another pillow underneath their legs makes them more comfortable.
Pillows For Side Sleepers - Side sleepers need an even weight distribution throughout their body. A medium-to-medium-firm pillow creates head and neck support in most side sleeping positions. Side sleepers should also consider Posturepedic pillows because they reduce the concentration of fiber in the center of the pillow for more broad support.
If you're a stomach sleeper, you want to look for something soft and flat, like a memory foam pillow. Stomach sleepers tend to have unnecessary shoulder or neck pain because the head rests at an awkward angle above the body. Memory foam reduces this issue by cradling the head and neck at the shoulder line, providing shallow and soft spinal alignment.
Using a pillow protector can help your pillows last up to three to five years. You can wash your pillows to keep them clean, but you should consider replacing them over the five year mark.
Forget the squeeze test the next time you go pillow shopping. Once you realize your natural sleeping habits, find a pillow that embraces those qualities. A good pillow doesn't just make your bed more comfortable, it improves your health.
Not all pillows work for everyone. We're trained to think that softer is better, but there are so many other factors in pillows and our own sleeping habits that influence a good night's rest.
A pillow's most important job is to support your head and maintain your body's natural spinal alignment. Experts recommend pillows should fill a space of four to six inches between the head and mattress to ease pressure points.
Depending on your sleeping position, the construction, materials, support and design of a pillow have a significant influence on a good night's sleep.
Pillows For Back Sleepers - As a back sleeper, you can choose from a wide range of down, memory foam or artificial fibers designed to support your neck, head and shoulders. Find a pillow of medium firmness and place it a little lower than it would be in a side position. Many back sleepers claim placing another pillow underneath their legs makes them more comfortable.
Pillows For Side Sleepers - Side sleepers need an even weight distribution throughout their body. A medium-to-medium-firm pillow creates head and neck support in most side sleeping positions. Side sleepers should also consider Posturepedic pillows because they reduce the concentration of fiber in the center of the pillow for more broad support.
If you're a stomach sleeper, you want to look for something soft and flat, like a memory foam pillow. Stomach sleepers tend to have unnecessary shoulder or neck pain because the head rests at an awkward angle above the body. Memory foam reduces this issue by cradling the head and neck at the shoulder line, providing shallow and soft spinal alignment.
Using a pillow protector can help your pillows last up to three to five years. You can wash your pillows to keep them clean, but you should consider replacing them over the five year mark.
Forget the squeeze test the next time you go pillow shopping. Once you realize your natural sleeping habits, find a pillow that embraces those qualities. A good pillow doesn't just make your bed more comfortable, it improves your health.
About the Author:
P. Graham is consumer advocate who dedicates his efforts to researching bedding goods. Take his advice for a good night's rest.
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