If you’re waking up in the morning with a stiff neck or shoulders, your pillows may be the guilty culprit. The condition of your pillows influences the quality and quantity of sleep you get per night – it’s more than its comfort and positioning that affects your sleep! A pillow’s firmness and thickness affect the angle of your head, neck and spinal alignment (1). As we get older, its more crucial to understand our sleeping behaviours and how best to support them for a well-rested slumber.
How to find your perfect pillow firmness
Too firm or soft of a pillow can contribute to awkward sleeping positions that cause stiffness in the morning. The purpose of pillows is to encourage a straight line in your spine (2) and support any rotation in the spine whilst you’re sleeping.
Back sleepers with too much pillow support pushes the neck too far away from the pillow which may be contributing to pains on the backside of your neck and upper shoulders. Choosing a supportive medium firmness pillow supports the natural curve of your neck.
Stomach sleepers are less common but deserve the same support. Often these sleepers prefer a thin pillow for comfort and support in the head, neck and shoulders. This gives you the best support, especially if you sleep with your head sideways and rotating your body.
Side sleepers benefit from a medium to firm pillow that supports the neck to reduce overextention of the neck to meet the pillow. Pillows that are too thin do not provide enough cushioning, and too thick of a pillow will not support the nature curve of your spine. Opt for a pillow that cushions the space between your head and neck.
Once you’ve figured out your ideal support and thickness levels for your pillows, it’s time to invest!
Introducing Complete Sleeprrr – your all-in-one pillow for any sleeping position
Want to feel rejuvenated and well rested in the mornings?
Complete Sleeprrr is your all-in-one memory foam pillow to give you the best support and comfort when you’re getting your zzz’s. 100% premium memory foam pillows encourage air flow. The open cell structure in the foam allows for air ventilation, which may assist you in better breathing during your slumber. Its premium memory foam base makes it flexible and adjustable to your sleeping style, so you have complete control!
Feel rejuvenated in the mornings by adjusting the firmness of the pillows. Its customisable by removing or adding foam noodles to provide 12 different ways to get your desired comfort and support. Its supportive design helps to reduce neck and shoulder stiffness and injuries. The pillows do not contain any heavy metals, toxic compounds or CFC gases which can be found in some pillows.
Want a better nighttime?
Finding the perfect pillow is an art and it can be difficult to figure out your perfect position and support to encouraging healthy sleeping habits. Your pillows and position will encourage greater sleeping benefits such as:
- Reducing neck, shoulder and back pain
- Reduce sleeping conditions (such as sleep apenea) and
- Decrease chances of sleep deprivation
- Repairing tissues and any neuroskeletal damage
- Encourage muscle growth
- Support healthy regulation of hormones
Invest in your health by ordering the Complete Sleeprrr in one of our clinics!
Get in touch with us:
01480775912
References:
- Sleep Foundation (2020). Best Pillows for Stomach Sleepers of 2023. [online] Sleep Foundation. Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-pillows/best-pillow-for-stomach-sleepers [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].
- Harvard Health Publishing. (2021). Is your pillow hurting your health? [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/is-your-pillow-hurting-your-health.