I get asked all the time, “what kind of pillow should I use”? We spend anywhere from 6-9 hours a night (ideally) sleeping, so a really good pillow is important.

A good posture while sleeping is important to wake up without pain and stiffness. So your pillow is there to support a healthy sleep posture. What does that look like? You want your head in the center of your body, no tilting to the right or left. Your spine straight and not bowing to one side. Your hips level and knees aligned (not touching).

If your neck and shoulders don’t get sufficient support, or are propped at an angle that causes twisting of the spine, it can put the body out of alignment, which causes a muscle imbalance in the neck, shoulders, and back. Which leads to tossing and turning all night.

As a general rule, bed pillows need to be replaced after 18 months. Memory foam pillows last up to three years. The pillows we sell in our office, have a 5 year warranty and can last up to 10 years! Natural pillows will last longer than synthetic pillows. Natural fill pillows use hypoallergenic materials, such as silk, wool, down, kapok, and other naturally found sources, that do not accumulate dust and mites. Synthetic pillows can use anything to fill it with, so a lot of times it can lead to irritations.

The Asthma and Allergy Center conducted a study which reports, “Three earlier studies have observed that synthetic pillows accumulate dust-mite allergens at a rate faster than feather pillows and that synthetic materials contain a higher concentration of dust-mite allergens after a given period of use.” This means that synthetic pillows are definitely worse for allergy sufferers because they allow dust mite allergens to accumulate.

Pillow Test

• If you’re not sure whether your pillow has life left in it or not, you can do some simple tests:

Take off the pillowcase and examine your pillow. Does it have stains from sweat, is it torn, does it smell? These are all signs of a pillow that needs replacing. Pillows collect dead skin cells, mildew, mold, fungus, and dust mites. Over time, as much as half the weight of a pillow can be attributed to these unwelcome organisms, which can trigger allergies and interfere with breathing during sleep.

• If your pillow passes the sight and smell test, it’s time to do the fold test:

Fold your pillow in half. If it just lies there folded, rather than springing back to its original shape, that is a dead pillow. With natural fill pillows, you can do this test over your arm. If your pillow drapes and hangs down over your extended arm, it’s time to be replaced.

With synthetic pillows, fold in half and add some weight to the top—a sneaker or shoe works well. Take the weight away, and if your pillow doesn’t spring back to its original shape, it’s time for a replacement.

Sleeping Style

• Side sleepers may need a firmer, thicker pillow. Look for one that’s as thick as the distance between your ear and outside shoulder.

• Stomach sleepers may need a soft pillow or no pillow at all underneath their head.

• Back sleepers may need a flatter pillow, to keep your head and neck in alignment. Back sleepers may want a softer and thinner pillow.

In our office we have Pillowise. Pillowise measures across your shoulders, the circumference of your neck and the distance from being the ear to the shoulder. You are also asked what kind of mattress (soft, regular, firm) that you sleep on, as well as, what position you go to sleep in. These measurements are put in a calculator and it tells you what “color” pillow you are.

Chiropractic

Adjustments help with sleep! When the central nervous system is working at optimal and has less tension on it, you are able to rest better. A good pillow and mattress also help with this of course! Limiting screen time before bed is also a good one.

If you have questions on how chiropractic can help you sleep or if you are interested in what kind of pillow you should get, give us or a chiropractor near you a call!

~Dr. Lacey~
Carder Chiropractic Clinic, INC.
El Reno, OK 73036