You spend a third of your life asleep. With this much time plastered on your bed, you would think that most people would know the impact a pillows makes on their life. Ideally your head is on it for eight hours straight, but few people really consider just how important they are. At best, most people just pick a good size and go on with life. However, a pillow affects many aspects of your sleep and life, so let’s look at some of the factors that pillows impact.
How Pillows Affect on Sleep?
Neck Support
The very first thing a pillow does is influence neck support. It’s there to prop your head up while you sleep and make you more comfortable. While you might like having very high or very low pillows, you should pick one that gives you optimal neck support. Most experts agree that 3-4 inches in height is best, unless you are a stomach sleeper. In that case, the lower and softer, the better.
Neck support ensures that you feel rested when you get up. If you often wake up feeling disoriented, have neck pain or a kink in your neck, then pillow height is likely to blame.
Overall Sleep Quality
When people consider sleep quality, their head immediately goes to the mattress. While that’s important, you should also consider your pillow. Having a pillow that doesn’t give you optimal support or just isn’t good for your sleep can quickly lead to bad nights where you wake up feeling even more tired than when you went to bed.
Some people may also wake up several times throughout the night due to their pillow. This is usually due to a pillow that’s the wrong height, or it might be if the pillow is too soft or firm and you’re trying to adjust it.
If you don’t feel good waking up, or if you wake up several times throughout the night, then consider changing your pillow. A new pillow might make a world of difference.
Snoring
While pillows aren’t entirely to blame for snoring, nor are they a cure, but the right pillow can help with snoring. It all depends on how your head lays on the pillow. A pillow that puts you in a neutral position or your head slightly back should prevent snoring. Side sleeping is also good for this, so consider getting a pillow that’s good for sleeping on your side.
If you feel like your head is too far back or just improperly placed, then you may want some wedge pillows under your back to prop you up and give you good support.
Spinal Support
Pillows do more than affect your neck. Your entire spine, especially in the upper back, can be affected if you have the wrong size. A improperly curved neck, either too high or low, will cause other sections of your spine to move in an attempt to correct the curve. This can lead to back pain or stiffness.
This problem is even worse if you have existing spinal issues, so be careful. Changing your pillow can alleviate this pain.