How to choose the perfect pillow
Hey everyone, Dr. Chris here. I’d like to take a moment to talk to you about how you sleep. Most people spend 6-8 hours of every day asleep, or nearly one third of their lives. But do you ever think about the posture you sleep in or how it might be affect your spine health?
One of the biggest factors on whether you’re sleeping with the right posture is your pillow. If you are waking up stiff and sore or, worse, waking up during the night, you may be using the wrong pillow. “Dr. Renne, what kind of pillow should I be using?” you might ask. Good question. The answer is: whatever kind of pillow feels right for you!
A pillow should do two things for you: keep you comfortable and offer your head, neck and cervical spine good support. Ideally a good pillow will keep your spine in a ‘neutral position’ while you are sleeping. That means that your spine should be oriented in basically a straight line. If your head is elevated too high this can put your spine out of alignment and cause strain on your muscles. The same can be true for a pillow that is too low.
Everyone is familiar with the classic pillow, but there are other types. If you are experiencing soreness, discomfort or pain when you wake up, you should experiment and see if one of these pillows might help:
Knee Pillow - If you sleep on your back, try placing an ordinary pillow underneath your knees. This knee flexion will actually cause a flattening of your lumbar spine, promoting proper posture while you sleep.
Body Pillow - This elongated pillow is great for side sleepers, as it cradles the upper body and allows the knees to be draped over it, promoting a positive sleep posture.
Cervical/Orthopedic Pillow - This is a contoured neck pillow that has a deeper depression in the center than at the edges, following the natural contours of the cervical spine. Some people swear by them, but they don’t work for everybody. Remember, the right pillow for you is the one that feels good!
Travel Pillow - U-shaped travel pillows aren’t only good for long trips in cars and planes; any time you are going to be in an upright, seated position for an extended period of time a travel pillow can help relieve the pressure on your neck and cervical spine.
Lumbar Support Pillow - There are also pillows that address stresses on the lower back. If you experience lower back pain in your day-to-day routine, try adding a lumbar support pillow and see if that helps.
Donut Pillow - These pillows are specially designed for people who suffer from a specific condition, such as coccydynia - which is pain of the tailbone, pain of the coccyx. Sitting on a donut pillow simply takes pressure off of that area of the spine.
These are just a few of the specialized pillows that are available - there are many many more out there! If you’re not satisfied with your current pillow situation, I encourage you to experiment. The good news is that most pillows, even speciality pillows, are relatively inexpensive.
At Active Medical & Chiropractic we work directly with several medical pillow suppliers. Give us a call at (904) 398-4860 to talk to us today.
Yours in health,
Christopher B. Renne, D.C.
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