The Best Pillow for Every Kind of Sleeper…
Would you ever buy shoes without even glancing at the size? Of course you wouldn’t! No one would bother wasting their money on shoes that don’t fit. For some strange reason, that’s exactly what most people do when they buy a pillow.
Over the 20 years that I have been a Chiropractor, I have asked innumerable amounts of patients why they bought their current pillow. Did they choose it at random, or was there a reason? The two main answers I received were;
It felt ok when I grabbed it in the shop
It looked ‘about right’
To put it plainly, they really had no idea! They thought that choosing a pillow was as simple as buying a handbag, and had no idea you actually need to be sized for a pillow… Does this sound familiar?
So, what is the secret to just the right pillow? Well... it must be correctly fitted for you, just like you would with shoes!
If your spine (your neck included) is in a healthy position whilst you sleep, the surrounding joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves can be relaxed, and you can wake up feeling happy and refreshed.
How do you know if your pillow is right for you?
There are 3 main factors that need to be considered:
1. Neck length
2. Shoulder height
3. The height of the pillow whilst you are in a sleeping position.
Firstly, to check your pillow, grab a friend or family member. In your bed, lay on your side with your head on the pillow:
In this position the middle part of your neck needs to be supported
The neck should be at the same height as the rest of your spine
Have your family member check these 2 elements
The neck shouldn’t look higher or lower than the rest of the spine – it should all be in one line, and you should feel comfortable and supported.
(If this is difficult for your family member to assess you are welcome to bring in your pillow. We can check if it’s right for you at House of Chiropractic in Albury ... We check many pillows every week!)
If these 2 elements are incorrect, you need a new pillow! So many of us sleep with the wrong pillow, and really don't know the impact it has on our health.
Make sure you go pillow shopping with that same friend or family member so they can help you find the right pillow, or we are more than happy to help you find the right one for you.
At House of Chiropractic, we sell many different pillows. This is so we can find the right one for everyone!
Here’s to a happy sleep, and even happier mornings…
