If you regularly wake up with neck or shoulder pain, then it’s time to replace your pillow. Your pillow can make a huge difference in your sleep quality, so you need to pick one that’s best for you.
But how do you determine which pillow will give you the best sleep?
One way is to know your preferred sleeping position. The most comfortable pillow for you will more often than not depend on whether you’re a back sleeper, side sleeper, or stomach sleeper.
At Kelowna’s Majestic Mattress stores, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve the best quality of sleep and comfort. Read our pillow recommendations and sleep better tonight!
Back Sleepers
Sleeping on your back is generally the best position for your spine and neck. However, an ill-fitted pillow can disrupt your sleep quality and trigger headaches, neck pain, and arm numbness. In order to keep your neck and spine in the best alignment, we recommend a low to medium-thick pillow. This ensures your head and neck remain closer to the mattress.
When finding the right pillow for you, consider the height of the pillow. Your goal is to have your head rest squarely on your shoulders. Placing a smaller pillow under your knees will alleviate pressure on your lower back.
Stomach Sleepers
Since sleeping on your stomach places a lot of pressure on your lower back, you will not want a big, plush pillow. In fact, you’ll want the opposite.
If you sleep on your stomach, reach for a thinner pillow so your neck can stay properly aligned while you sleep.
Make sure your mattress is quite firm as well. This will help alleviate pressure from your lower back and hips.
Side Sleepers
If you sleep on your side, we recommend a medium to high-thickness pillow that is quite firm.
Because you will want to alleviate as much pressure off your shoulders as possible, try to find a pillow that has height to it. This will ensure your neck isn’t kinked to the side while you sleep.
Pro Tip: Placing a soft, low-density pillow between your knees will provide additional support for your lower back if you’re a side sleeper. This will help alleviate back pain and ensure your upper hip and pelvis are aligned with your lower back and spine.
Pillow Filling Considerations for All Types of Sleepers
Regardless of your preferred sleeping style, latex pillows and wool pillows are excellent choices. However, selecting the correct thickness and softness is essential.
Latex pillows have a ton of perks:
- They are long-lasting
- They mould quickly for comfort
- They are ideal for allergy sufferers because they repel dust mites.
This being said, back and side sleepers may find latex pillows to be most comfortable for them.
Wool pillows are another excellent choice:
- They are adjustable, which means you can remove wool to make them softer or add more wool to firm them up.
- They draw moisture away from the body
- They are naturally flame resistant
- They regulate your body temperature so you don’t go into thermal stress.
- They are completely machine washable.
Since wool pillows come in so many shapes and sizes, any sleeping style will be able to find a wool pillow that increases their sleep quality. All you have to do is consult with one of our specialists at Majestic Mattress to learn more about which pillow is best for you.