Everything about pillows and more
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There’s a saying that a pillow is a mattress for your head and I could not agree more. In fact, a pillow is just as important as your mattress when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
A pillow helps keep your neck and spine in comfortable alignment as you sleep. The right pillow can make a massive impact on your quality of sleep, and ultimately, your health. A pillow that is too high or too low places your neck in a tilted position. This will compress or stretch sensitive nerves, muscles and joints in the neck which can lead to restless sleep, neck pain, back pain or headaches.
Side sleeper, pillow too high; the head is tilted and this places load onto the upper vertebrae of the spine.
Side sleeper, pillow too low; this position places load onto the shoulder and the joints on the downward facing side, and also potentially impinges nerves that go down the arm.
Pillows don’t get the attention they deserve; they can be instrumental in getting a great night’s sleep or be the cause of a restless and uncomfortable night.
A study conducted at the University of Manchester also concluded that given the time we spent sleeping and the proximity of the pillow to our mouth and nose, pillows can be a primary source of fungal contamination born from our sweat and expiration; and this has important implications, especially if we have respiratory diseases such as asthma or sinusitis.
As a general rule, your bed pillows should be replaced every 12 to 18 months. It may seem like a short life, but think about it: your pillow gets used about 7 to 8 hours every night - that’s more than 2,500 hours a year. Like your mattress, your pillow is an investment in high-quality sleep, which pays dividends across your waking life.
Pillows should be chosen based on you - your preferred sleeping position, body shape, allergies and chemical sensitivities, temperature preference and any personal health conditions. Find out everything you need to know about pillows and try the quiz to find the right pillow for you:
