Like your mattress, pillows play a vital role in how well your body is supported and comforted during sleep. If you’re finding yourself tossing and turning or feeling restless throughout the night, your pillow very well could be the main contributor.
Having the right mattress is a great start to sleeping better, but if your pillow is terrible, you’ll still be cutting yourself short of much needed quality sleep. To help you find the best type of pillow for your sleeping style and get you the rest you deserve, we’ve put together a breakdown of what factors to consider when making your selection.
Different Types of Pillows
If you’re looking for a new pillow, consider what factors you need to sleep soundly through the night. There are many pillow options available, so when it comes to choosing the right pillow for you, it can be a little overwhelming.
Here are some of the most common pillow types:
- Down: Higher price range but very durable and made from ultra-soft materials. Down fill pillows do require regular fluffing and don’t offer much support.
- Feather: More affordable compared to down and made of supportive materials. However, the feathers do clump together, so it will need regular fluffing to stay lofty and comfortable.
- Latex: Latex foam is a soft, breathable, and supportive fill for your pillow. It provides excellent pressure-point relief and is resistant to dust mites, mold, and mildew so your sleep environment is always clean.
- Cotton: Cotton fill is a super common material in all sorts of bedding and fabrics since it’s affordable and easily maintained. Cotton is breathable and soft but doesn’t contour to the head and neck well. The material loses its firmness over time and goes flat, but regular fluffing can prolong your pillow’s life.
- Memory Foam: Memory foam pillows are pain-relieving and contour well to your head and neck. The material responds to your movement quickly and cradles your curves. Some are even combined with other materials such as gel, microbeads, and latex.
Pillows for Sleep Positions
While the pillow you choose is largely based on your personal preference and habits, finding the right pillow also depends on the sleeping position you prefer. Are you a back sleeper, side sleeper, or stomach sleeper? If you’re having trouble deciding on a new pillow, your answer will greatly determine the amount of support you’ll need.
- For Back Sleepers: Your pillow should support your neck and head, but not so much that your neck is propped up at an unnatural angle. Remember, you want your spine and neck to stay aligned while you sleep, so back sleepers probably want a medium-thick pillow or something that’s not too full, but not too flat.
- For Side Sleepers: Your pillow should support your head in a neutral position, keeping it aligned with your spine. Because your shoulder takes most of the pressure when you sleep on your side, you may want a fuller, firmer pillow to give your neck the support it needs and take some of the weight off your shoulder.
- For Stomach Sleepers: This is the most stressful position for your back and neck, so many experts recommend trying to train yourself to sleep in another position. We know that you can’t change your sleeping habits overnight, so if you do sleep on your stomach, you’ll want a pillow that’s softer and a little less full to help keep your spine as neutral as possible.
Which One is Best?
Now that you have all of the key factors laid out in front of you, which pillow is going to be the best for you and your sleep routine? The truth is, there’s a right pillow out there for everybody, it’s all just a matter of your personal preference and specific needs.
And while we know you’re looking into a new pillow, a new mattress could also be the key to getting your sleep schedule back on track. We offer a