The topic of pillows and their role in achieving a good night’s sleep has been overlooked for some time. While the importance of selecting the right mattress is widely acknowledged, a great pillow that suits the sleeper’s physical characteristics, mattress firmness, and sleeping position is equally crucial for a restful sleep. Pillows play a significant role in spinal alignment and alleviating neck and shoulder discomfort, yet they are often neglected when purchasing a mattress. With the plethora of pillows available today, featuring various materials and designs, it can be challenging for a sleeper, especially one who has just bought a new mattress, to find comfort.
Think of a pillow as a mattress for your head. It should be rotated, flipped, supportive, and have the correct firmness and height to match your body profile, mattress, and sleeping style. For instance, a sinking mattress like memory foam requires a lower loft pillow, whereas a firmer mattress calls for a higher loft pillow.
Pillows account for 40-45% of a comfortable sleep system.
Listing all the materials and designs of pillows would be time-consuming. However, an interesting discussion among members, moderators, and trusted experts on the selection, advice, and timing of purchasing a new pillow can be found here: Talk to the Experts. This discussion could also cover individual physical limitations related to sleep, such as degenerative conditions, the effects of blue light, melatonin, circadian rhythms, and how these relate to sleep, unless the pillow specifically addresses these issues.
Choosing a pillow should not be an afterthought. It is an integral part of the sleep system and essential for a healthy, restful night’s sleep. When choosing a pillow, consider your and your partner’s (if applicable) sleeping positions. Are you a back sleeper, side sleeper, stomach sleeper, or a combination of these? When transitioning to a new mattress with a different firmness level, the first few nights might be uncomfortable as you and the mattress undergo a break-in period. Your pillow, even if previously new, may need to be changed to suit the new mattress firmness.
Generally, side sleepers should ensure the pillow height matches the distance between their ear and the mattress surface, considering shoulder broadness. A side sleeper might need a higher loft pillow, adjusting for the sink-in effect of the pillow material to keep the head and nose level with the body. Simply measuring the height from the mattress to the side of the head and purchasing a pillow with that loft might cause muscle strain, as the pillow should support your head, not your shoulders.
Back sleepers need a pillow that contours to the natural curve of their neck. Cervical pillows can be beneficial, though they may be difficult to maintain throughout the night if you toss and turn. Generally, firm or medium-firm pillows are preferred by most back sleepers.
Stomach sleepers should avoid hyperextending their neck, which can strain neck, shoulder, and back muscles. A lower loft, medium to medium-soft pillow is generally recommended to allow the head to settle without too much elevation.
Pillows come in various shapes, sizes, and contouring styles. There are cut-out types for side sleepers, butterfly-shaped cervical styles for back and occasional side sleepers, and pillows with ear or head cutouts for side or back sleeping. It is essential to understand how different pillow materials work and feel. When shopping, always check the law label for specific information about the pillow’s contents, such as 100% molded polyurethane foam, viscoelastic polyurethane foam, or various types of latex. Many terms such as down alternative, poly fill, even memory foam, when printed on the box or pillow wrapping, doesn’t really tell you much. The law label will be more specific and will reveal the generic term of the material, rather than the “trade -marketing name”
There are synthetic, natural, and blended materials, each with unique properties. For example, viscoelastic foam is a type of polyurethane, but not all polyurethane is viscoelastic. The market also offers pillows with fillings like horsehair, alpaca, wool, buckwheat, solid materials, and shredded materials, with different cutting methods affecting the feel.
I often feel if a manufacturer thought they could fill a pillow with aquarium sand and broken shells, they would do it, and tout some benefit, as long as it was profitable. The main point is do a little research and have a sense of what you are buying, what material you are selecting, the pillow style and how it matches up with your PPP’s (I suggest that PPP is not just for mattress selection).
Ultimately, it is up to the user to coordinate their mattress, pillow, and materials for a comfortable, healthy sleep. Also, consider healthcare issues related to sleep, such as various health conditions, caffeine, melatonin levels, and blue light exposure from electronics and natural sources, which should be minimized at least an hour before bedtime.
I look forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts!
). As an eye healthcare professional and not an industry insider (yet, at the time of this writing), my passion for the mattress, bedding, and towel industry stems purely from personal interest.
I received the first horsehair pillow at the end of September. My current favorite 2 pillow combination was a king tempurpedic soft and conforming as my base pillow and a tempurpedic ProCloud hi as the upper pillow and had been very happy and comfortable for quite some time. I have been itching to re-live my younger days, so to speak, (Prell shampoo, adidas superstars, puma clyde’s, wigwam socks {some I still have from 8th grade because they last that long! They kept moving from dresser to dresser every time I moved}) and now the horsehair pillows ( I stupidly got rid of my original ones in college as I did not know what the hell I was doing at the time). Anyway, enough nostalgia, as I know someone else’s memories are boring, like home videos.