Your pillow can truly have any kind of effect to your well-being, how you feel when you wake up and the quality of your sleep. Choose the right pillow for you, based on how you sleep and on your personal preferences. Below are several options:
- Cradle Pillows: This type of pillow distributes the weight of your head evenly with the goal of reducing pressure on your neck and spine. It is also good for maintainingproper breathing alignment and preventing snoring. This typically is used for sleep in a sitting or reclined position such as when flying.
- Neck Pillows: Neck pillows are designed to provide support to the natural curve of your neck, and are best for those who sleep on their side or on their back. These pillows come in a variety of sizes to provide comfort to a wide range of body types.
- Ergonomic Pillows: These pillows have a curved edge that is higher on the side and lower in the middle. This design provides proper neck alignment. Side pillows cradle the upper vertebrae because of the front edge, which is tilted forward. This frontal curve also offers space for your shoulders providing extra comfort (this is the type I recommend my patients use and what I use personally).
- Cervical Rolls: Cervical rolls can be used in several places on the body: under the neck, under the head (offering superior back alignment), under the knees (good for lower back problems) and behind the back to support the lumbar region.
- Traditional Pillows: The classic pillow works great for many people. The stuffing material (feather, buckwheat, foam, synthetic and more) used can greatly affect how supportive they are.
To choose the best pillow, think about how you sleep most often. If you are a side sleeper, you’ll benefit most from an ergonomic pillow, cervical rolls, neck or traditional pillow. For back sleepers, try an ergonomic or neck pillows. Whatever pillow you choose, avoid buying one that is too large as that may reduce the pillow’s ability to provide the support you need. With a smaller pillow you can use a hand or fist to place under your pillow or cheek to create the optimal biomechanical/comfort zone. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference and you may need to try a few before you find one that works best for you.
For me, I have neck/shoulder pains from a car accident so I was excited to check out the sleep wellness bundle from Brentwood Home. Here`s what you get in that bundle: 2 Helena Latex/Kapok Pillows
- Combines the smoothness of silk and fluffiness of cotton
- Filled with all-natural latex ribbons that have a responsive feel, providing uplifting support, and silky-smooth kapok
- Perfect fit for people who switch between multiple sleeping positions, because it molds to your neck and head
- The cover is made of organic cotton, grown without toxic pesticides or fertilizers, so you can sleep safe and sound.
2 Carmel Latex Molded Pillow
- Made with healthy materials for your sleep like a 100% organic cotton cover, and certified free of synthetic materials by the Eco-institut
- All natural latex is molded to perfectly contour your head and neck, providing essential support through the night.
- Resilient and supportive latex never requires fluffing
While initially each pillow looked the same, upon closer inspection I noticed that the pillows are quite different. While they are both extremely high quality; as expected based on the price point, they both offer different types of support. One is very soft (Helena), while the other is more firm (Carmel). My favorite is the Carmel because of the firmness. I love how it conforms to my neck and head without really sinking in too much. So it`s soft, comfortable, and firm, yet it doesn`t just sink to the very bottom. It`s supportive - which is what I need. Where as if I`m sleeping on my side or stomach, I prefer the Helena pillow. It`s softer, and while it does still conform to my head, it just provides a more comfortable feeling than the Carmel for that particular position. So both are AMAZING pillows, but depending on your sleep position will depend on which one you like better. One thing to note is there is a bit of a "funny" smell to the pillows. This goes away after they air out from the packaging and isn`t extremely strong. I only really noticed it when I had my face in it. Otherwise I didn`t notice it and it wasn`t strong enough to bother me. As far as the price goes - yes, it is a bit pricey at roughly $92 per pillow, however, these pillows are extremely luxurious and high end. These are not cheapy pillows from Walmart by any means. Seriously, I never thought there could be a real difference between pillows, but these are the absolute best I personally tried. I even have memory foam pillows that we got when my husband and I upgraded our mattress. I thought those were nice - but these definitely beat those by far! So is the price worth it? Absolutely! Especially if you have neck pains. I find these have been making a difference with how I sleep. So for that, I highly recommend them.