Pillow Talk: Picking Proper Pillows

Night in and night out, you lay your head on a headrest so heavenly and sweet, that you fall into the clouds of dreamland within minutes. Does this sound like your sleep regimen? If so, read on! I have some essential tips for you. Contrarily, if you suspect that your lack of sleep can be appointed to your poor pillow choice, read on!

Having a good quality pillow is as necessary as having a balanced, healthy breakfast every morning. You can survive without it, but your day vastly improves with it.

When picking proper pillows, it is important to keep factors like allergies, sleeping position, durability and comfort level in mind to ensure a perfect night’s rest.

Allergies

Many people suffer from pesky day-to-day allergies that is triggered by substances such as pollen, dust and feathers. This usually presents itself in the form of hay fever. Hay fever includes a runny nose, sore throat, itchy eyes and lots of sneezing. In short, allergies are anything but comfortable.

Therefore, when an allergy sufferer chooses a pillow, they need to remember to keep these factors in mind to prevent an allergy-filled night’s (trying to) rest. A good pillow choice for an allergy sufferer would be one that staves off dust mites, is hypoallergenic and has a good level of breath-ability. Additionally, a fabric choice of 100% pure cotton or wool cover will leave you sleeping with open airways through the night. These materials are naturally hypoallergenic.

The most important factor of a hypoallergenic pillow is the filling. A good filling choice comes in the form of hollowfiber filling. Make sure that these fibers are manufactured from synthetic materials, like polyester, with breath-ability for an allergy-free night’s rest. We recommend having a look at our Lifson Microfiber – Standard Pillow for your hypoallergenic needs.

Pillows For Sleeping Positions

Now that we have allergies out of the way, take a moment to  think about your sleeping position. Do you sleep on your back, on your side, or do you prefer to sleep on your stomach? When you sleep, did you consider that your spine has to be laying in a straight position? If you have the wrong pillow or the wrong bed for your sleeping style, you may cause yourself major back and neck problems. It is of utmost importance to keep sleeping position in mind when picking proper pillows.

Side sleepers should consider a high loft (thicker) pillow due to the larger space between the mattress and your head that there is to fill. The pillow should be just high enough to not tilt your head upwards, and not too low to have your head tilt downwards.

Back sleepers should consider buying a low-loft (thinner) pillow to ensure a straight back when sleeping. A pillow that is too thick will bend your head upwards which causes strain on spine muscles and discs. On the other hand, a pillow that is too thin will tilt your head downwards and cause another type of strain and discomfort.

Stomach sleepers are the most difficult sleepers when it comes to
picking proper pillows. A good pillow choice would be one that has considerably less filling than a traditional standard pillow. This creates the least amount of height for your head. A pillow that raises a stomach sleeper’s head too high will cause their back to bend in an unnatural position. Eventually, this causes numbness as well as strain on the muscles and discs of the back. It is also important to keep breath-ability in mind. A pillow with good breath-ability will keep stomach sleepers cool and provide a comfortable ease of breathing during the night.

Comfort Level

Every person has a preferred level  of comfort they’d like their pillow to be. Some like a plush pillow as soft as a cloud, while others prefer a more firm pillow to provide optimum support. When choosing a comfort level pillow, keep in mind that your sleep position may not allow the specific type of pillow you’d like. In this instance, try to compromise on a pillow that lies in between what you want and what you need. You really do not  want a pillow that compromises your body’s structural health!

Caring For Your pillow

Lastly, when you’ve made your choice and purchase, be sure to take proper care of your pillow. Read the care instructions thoroughly when cleaning your pillow. Most pillows can be machine washed, others need to be dry cleaned. Let your headrest lay out in the sun for a couple of hours once a week. This regimen prevents the growth of mold and bacteria in your pillow to avoid allergic reactions. To provide optimum protection against stains and mold, consider purchasing a Waterproof Pillow Protector for your pillow.

There you have it! Purchasing pillows 101 from The Mattress Warehouse. If you’ve found yourself identifying with any of these above mentioned topics, visit our pillow section at The Mattress Warehouse for picking proper pillows.