Having quality sleep is key for your overall health and wellness, which is why it is essential to sleep comfortably.
Choosing a perfect pillow will help you, especially if you wake up with a sore neck and back because it helps support and maintains the posture of your spine, regardless of your sleeping position.
Sometimes it becomes hard to choose a good and comfortable pillow, and we end up buying a lot of pillows before we finally find the one.
However, to ease that process, here are some tips on how you can choose the best pillow to minimize your back and neck pains, depending on your sleeping position.
Loft
The loft is the height of your pillow as it lays on your bed. How high or low it is will affect the posture of your neck and back the whole night. Your pillow’s loft should be perfect for maintaining the natural spine’s C curve.
Back sleepers- A medium loft pillow will be perfect because it helps relieve pressure in the shoulders and neck by offering a perfect cushy buffer between the mattress and your body.
Having a very hefty pillow will keep your head craned upwards, which will hurt your neck, and a low loft will leave you lying almost flat, which is not that comfortable.
Side sleepers- A high loft pillow will be the best for you because it will help keep your head neutrally aligned to your spine. It also relieves pressure in your shoulders, making sure that they are not carrying all your body weight.
A low lofty pillow will leave your neck somewhat hanging downward because of your shoulder’s height, which will eventually hurt your neck.
Stomach sleepers- A low loft pillow (at most 2 inches high), will work perfectly for you. A high loft pillow will make your head craned upwards, which will not only hurt your neck but also your back.
Firmness
How firm your pillow determines how elevated your head will be throughout the night.
Back sleepers- A pillow with medium firmness will work perfectly because it will not completely flatten under your head’s weight, which helps maintain that medium loft. That ensures that your head has enough support to keep it aligned with your spine.
A pillow with a lot of firmness will remain high the whole night, causing your head to crane upward, hurting your neck and back.
Side sleepers- Go for a pillow with high to medium firmness to ensure that your neck and head are aligned with your spine throughout the night. A soft pillow will sink under your head’s weight, causing a stiff neck and some upper back pains.
Stomach sleepers- A soft pillow or one with less firmness will be the best for you because it provides a perfect buffer between you and the mattress while ensuring that your head is not too high. Sleeping on a very firm pillow will prop your head upwards, hurting your neck and upper back.
Support
Back sleepers- Ensure that your pillow gives bouncy support, such that your pillow responds quickly to your head’s pressure.
Side sleepers- A pillow with medium to firm support is the best to ensure that it does not fully sink.
Stomach sleepers- Choose a pillow with soft support to ensure that it attains and maintains the low loft to prevent your head from craning upwards.
Material
The material with which the pillow is made determines its loft, how firm it will be, and the level of support it will offer.
Back and side sleepers- Go for materials that do not easily fold or sink under pressure to ensure that your head remains perfectly in line with your neck. Foam is the best material, but ensure it has some flexibility to ensure you are comfortable.
Stomach sleepers- To maintain that low loft, ensure that you choose a pillow made with a material that sinks easily or one that is not that stiff. Materials like fiber, cotton, and feathers are the best.
