Choosing the right pillow

Choosing the right pillow

 choosing the right pillow

There’s nothing better than starting off your day after a good night’s sleep. However, in our busy fast-paced lives, sleep is a luxury and overlooking the small details that can improve or worsen it can be easy. One of the main issues concerning poor sleep is an inadequate pillow.

Pillows (and especially memory foam pillows) can not only have a positive or negative impact on our quality of sleep, they also play a role in how well we rest and recharge ourselves. The right pillow can help you feel fresh, happy and energetic when you wake up in the morning but the wrong one worsen headaches and cause neck pain, sneezing, wheezing and arm numbness according to orthopaedic surgeon, Andre Hecht, MD. Furthermore, if your pillow is too old, it may consist of skin cells, fungus, dust mites and mildew, making up most of the pillow’s weight.

How to choose the right pillow

In order to improve the quality of your sleep and reduce or prevent neck pain, you need to find the right pillow. Individuals who sleep on their side would benefit from a pillow that fills just the gap between the ear and the mattress. This will prevent the head from tilting.

If you’re a back sleeper, you should use a pillow that prevents your head from tilting forward or backward.

There is a wide variety of pillows in the market to choose from but despite the popularity level of each type of pillow, it is essential that you pick a pillow that provides adequate support and helps you sleep well. As a rule of thumb, choose a pillow that keeps your neck in a neutral position – this mostly depends on how you sleep.

 

Don’t have a clue about the types of pillow available in the market? We’ve got you covered:

1. Feather pillows

We all know what feather pillows are. If you aren’t allergic to feathers, this may be a good choice because feather pillows can be adjusted to fit your head shape. Moreover, they provide less resistance as compared to traditional foam pillows.

2. Orthopaedic pillows

Orthopedic pillows are designed to maintain that neutral position of your neck and maintain its natural curve.

3. Cervical pillows

Cervical pillows are roll-shaped pillows that are utilized to relieve neck pain and stress by neutralizing your neck position and maintaining the natural shape and position of your head and neck during your sleep.

4. Memory foam pillows

Another great option is a pillow which comes in a traditional shape but with memory foam which conform to the curve of your neck.

The right Sleeping position

bad sleeping position

While investing in a good pillow may be critical for a good night’s sleep, so is your sleep position. Make sure you avoid propping your head too high up on several pillows. Ideally, your head shouldn’t bend forward or backward. If you are reading in bed, make sure your head and neck are supported in a neutral position.

When it comes to getting proper sleep, sleeping on your back or side are considered to be the best options. Sleeping on your stomach allows your head and neck to be twisted and turned into an unnatural position; which can cause neck pain when you wake up in the morning.

What’s your favourite pillow or sleeping position?

Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below.

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About Creating Comforts

Did you know?

A Korean man named Lee Jin-gyu fell in love with a life-sized Japanese body pillow called a “dakimakura”. The pillow has the image of a cartoon character named Fate Testarossa on it, from an anime called Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha.

Source- New York Times- 2DLove - 2009/07/26

How a bed wedge pillow can help ease 5 common health issues.

 Health image

Good bed wedge pillow manufacturers should design and make their bed wedge’s based on the results of their extensive research obtained from the customer feedback that they receive over a period of time.

Based on the inputs received, they tend to  focus mainly on five major health conditions.

A properly well designed  wedge pillow should be able to aid in overcoming the pain associated with following ailments.

Specially designed pillow wedges are designed for number of specific medical condition.

Five health conditions which may require elevated sleep are:

1. Back Pain:

The bed wedge pillow should not only support the lower lumbar but also should be able to take the stress of the spine and back muscles. For back sleepers, there are specially designed memory foam wedge pillows.

The comfort bed wedge pillow with its well defined contour features should be much beneficial to side and back sleepers especially when it comes to maintaining the spine as straight as possible.

Back Pain image

2. Sleep Apnoea:

It’s a known health fact that for some people the muscles at the throat could cause limited air flow resulting in breathlessness during sleep.

Depending on the severity of the suffering, a specially designed CPAP pillow can be used along with a inclined wedge pillow &  CPAP device to restore breath and thus oxygenation is promoted during sleep.

It has a cut out for the breathing device and also take care of the neck and face as needed.

3. Acid Reflux:

In the medical world, this condition could lead to fatal conditions  if left undiagnosed as it can develop to a cancerous form known as Barrett’s oesophagus.

The condition is caused by back flow of the contents (acid) from the stomach to oesophagus when the stomach is at a level position, especially whilst in a resting position and a wedge pillow for acid reflux /gerd will help overcome this.

It can easily be adapted to fit on top of the  mattress and personal preference can lead to the wedges being placed under the mattress giving the same desired effect.

The advantage of wedge pillows being placed on top of the bed is that due to its narrow width is it does not effect the partner of the person with the condition.

reflux bed-wedge pillow

4. Knee/Leg Pain:

Patient recovering from leg surgery can by using a bed wedge pillow as a leg raise improve blood circulation and  maintain a comfortable leg position.

Often taken as an indication for varicose vein, lower leg pains are often caused by low blood circulation so a wedge will definitely help.

It is advisable to get the doctor’s permission before proceeding to use a knee  wedge pillow for patients who have had knee replacement surgery.

5. Snoring:

According to studies, when turned on our sides, a person stops snoring. Unfortunately its tough to stay on ones sides without proper support to the back and neck.

This is where contoured memory foam pillow,  snore stop pillow or a bed wedge pillow can help. It can elevate and cradle the head which can effectively halt snoring.

An adjustable sleep wedge with a smaller incline can support to a good extent the side sleepers and can tilt the head whenever needed to stop snoring.

Do you currently own  a bed wedge pillow?

How do you use yours?

Let us know by leaving your comments below!

About Creating Comforts

Did you know ...That due to their versatility, bed wedge pillows are a cost effective support aid!