Sleeping Pillows For Neck Pain

The pillow we use to rest our head can have significant impacts on neck pain. But pillows are not the only reason for having neck pains – how we rest, how we twist and bend during the day, slouching or bending at acute angles unmindfully while working, not syncing, walking or sometimes even eating in unhealthy postures can chalk up neck pains. With those habitual aspects, continuous screen time with our computers or Smartphones can also cause neck pains.

Sometimes, for many reasons, families use loft beds or sleepers or futons as makeshift beds for resting places. Most of the time people using these makeshift beds ignore having proper pillows and pave the way for neck pains to appear later. That’s why it is very important to have clear ideas about futon vs sofa beds and get the appropriate variety that would be suitable. We also should be careful to have the best loft beds within our reach with proper sleeping pillows not only to make the best use of the available spaces, but also to be free from injuries.

Some people love to read while lying, they should use bed reading pillows for reading while they are doing it on the bed. The reason is simple – using sleeping pillows for any other reason than sleeping will make the pillows lose their optimum shape. Sometimes children use them as toys that should be prevented as well.

To get rid of neck pains completely, we need to cultivate some good habits. Habits that can help improve our posture that can be naturally aligned in the way that we are built physiologically. But the problem is even if we have ingrain good physiological postures or try our best to eradicate the physical reasons that can cause neck pain, having a proper pillow on which we rest our head at the end of the day, usually have the final say on if we are going to have neck pain or not. That’s why it is immensely important we have the right kind of sleeping pillows.

Choosing The Right Pillow

When you read the title above, you can see that I have used the adjective ‘right’ instead of ‘best’ which seemed to bear more weight. The truth is you can get the most expensive pillow that is available to mankind but still suffer neck pains or have sleep disorders. So, it’s not about getting the best, rather it is about getting the kind that can maintain natural alignment of your specific body structure. The rule of thumb for the right kind of pillow for our body is that it should have the ability to keep our neck parallel to the mattress. The right pillow won’t make our head bend forward or push it to one side – the problem with these kinds is that even if they are felt comfortable, after a prolonged use you are going to be left with neck pain. Neck pain and stiff neck are the most common problems caused by inappropriate sleeping pillows. However, using the wrong kind for a long time, we actually keep twisting our spine in the wrong way and consequently, we suffer in various ways.

Cervical Contour Pillows

Our head perches in the slump of the pillow that has been created by the continuous pressing of the weight of our head. Our neck takes up the less elevated positions when we rest on our back. That is the shape that is most naturally aligned with our skeleton. If we can maintain this posture, we will be free from neck pains and other difficulties that might be resulted from keeping faulty postures. That’s why, cervical contour pillows, which take up the shape by the natural pressing of our head, are best for us. They will support our necks in the best possible way not to suffer neck pains.

Latex Pillows

Memory foam pillows may heat up our body which may cause sleeping issues. But latex pillows are natural and prevent heating up during the night. Some people are allergic to latex. If you are one of them, it is best you do not use latex pillows.

Feather Pillows

Feather pillows are the cheapest options available to us. But they lack the ability to provide neck stability. They may be affordable, but feather pillows don’t provide much neck stability. When you start using them for the first time, it can make you feel super comfortable. But being soft and brittle-like, they cannot provide support while we move our head. As a result, neck pain ensues. There are fillers to give the pillows bit stability, but over time and prolonged use, they will lose rigidity as well. Then there is the issue of allergic reaction – some people get rash and other allergic reactions using feathers.

Buckwheat Pillows

Buckwheat pillows are the best pillows to keep the temperature down as there are ways for air circulation between the hulls.  They are cost-efficient. The fillers are changeable and the pillows can support the neck properly. The problem with buckwheat pillows is that they are noisy and cause waking up frequently.

Mixed Fillers

Mixed fillers like memory foam or latex with shredded foam can also be used as pillows. But too much material can be jammed in or making a pillow too fluffy can make our neck resting awkwardly. If you opt for mixed fillers, you might have to go through trial and errors until you finally get fixated on the right kind of ratio to make the best pillows for your use.

The above are the main varieties that are available to us. But as I have mentioned, they are not the only way to remove neck pain. If we can maintain a healthy lifestyle with the appropriate kind of sleeping pillows to sleep at night, we are sure to get rid of neck pains permanently.