As soon as you lay down on your bed, you want to relax and help your body recover from a long tiring day. Yet many times, a pillow that is too soft or too low becomes a hindrance, leading to a restless sleep and neck pain in the morning. To make things easier for you, we’ve described the best pillows for side sleepers in this article.
Best Pillows for Side Sleepers
Let’s get straight into it.
Side sleeper pillow need to have the following quality:
- Loft: 5 Inches
- Firmness: Medium to Firm
- Contours to the Shape of Head and Neck
- Contains Cooling Gel
- Made up of Hypoallergenic Material
- Dust Mite Resistant
If your pillow has all these qualities, then you as a side sleeper will never experience neck stiffness or pain. Further, you’ll feel more rested and motivated in the morning.
After conducting thorough research, we’ve concluded that the best pillows for side sleepers is one that is made up of shredded memory foam covered in cooling gel and that comes with a cover made of breathable and hypoallergenic material such as bamboo rayon fabric.
Pillows Loft for Side Sleepers
A good amount of loft is always better for side sleepers. Since the pressure can usually fall on the shoulders, a pillow with greater loft can reduce this pressure.
Also, a pillow with appropriate loft should fill in the gap between shoulder and head, reducing the overall stress on all body parts involved.
Pillow Firmness for Side Sleepers
Side sleepers need pillows that is medium to firm, with firm generally being a better option. However, it depends on the preference of each person.
By not letting your head sink in, a firm pillow will provide better support to your neck and rest of the spine.
Further, it will decrease pressure from your shoulders, which can become sore because of rotation when using an inappropriate size pillow.
Unnatural Rotation of Spine
To counter this, experts recommend that you should keep a pillow between or under your knees.
Note: According to Mayo Clinic, the upper leg of side sleepers often slides down to rest on the mattress, rotating the spine in an unnatural manner and creating additional pressure on the disks. Overtime, this can lead to serious lower back pain and even disk herniation.
Adjustable Pillows for Side Sleepers
Adjustable pillows, especially ones with shredded memory foam, enable you to adjust the height and firmness of the pillow. You can take out or put in extra foam to adjust the loft and firmness of these pillows.
While adjustable shredded memory foam pillows also contour according to the shape of your head and neck, filling in the gap between your shoulders and spine.
Cooling Pillow – Keep your Head Cool!
Side sleepers need to rest their head on the pillow, which can retain heat from the body and pass it back.
Unlike the other pillows, Bamboo cooling pillows don’t retain body heat, as they’re often padded with cooling gel. However, even the ones with a gel pad are prone to heat retention.
Shredded memory foam cooling pillows are the latest innovation, providing a cooling experience from all different directions. Further, these cooling pillows are also adjustable and available at a very low price.
Moisture Wicking Pillows: Bid Adieu to the Stickiness
Side sleepers rest their face on the pillow, which can get heated and, thus, sweaty. While bamboo covers don’t feel cool when you touch them, they will still wick away moisture, providing you sweat and heat-free sleeping experience.
Hypoallergenic and Hygienic – No to Acne, No to Dust Mites
Just to reiterate, side sleepers need to rest their head on the pillow, and the material used to make the pillow and its cover can cause allergies.
Luckily, memory foam, the pillow case, and the bamboo cover are all naturally hypoallergenic.
Further, the memory foam can be taken out of its case, which can then be washed along with the bamboo cover. All the materials used in this pillow are also dust mite resistant.
Pillows for Combination Sleepers
Some side sleepers are also combination sleepers, who usually change sleeping positions throughout the night. For such sleepers, an adjustable pillow is highly recommended, as they must try different pillow heights before deciding on the one that provides the most comfort.
What to do if you’re already suffering from neck pain?
General exercises such as neck rotation and light stretching can provide relief. Further, you should ice the injured area. It may take a week, but sleeping on a pillow appropriate for your sleeping position should not only cure neck pain but also prevent it in the future.
Conclusion
Using the right pillow will not only prevent neck pain but also cure it. With good structural support, you’ll be able to enjoy a great and relaxing sleep experience with more time spent in the deep sleep stage.
And for a good amount of cushioning and height and customizability, you can rely on shredded memory foam pillows, especially the ones with cooling gel.
FAQs
Q. Should I purchase a neck pillow if I suffer from cervical pain?
A. It would be better to purchase an orthopedic cervical pillow, which has a depression for resting the head and extra support for the neck. Such a pillow will provide relief from neck pain and may even cure it if there is no disk herniation.
Q. What kind of a pillow should side sleepers use?
A. Side sleepers should prefer a firm pillow with a good amount of loft. A 5-inch loft is generally considered the best option. Further, if the cooling pillow is made up of memory foam and contains cooling gel, then it will only make your sleeping experience better.
Q. Should side sleepers sleep without a pillow?
A. No. This would be very bad for your cervical spine, as it will be bent extremely towards one side, exerting great stress on the disks in your neck.
Q. How thick should a pillows for Side Sleepers be?
A. Pillow for side sleeper should be 4-6 inches thick with 5 inches considered the best option.
