Are All Pillows The Same? How To Choose The Best One?

Pillows, beds, duvet’s, bedsheets. Don’t they all rhyme in with a good night’s sleep? There’s nothing like a comfortable mattress with a warm duvet, soft breathable bedsheets and a plush pillow to rest your head on, after a long day. Apart from the aesthetic beauty of a bed and its components, each item has a functional use that’s critical to good night sleep. While everybody knows the importance of a good mattress, very less is said about the importance of a pillow. In fact, it is common for some mattress brands to package a ‘buy one get one free’ offer wherein you buy a mattress and get to take the pillow home for free. 

But is this advisable? Does one size really fit all?

 

Pillows: An Essential

The first historical account of a pillow was as early as 7000 BC. They were considered as a status symbol indicating affluence. However, in today’s world, it’s become an absolute necessity for its aesthetic and functional aspect. The latter being more important, a pillow offers support to the entire body. It serves as a supporting prop to the head, neck, shoulders, hips and spine, thereby maintaining our body’s natural ‘S’ curve shape. Keeping the upper body aligned reduces pain from pressure points, allowing seamless blood flow through to the lower spine. This means you get to enjoy sleep minus tosses and turns!

Are all Pillows the Same?

Pillow preferences are unique to individual needs too. For example, picking the best pillows for side sleepers doesn’t have the same purpose as those who like to sleep face down. Each position requires a pillow that will support the sleeper in his/her natural position.  Another key parameter is the height and weight of the person along with the purpose of the pillow. Keeping these in mind, there are many pillows available in the market. The common ones available are:

• Feather pillows: These are comfortable, soft, fluffy and as the name suggests, use feathers that are small and curled. Feathers are known to be natures natural ‘spring’ with the strength of carbon fibre. These have an average performance when it comes to relieving neck pains. A major disadvantage is that the feather quills may poke out the pillow cover causing discomfort.
• Down pillows: Similar to feather pillows, these are pillows stuffed with goose down making it the softest, fluffy and light option. Down comes from a bird’s undercoat and so is slightly a better option than feather pillows in terms of no quills poking! 
• Memory foam pillows: Probably one of the best options available in the pillow section. Memory foam as a stuffing takes the shape of the sleeper’s position. This makes it the best support for the neck, shoulders and head to rest on. Popular sleep brands like Wakefit specialize and swear by Memory foam for its cloud-like feel while offering adequate support and spinal alignment, no matter what kind of sleeper you are. 

• Neck pillows: Apt during travel, the travel neck pillows offer the perfect shoulder to sleep on while seated upright! These come in different fillings including microbeads, moulded memory foam etc. 
• Body pillows: These are often known to be the best friend of every pregnant woman! Body pillows are long, approximately 54 inches, that can place between legs for lower back support- especially the hips. 
• Back Support pillows: Probably the most underrated pillow of the lot. Back support pillows are a lifesaver for anyone who spends long hours on a seat working or driving.  These come in memory foam to offer ergonomic support.

 

Choose the Best Pillow

Here are some of the factors to consider when picking a pillow:

 

• Softness levels and size: Synthetic or plant-based, stuffing really matters. Overstuffing can make the pillow hard while soft can make it lack in support. The ideal pillow should be medium-hard to provide optimal comfort and support while fitting your head.
• Specific to needs: Whether you suffer from allergies or sleep apnea, it is important to pick a pillow that doesn’t trigger your worst enemies! A wise choice would be to choose hypoallergenic memory foam pillows online that do not hide allergens. 
• Sleep position: Your sleep position matters the most when picking the right pillow. Different sleep positions require different levels of support for the head to be aligned with the rest of the body. For example, if you are a face down sleeper, a flat pillow is best recommended to support this position. Side sleepers, on the other hand, should go for a loftier pillow to bridge the gap between the neck and head.
• Temperature control: Are you someone who feels rushes of hot and cold in bed? Pick a memory foam or polyester filling pillow to keep your head at a comfortable temperature. 

Pillows are a great companion, choose them wisely and say goodbye to a restless nightcap.

A Must Need Guide For Posture-correcting Pillows

To walk tall means to walk in pride and confidence. But is there a secret behind this stride, apart from your own hard work? The secret lies in none other than in posture-correcting pillows. These pillows do wonders when you are resting your body.

A good posture can change the way you feel giving you higher energy levels. Nowadays, work demands people to sit on desks in front of computers for a greater part of the day.

This bad posture continues in bed too as you rest for the few hours you clock in for sleep. All of these factors add to a bad posture that can result in aches and pains your body never discovered before. 

Impact of Poor postures

The spine has a natural curvature that must be maintained at all times. This includes balancing of all pressure points to ensure the spine is at its natural position. 

A good posture must keep your ears, shoulders and hips aligned. A poor posture, on the other hand, can cause reduced circulation, neck pain, and increased tension to the body causing emotional stress too.  Poor posture comes in the form of 

• Slouched shoulders that put excessive pressure to the mid and upper back

• Sitting with your hip sinking into the seat causing your knees to be higher than your hip bones. This adds immense pressure to your lower back

• Sleep positions that worsen existing or create new issues like chronic back pain, heartburns, sleep apnea, etc.

• Sleep positions that encourage imbalanced weight distribution causing excessive pressure on any one point of the body.

Improve your posture during the day

In order to improve your posture, start with your posture during the day. First, check your natural posture by pressing against a wall to know how your body must stand. People with poor posture will not have their shoulder blades touching the wall.

As you carry out this exercise, incorporate a back strengthening regime by additionally lengthening your neck till your head touches the back. Move your chin till it is parallel to the ground. Do this routine as many times as you need and you’ll soon benefit. 

Seating positions can be corrected with backrest pillows attached to chairs. A lumbar roll cushion is a popular choice for its cylindrical shape that supports the mid-back when attached to the chair.

This avoids the body from going into slouching position when pressing the back against it. Diffuser cushions are another option that is commonly made of polyester or memory foam and are placed on the seat of the chair. Ideal for those who work sitting long hours, this cushion removes the comfort caused by pressure points. 

Improve your posture at night

Your sleep position can ascertain your posture too. It’s important to invest in the quality body supporting mattresses to ensure you are rested at all times, no matter what your individual sleep position is.

Sleep experts and mattress manufacturers, Wakefit, recommend light fluffy pillows that provide adequate support. Use these to keep your neck and spine in a straight line regardless of your sleep position:

Back sleepers: Keep a small pillow under the back of your knees to reduce stress on the spine while a regular pillow must support the head

Stomach sleepers: Place a flat pillow under your stomach and pelvic area to better align the spine. Sleeping without a pillow on the head can help.

Side sleepers: A firm pillow between your legs can avoid misalignment caused by the upper leg.

Whichever you choose, choose the one that is durable, lightweight and works as a back pain pillow for chair.

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