Sleep Wellness: Size Matters When Choosing a Memory Foam Pillow
Like I said in the previous blog, ideally most of us spend a third of our lives in bed. Injuries to the neck and upper back can be caused by poor sleeping positions, which in turn, can be caused by the environment. Uncomfortable body positioning, as well as poor mattress quality, incorrect pillow height, and lack of support are all formulas for aches and pains when you wake up. This blog is part of a sleep health blog series.
Today, I want to discuss with you the different shapes and sizes of pillows that you should use to protect your neck and upper back from risk of postural or joint transformations. Since sleep is my favorite hobby, I have investigated this topic thoroughly and offer this advice to all my patients that inquire.
Depending on your sleeping position, you will need to find the perfectly sized pillow. If you sleep on your back, you always want to “fill in the gaps” between your neck and your upper back with a proper sized pillow. Your neck should rest in a straight line, like it is when you are standing straight up. This position is called neutral posture. I tell my patients to draw a big imaginary box, from one shoulder to the other shoulder and from the top of your back to the top of your head. If you are using a memory form pillow, remember that it comes with 2 contoured ends. Use the larger contour against your neck and the smaller contour to rest the top of your head.
From: APTA
If you like to lie on your side, you need to fill in the gap from the side of your ear to the shoulder.
For example, I have little to no curvature in my neck. A “normal” sized profile foam pillow is too much big for my head/neck. Before I knew that a normal sized generic brand was not the right for me, I purchased the generic Costco brand memory foam pillow. It was a mistake, as I woke up stiff and sore and was unconvinced that this memory foam was going to offer me the ultimate sleep. I then encountered a Brookstone specialist and found out my neck curvature was too small for the regular sized pillows. So, I purchased the smaller one, which made all the difference in the world.
So the lesson here is to make sure you get the right sized pillow. For those not wanting to purchase two pillows and enjoy sleeping as much as I do, I suggest purchasing a smaller profile regular pillow and stack the memory foam on top of that one to achieve the ideal position. Be sure to “fill in those gaps” as I mentioned above, to achieve the ideal sleeping position. This will protect your neck and back, and alleviate those aches and pains.
Why do I suggest a memory foam pillow, instead of the cotton or feather pillows? I know they can be a bit pricier, but sleep is so important I really think it’s worth it. Memory foam will adjust to the weight of your head and the contours of your upper body. It’s easier to mold it to “fit those gaps” so that your body is resting comfortable. If you can achieve the same effect with your regular pillow, go for it! Just remember how your body should be aligned!
But, if you’re interested in buying a new memory foam pillow, read on. While, I usually buy generic brands when shopping, I always go for the brand names for my shoes and my sleep. I suggest getting the real pioneer. Tempurpedic or Brookstones pillows have the NASA Space Foundation approval stamp. Look for that stamp to see if it a genuine product of these two companies. See my sleep wellness product list. You can purchase Tempurpedic products on this site. I also sleep on the Sleep health memory foam pillow, which can be delivered right to your door step with free shipping. For Sleep Health Product Recommendations Click Here
Taken from http://www.tempurpedic.com/about/history_heritage/
After a thorough verification process with NASA, Tempur-Pedic was accepted as one of their "esteemed companies." The "Certified Technology" Seal verifies that underlying product technology was derived from America’s efforts and experiments in Space. You will find the "Certified Technology" Seal on our products, brochures, and other resources. To learn more about the Certified Space Technology initiative and other certified products, you may visit the Space Foundation.
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Justin