Healthy sleep is essential for survival. According to experts, we spend more than one-third of our lives sleeping. For a fulfilling and reviving sleeping experience, one needs to have a comfortable mattress and pillow apart from many other things.
A pillow should provide the best support to your neck and shoulder muscles. Its primary function is to support the head in a natural position so that the cervical vertebrae don’t bend or break. In extreme cases, a bad pillow can also affect your blood flow.
Before you make the ultimate purchase, there are several properties and characteristics of a pillow that must be considered, such as forms and materials. The goal is to choose the best amongst a wide variety of pillows.
Comfort and Characteristics
Which pillow is comfortable? Well, it depends on the priorities of each individual. The choices can be different on the basis of their height and weight as well as their sleeping style.
Comfort is determined mainly by personal preferences and how it suits you as a person. Certain recommendations can maximize your pillow comfort. First and foremost, a good pillow should keep your head in the right position.
Other than that, several other considerations should be fulfilled:
- The pillow should not cause allergies
- It should be able to maintain its shape for a long time
- It should not absorb any odor
- It must be ventilated; i.e. air should pass through it
- It should be made of high-quality material
- The material used should be resistant to mold and bacteria
Types of pillows
The pillows come with different specifications. They vary in terms of springs, fillings, air chambers and layers. Let’s discuss a few examples of pillows that are most likely to be used.
Classic
They are made of feathers, fluff or synthetic filler. Foam is mostly used in such pillows. This type of pillow has high density and great support for the neck. Scandia Down Pillows are the best example of pillows that cradle your neck and head. Moreover, it maintains proper spinal alignment and offers relief throughout the night.
Orthopedic Pillow
The Orthopaedic roller under the neck allows you to keep your head in the right position and prevents you from moving during sleep. This pillow is highly recommended for those who often move during sleep and have health issues, such as osteochondrosis, spine curvature, circulatory disorders in the cervical spine and other backbone issues.
Orthopedic pillows should not be used for general purposes since these pillows are uncomfortable, and the patient needs to adopt the habit of using it. You should not get these pillows from the market without the recommendation of the doctor.
Anatomical Pillow
This pillow is a little similar to Orthopaedic Pillow. Anatomical pillow fulfills the needs of an ideal pillow to support neck and shoulders. It makes a 90-degree angle between the shoulder and neck.
The neck roll prevents the body from slipping and snoring during sleep. Although this pillow is expensive, doctors recommend this pillow to those who sometimes face insomnia.
Rollers Pillow
Rollers Pillow can come in handy while enjoying a picnic on a summer day. You can rest your neck against the pillow as you lie down on the lush grass and enjoy reading your favorite book. You can also use rollers pillow while lying down in your gazebo for a quick nap.
It’s not just the shape that makes it different from other pillows, but it is equipped with features of increased rigidity that provides perfect support. One thing to keep in mind is that it is not recommended to sleep on it all night.
Cooling Gel Pillow
Proper ventilation in every pillow is essential as it enhances your sleep experience. When you use low-quality pillows, you might struggle with the absence of adequate air passage. The structure of a gel pillow is similar to a honeycomb.
It doesn’t only support the head but also contributes to removing the heat rapidly. On hot summer nights, using a gel pillow is the most cooling surface to fall asleep.
Medical Therapeutic Pillow
These pillows not only support the head, but the saturated compounds in them enable the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The therapeutic medical pillow also helps fight against nervous diseases; the Asonia pillow is such an example of a therapeutic pillow.
Herbs as pillow filling and covers
Healthy sleep is pleasant and helps you de-stress. Using natural herbs inside the pillow, fillings help get a good sleep and prevent diseases. For instance, hops and chamomile smoothen the nervous system.
Yarrow is recommended for acute respiratory infections, influenza, viral infections and diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
A pillow cover sewn with herbs will enhance the quality of your sleep and your health. There is no shortage of video tutorials on the internet, and you can learn how to DIY one.
Final Word
For a sweet and sound sleep, you should reconsider your sleep posture. Some of us are habitual side sleepers, and others take a fetal position.
If you are a side sleeper, you need to consider the height of the pillow. The measurement from your shoulder to the neck is the recommended height of the pillow that will comfort you.
For people, who are always on the go, taking naps while sitting exerts a load on their spine from the weight of a relaxed head, as the muscles cannot support this weight for long, let the right pillow take care of it.
Moreover, you can also consider using polyurethane or latex pillows. There are several pillows and cushions available in the market that are specially designed for traveling in airplanes and trains.
