4 Tips for Choosing the Right Pillow!

Stepping into a puddle of water with a sock, crummy cereal, burnt coffee, no deodorant, forgetting to shave….all of these can lead to a bad morning. Something else that can lead to bad morning is a lack of sleep, stiff neck, headache, shoulder pain, numbness and tingling into your hands and finger or many others. Now many factors can cause all of those things mentioned last but there is one common thing that can cause all of those. What is it you may ask? It is your pillow!

 

There are sooo many pillows in the world and it seems like they are all the same and all do the same thing for you. Well they do all give you a place to lay your head but that doesn’t mean that they are all perfect for you. How do you pick the right pillow? Check out these 4 tips!

 

1. Thickness

 

This is something that is often overlooked when choosing a pillow. The thickness plays a huge factor as it depends on how you sleep. You always want your neck to be in a neutral position when you are lying on your pillow. If it is not in a neutral position it can irritate the muscles and nerves in your neck causing you to wake up with a possibly sore neck, headaches, numbness and tingling, and potentially many more things. No matter what avoid buying a pillow that is too big or too small for you.

 

The thickness also depends on how you sleep. If you sleep on your back you are best off with a thinner pillow, as it won’t throw your head so far forward. Also making sure it has a bolster of some sort at the bottom so it supports the neck in beneficial as well. If you sleep on your stomach then the thinnest pillow possible is what you want so it won’t prop your head up too much which is something that can cause strain on your neck. If you sleep on your side you need a pillow that allows your neck to sit in a neutral position as discussed earlier and having a bolster/raised up side on one side is also a benefit as it supports the neck.

 

2. Material

 

Have you ever been sleeping on a pillow then suddenly got poked in the face from the end of a feather poking out of your pillowcase? Don’t act like it hasn’t happened to you because I know it has. I think we all think of pillows to be filled with feathers as it seems like that is what they are supposed to be filled with if you are judging by a TV pillow fight. I have found it to be much more beneficial for the pillow to be a foam material as it allows the pillow to stay a consistent shape. With feather pillows you will often wake up with the side you are sleeping on to be almost flat and the opposite end to be puffed up! This can be beneficial sometimes as you are to give yourself more support by moving the feathers sometimes. With the pillow being consistent in shape it allows you to retain a proper sleeping and neck position all night long.

 

3. Shape

 

There are many different shapes of pillows, from your classic pillow that looks fluffy, to your contoured pillow, to your pillows that are shaped like emojis. When most people pick out a pillow they mainly look at a classic type pillow as that is what they are most used to sleeping with and it seems normal. What most people don’t know is that in order to get a healthy sleep at night it is usually best to use a contoured pillow.

 

With a classic style pillow your head, neck, and back don’t receive any support as everything just sinks into the pillow rather than being supported throughout the night. A contoured pillow always has a certain shape to it, which allows for the body to be supported while we sleep.

 

4. Cost

 

I’m sure you have been to the store before and saw a pillow that was a lot of money, had premium packaging, and maybe even it’s own sales person or commercial running. Just because a pillow has all of these features does not mean it is the right pillow for you. It is important to test the pillow out when you are in the store to see if the pillow will actually work for you! Don’t get caught up by the fancy sales tactics.

 

Who cares about why you need a good pillow while you sleep, I’m sure you are thinking this or have thought about this. But I am also aware that there are tons of people who have slept with a cruddy hotel pillow and had a neck ache the following day. The problem with this is it allows for your entire day to be affected in one way or another. Also if you don’t have the correct pillow you are not sleeping as well as you should. When that is the case then you are not able to perform at your best or be your best self. Get the right pillow and get some sleep!

Ready for a healthy sleep cycle?

Learn more about how a healthy spine can lead to healthier sleep patterns! Check out the posts below.