Pillows mean comfort, and that is perfectly alright. Since comfort plays such a big role in our lives nowadays, a quality pillow obviously means more comfort. One of the most important issues you need to consider when looking for a comfy pillow is the support quality. If you're a side sleeper, this is for you. If not, it still is for you. People who love to sleep on their sides need extra support for their neck. Begin your search for the best pillow for your bed by matching it to your dominant sleep position: stomach, back, side, or combinations. Most pillows are labeled this way nowadays, and these terms vary from brand to brand. However, we urge you to fine-tune your pillow shopping. Read our best pillow reviews, do your research and learn how to buy the best product for your needs. You don't need a closet full of rejects.
Remember the purpose of pillows: they need to keep your neck and head while you sleep. If shopping for pillows was straightforward, well, that would have been pretty boring. Online store shelves are full of options: memory foam, polyester, latex, buckwheat hulls. Even though the terms differ much, the price is not an indicator of performance. You need to do your homework when it comes to the best pillows for sleeping. Read on to find which are the best rated pillows.
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ARCHIE ADAMS
Editor-in-Chief of the Home Maker GuideWhat else can start your day off better than a good nightâs sleep? The thing very few people know is that sleeping with the right pillow can help a lot. âPillows highly impact the quality of our sleep and the way we recharge and restâ, says sleep expert Breus Michael, clinical psychologist, Ph.D., and author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep. Choosing the wrong pillow may easily worsen neck pain, arm, and shoulder numbness, headaches, sneezing, wheezing, and discomfort, says orthopedic surgeon Hecht Andrew, MD.
Even if the wrong pillow will not be the main cause of such problems, using a bad one can definitely exacerbate some of the underlying issues linked to those symptoms. Buying a new pillow is frequently a matter of research and you need to do your homework well if you want to find whatâs best for you. This piece aims to help you find the perfect pillow for a great sleep without breaking the bank. High-quality products are the key, but you need to know which those are and itâs not that hard. Read on.
There is no exact science to know when it is time to replace that old pillow of yours. However, weâve written this piece for you to offer high-quality information, and here it is. You can find out pretty quickly if the pillow is not good anymore. If you use a non-foam pillow, just fold it in half. If it does not spring back to its usual flat form, it is time to purchase a new one. Even pillows that pass this test or look like they are in great shape can hide dead skin, dust mites, and body oils. When youâre spending 1/3 of your day lying on a pillow, the filling will simply break down over time. It is wise to replace your pillow(s) regularly.
Sometimes, even though the form of your pillow may be alright, the bad smell could be a sign that you need to replace it. People have different types of skin and some sweat more than others. Itâs all about bacteria.
Thereâs one simple rule you need to follow if you want to land a great pillow. Know your sleep position and purchase your next pillow according to that. This is where most people make mistakes. They believe that any pillow out there will make the trick, but that simply isnât true. You need to do a bit of research to see what your actual needs are. To find out what your body craves. Your sleeping patterns are extremely important and you need to take care of this thing before you find that you have a chronic illness.
The âneutral alignmentâ is the thing we should all be looking for. When sleeping, our heads need not back too far or reach too far forward. There has to be stability â which can be achieved by purchasing a quality pillow that offers enough support.
If youâre a back sleeper: You need a thin pillow, so your head doesnât lie far forward. The pillow should have an additional loft in the bottom third.
If youâre a side sleeper: You need a firm pillow to fill in the distance between the ear and the outside shoulder. Your pillow should offer enough support as your neck needs it.
If you sleep on your stomach: An almost flat pillow is what you should be looking for. Your head might not need a pillow, but putting one under your stomach can help lower back pain and if you donât want this to be a chronic one, this pillow is the answer.
When shopping for the perfect pillow, you need to know some tips.
Higher cost doesnât mean higher quality. Even though a pillow costs more doesnât automatically make it better or the perfect one for you. You donât need to break the bank to find something that actually works for you.
Try it out in a store. You have the option to lie down in a physical store if you can do that â before purchasing online. If you can do that, take the pillow and put it against the wall and then put your head against it. Ask someone to tell you if your neck is tilting one way.
Chamber pillows have a central chamber of firm filling (mostly for support) which is surrounded by a few layers of squishy and soft filling for extra comfort. Itâs used most often with down or feather fillings so that the supportive feathers are tucked into the middle of the pillow while the soft down is around the edges. This type of pillow can also be used for synthetic ones with hollow fiber in the middle and microfibre around the edges for extra softness.
You need to consider three factors when choosing the size of your pillow: how many pillows you need, your bedâs dimensions, and how you will use the pillows. Most pillow sizes correspond to mattresses (queen, king, standard). Of course, you donât have to follow the trends or play by the rules. You can buy smaller-size pillows to layer them or you can simply buy an oversize pillow to feel cozy on a small bed.
If you own a king-size bed and a standard pillow helps you sleep great, go for that one! Thereâs absolutely no reason not to choose what actually helps you.
Sometimes the simplest decision itâs purely aesthetic and itâs up to you to make the choice.
There are so many options you can choose from. Common ones are foam, polyester fiberfill, or feather-down combinations. Latex and memory foam has become popular in the last couple of years, especially among people who want more neck support. Itâs hard to find out what is right for you, as this usually depends on how you are feeling on a certain day. However, you should have at least 2-3 pillow to choose from (just store them in a wardrobe). Pillows serve many purposes, and if you want one that supports the neck, you can just take it out from the closet. When the neck feels fine, you can just take out your memory foam pillow.
Most experts recommend this type of pillows as being the best for a good nightâs sleep. Such pillows allow you to move the stuffing around for additional support. Down means a cluster of filaments spreading out from a central point without a quill shaft. The insulation effect is provided by the air between the down.
Density is hugely important in this case. It should have a higher density as that means less breakdown. This type of pillows offers incredible support without being too soft, but as we said, density matters. It cradles the head and supports the neck very well.
They are extremely popular because they help reduce those pressure points. How? Well, they continuously mold and adjust to the shape of your body as you move during the night. They come in many shapes, including the popular S-shape, great for the neck. However, know that the foam material can make you hot, and sometimes emits chemical odor.
Extremely firm, resists dust mites and mold. It helps with neck and back alignment. Such pillows are usually contoured for head and neck support. Latex is actually a great alternative to memory foam. While the latter can result in additional heat being generated, latex features a quite unique air-flow system. That means itâs extremely supportive and will not lose shape, being super breathable as well.
It is a natural filling which boasts many advantages over traditional feather, foam or fiberfill fillings. Great quality for the relief of chronic or acute pain is that the material actually conforms to the exact contours of any part of your body offering passive support. The buckwheat filling is âwarm in the winter, cool in the summerâ, having incredible insulating properties and the ability to adjust to your size.
Cotton and wool pillows are actually hypoallergenic and resist dust mites and mold as well. Both tend to be firm and if you love squishy pillows, these are not for you. Cotton is naturally sourced and itâs extremely breathable, helping you to get a good nightâs sleep. Itâs commonly used on covers.
A pillow made of 50% down and 50% feather works well as feathers act like springs and are supportive to a certain extent. If you are avoiding feathers or down because of allergies or asthma, know that there are studies that show they pose no additional risk than a latex pillow â for instance â and may actually be a better choice for you. However, if you are allergic and wonât take a chance, there are other types of pillow options for you, the ones mentioned above.
Preferences differ from individual to individual, yet there are three major types of fillings. Opt for feather or goose down filling if you love to feel somewhat cradled. Such materials help retain warmth and certainly keep you toasty on those cold nights. If youâre purchasing quality versions (and you probably are), look for the fill power indicator, which shows how much filling there is inside the pillow (the more it has, the longer lasting your pillow will be).
Down has a big advantage over feathers, which can actually poke through the material and touch your skin. If you have allergies and still want the big comfort of feathers or down, you can purchase hypoallergenic pillow covers.
If you want the pillow to give a little bit of resistance, yet still offer a soft feeling, go for synthetic fill.
If you want the pillow to conform your head just like a soft cloud, consider a natural fill: down-feather combinations or just down fills. If you want a less expensive option, opt for a poly-cluster fill.
If you want the pillow to feel a bit dense or extremely supportive, choose a memory-foam fill. It provides incredible support, though it softens with use. Itâs great for people who have problems with discomfort from a lack of support.
Most pillows are built for certain needs, including neck pain, headaches, and hot flashes. Yes, they are pricey, and there is little research available on how they actually work. Letâs see some of the options.
This type of pillows is favored by many physical therapists and chiropractors, as water helps create a customized level of support and density. This can be very useful if you always change your sleeping positions. No need for multiple pillows with this one, you can have one that changes to astonishing firmness.
They are available in many shapes and materials, adding additional cushioning in the lower bottom of the product to support the neck. Even though physicians occasionally say they can be of help, research performed in Canada in 2007 shows little evidence to recommend these against normal pillows. However, the science behind them is definitely worth a try and you should check for yourself. Something that works for one user might not work for another.
These are said to be the antidote to night sweats and hot flashes, as they include fillings of tiny âbeadsâ that whisk away head heat and absorb it, leaving the pillow cool. Who likes to flip the pillow on the âcool sideâ a few times at night? Nobody. Therefore, manufacturers have designed pillows with special technologies that keep the pillow cool. If you love this idea â of a pillow that remains cool all the time â have a look at these products, they might actually help you.
Thereâs actually limited research on this topic, but some individual reports and a research study published in 2006 show that relief is possible. Snoring happens when people lie on their backs. Though there is little information on this topic, there are many snoring sleepers who have found these to provide relief.
The original research was made on diabetes patients and the technology behind this concept is said to increase oxygen content in blood vessels by up to 20%. People have reported less pain after using this type of pillows. These pillows maintain neck and spinal support, open the airway for expanded lung capacity and work for both sides and back sleeping. They can be used in many directions.
Youâre purchasing a new pillow to have it for at least 3 to 5 years, so you should probably take cleaning and care into account as well. Make sure you also purchase a pillow protector (which usually comes with the mattress protector) to help to prolong the life of your newly-bought produce. Itâs essential to keep your bedding fresh if you want your pillow to live a long life.
If you suffer from allergies or respiratory problems you should consider a breathable cover made from barrier fabric that most allergens canât penetrate. Search for the BAFA logo on anti-allergy products.
Itâs extremely important to clean a good pillow regularly. The pillows usually come with care instructions. Some down and feather pillows can be washed in a washing machine, but some need to be washed by hand. Other brands recommended dry cleaning only. Again, itâs your choice â based on your specific needs. Memory Foam pillows use a velour cover or terry that can be unzipped. Since these donât need a pillowcase it is easier to clean them. Other types of pillows need to be covered with pillow protectors to avoid any stains, so as to keep feathers in and keep the pillow in the best condition possible.
We at homemakerguide recommend reading this article carefully and with your own preferences in mind. Our top picks are based on the hundreds of reviews weâve read but thereâs a personal factor in all the choices we made. Maybe we knocked some products out and those were for you. Consider your sleeping patterns. Itâs vital to know how you actually sleep to order the absolute best pillow for your needs. After reading this article you are ready to buy a product that is perfect for you.
A good pillow is just as important as a comfy bed for getting a great nightâs sleep. Most of us rarely think of the pillows we use, but we often find ourselves with neck pain, headache or other forms of chronic pain because of this. In addition to providing extreme comfort, the right pillow also gives enough support for the spine and neck, preventing or alleviating many types of pain.
Know that you need to do some research or at least read this article completely as weâve done all the research for you. Itâs all here, all you need to know before deciding to purchase a certain pillow.
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