How To Select A Pillow

One of the keys to acquiring a healthy night’s sleep is making sure you have a proper pillow.

Research tells us that your pillow should help maintain proper cervical spine alignment as you sleep. Side sleepers need the thickest pillows, followed by a medium-thick pillow for back sleepers and a thin pillow for stomach sleepers.

But what if you switch positions as you sleep? One solution is to use a shapeable pillow with moveable fill that is substantial, allowing you to create a supportive and thicker pillow when you are sleeping upon you side, or spreading out the fill to create a thinner pillow if you move to your back or stomach. Another solution is to stack two pillows if you sleep on your side, and then slide one of the pillows out from under your head if you decide to sleep on your back.

There are many types of pillows on the market – the most common being Dacron, down/feather, latex and memory foam. When shopping for a pillow, be sure to lie down on the mattress of your choice and try it in the position that you sleep, as choosing a pillow is a subjective experience.

Hair, body oils, skin cell and dust mites can all become compressed in your pillow, making it a breeding ground for odor causing bacteria and triggering allergies, so be sure to find a product that’s washable or has a removable cover. And use a good pillow cover protector, washing it weekly and cleaning your pillow at least twice a year.

Choosing the right pillow and keeping it clean can make a major difference in the quality of your sleep and your health. Just think, a better night’s sleep could be one new pillow away!