Pillow Talk

Most people spend at least one-third of their lives with their head on a pillow!

Getting an adequate amount of sleep is an important factor for living a healthy life.

Having the right pillow for your bed is not only comforting. Your pillow plays an especially important role in supporting the intricate structures of your head, neck, shoulders, hips, and spine. When used properly, your pillow helps alleviate and even prevents many common forms of back, neck, shoulder, and hip pain as well as other forms of joint aches and pain. Not only does the pillow need to be a good one, but it needs to be one that is suited to you.

Pillows serve to keep the upper body properly aligned during sleep, relieving pressure, and counterbalancing points in your body. Your pillow should adjust to fit your unique shape, curves, and sleeping position and alleviate as many pressure points as possible.

Pillow Support Is Crucial for Spine Problems.

For those with back ailments, the right type of support can be specifically important in helping the spine align correctly and as a result promote comfortable and healthy rest. Sufficient and restorative sleep are your body's chance to heal.

Pillows vary in size and harness and coolness and these are the things that matter and why a pillow fitting from a qualified salesperson makes more sense than pulling pillows off a shelf and hoping they work for you. Most down or feather pillows offer little structural support compared with pillows filled with firmer materials, specifically high density, high quality Space Foam or Gel Space Foam.

Research studies have shown feather and cheap fiber fill and foam chip pillows are the worst for correct spinal alignment.

While research can be helpful, individual comfort and support along with understanding that the better-quality pillows need to be replaced less often and lower quality more often, should be the deciding factor in picking your personal pillow. Trying out a pillow for 30 minutes in our showroom and talking with one of our comfort specialists should be enough time to decide whether one of high-quality foam pillow is right for you. LINK HERE. But if not, we offer a 100-night comfort Guarantee on all our pillows

Aligning Pillow Height with Sleep Position and Body Size.

The human neck curves slightly forward (to sustain the weight of the head when upright), and it is imperative to maintain this curve when in a resting position.

If the pillow is too high when sleeping sideways or on the back, the neck is bent abnormally forward or to the side, causing muscle strain on the back of the neck and shoulders. This type of position may also cause narrowing of the windpipe, resulting in obstructed breathing, and sometimes snoring, which can hinder sleep. Conversely, if the height of the pillow is too low, the neck muscles can be strained.

Body size and weight and shoulder size will influence pillow size, but usually the pillow should maintain a height of 3 to 7 inches to support the head and neck (and shoulders when lying on the back).  Pillows are like pants they must fit the person using them. We have no problem spending 100’s of dollars on shoes or purses and then balk at 100.00 for a pillow that we will spend 14600 hours within the 5 years it will last if its good quality. One missed day of work or 3 trips to the chiropractor in 5 years pays for the pillow. 

Back Sleepers

The concept that pillows can be broken down into Back and or side sleeper is wrong. Pillows as stated are like pants and need to fit the person. These simple designations written on the box; are there to make it easier for customers who do not know and salespeople who don’t know to pick a pillow and or make a sale and normally; they get it wrong. The pillow needs to fit and that is what we do.

Stomach Sleepers

Just a side note your chiropractors’ wife; she loves you stomach sleepers. Here new Beamer is bought by you. But if you must sleep face down bum up flat on your face stomach sleeper get a hard mattress and maybe no pillow at all. 

Pillow fittings

So, to conclude; If you think 6-dollar Walmart or Loblaw pillows cut the mustard but you have headaches all the time? Maybe you need a pillow fitting. If you are selecting expensive pillows off shelves in the hope they will work for you and/or your loved ones; and you still go to the chiropractor once a week or once a month. maybe a pillow fitting is for you. If your 100.00 pillow works for you it is the cheapest thing in your house. If your 6.00 pillow does not; IT is the most expensive thing you own.

Watch Another of David's informative Pillow videos

Best Sleep Centre is here to help – we have a number of premium cool foam and latex pillows or your consideration.