Rest assured – a guide to choosing the right pillow

18/08/22

There are many elements that need to be in place to ensure we get a good night’s sleep. Many of us struggle to drop off at night, especially in the summer months, when the weather’s hotter and the nights are lighter later.

A key factor in our night’s sleep is our pillows. For our health, it’s important to choose the right size and height of pillow for you. Firm pillows suit some people, while softer ones are better for others – depending on your height and body shape. In addition to many pillows available on the market, there are also specially shaped pillows, such as L-shaped ones, that can help people with medical issues – such as mobility or breathing conditions – to aid their comfort.

We have three main types of pillows available – feather and down, hollowfibre/microfibre and memory foam. They can be used in multiple combinations of thicknesses, to achieve the right firmness and height.

Back to basics

As well as your general health, both your neck and spine are affected by the type of pillow your use and your sleeping position. For example, if you sleep lying on your back, a pillow should support the natural curvature of your spine. This is done with adequate support under the head, neck, and shoulders. The pillow height should be lower than for people who usually sleep on their sides. Positioning another pillow beneath the knees further lightens any strain on the back. If you are suffering from back pain, or muscular injury or surgery, you can also use pillows in this way, to ease the strain on certain points of your back.

Staying on side

If you usually sleep on your side, then the pillow should support the head and neck. This is so the back and spine maintain a straight and natural horizontal line. A thicker or firmer pillow is needed for sleeping on the side. When we’re sleeping on our sides, we usually bend our legs towards us, in a foetal position. When there is no support between the legs, the upper leg turns downwards. This twists your pelvis and distorts the natural line of the back and spine. Adding a support between the knees can also prevent pain and allow the back to rest better while you sleep.

Facing the facts

If you sleep face-down on your stomach, you are putting the most stress on your back and neck. This is the worst position to be sleeping in, as your head is turned sharply at an angle to the shape of your body. If possible, avoid sleeping in this way and adopt another, more comfortable sleeping style if you can. If you have to sleep on your stomach, the pillow should be relatively flat and thin, or the head should rest directly on the mattress, so your head and neck aren’t strained. If you usually lie in this position, it might help to place another thin, flat pillow underneath your abdomen or pelvis, to make sure your lower back keeps its natural alignment.

People who move about in their sleep in multiple positions, should have a pillow arrangement that gives them higher and lower areas – and if possible variable firmness too. It’s all about keeping that straight shape alignment between the head, neck and down your back.

If you’re looking for the right pillow to suit you, call into our showroom. We have a huge range of makes and styles that will ensure that you rest easy every night.