Pillow Types You Should Know About To Sleep Well

By: Jan Hajek | Date Posted: February 26, 2021

A Pillow? The first word that comes when you think of it is a soft and fluffy rectangular thing. As an item that is usually overlooked, there are pillows to help you get quality sleep similar to mattress types like orthopedic ones.

Your sleeping position, condition, and material preference determine the type of pillow best suited for you. Pillows should relieve pressure, align your spine, and support your head and neck. Don’t overlook pillow types; generic ones may not adequately support side sleepers or those over 130 pounds, leading to sore necks and backaches. Orthopedic pillows come in various shapes like cervical or body pillows, designed to ease aches and enhance sleep quality.

The plethora of options out there is so much that your head can’t even fit, let alone rest on. To ease you out of this hassle, we assembled the most quality sleep-warranting and durable types of pillows according to your conditions, sleep positions, and material preference, all readily available at pillow manufacturers.

Pillows for Sleeping Conditions

  1. Wedge

The wedge is an orthopedic pillow fit for back sleepers. These types of pillows come in a wide array of sizes, but all are triangle-shaped and angled to help you sleep in an inclined position by elevating your upper body. These pillows ease acid reflux, GERD, and obstructive sleep apnea conditions.

Wedge pillow

  1. Cervical

Or rounded pillows ease shoulder and neck pain mainly. Featuring a divot around the neck domain and holding your head and neck in place as you sleep, these pillows actively minimize stiffness and strained muscles in the shoulder and neck.

Cervical

  1. Contour

Contour pillow

Wavy-shaped, these pillows employ one arch in the neck and the other in the head domains. It is usually referred to as back and side sleepers as they ensure a neutral spine and reduced stiffness.

  1. Bolster

bolster pillow

Usually used as decoration pieces, these pillows assist in healthy spinal alignment besides relieving the pressure and pain from the lumbar spine and neck when placed under your knees or neck.

  1. Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea

These types of pillows, as the name suggests, are meant to have cut-outs to readily accommodate the CPAP machine’s cords and tubes (continuous positive airway pressure) to avoid worsening your symptoms.

Pillows for Sleeping Positions

  1. Back Sleepers

Such sleepers require a medium loft pillow (4-5 inches) type with a firmness ranging from medium to medium-firm to keep the spine, neck, and head aligned.

  1. Side Sleepers

Since their head tumbles slightly far away from the head, such sleepers require a high loft (5-7 inches) type of pillow to fill the space between their head and the mattress while offering adequate cushioning to the head to be in line with the spine.

  1. On Stomach Sleepers

Sleepers can be a firm and thin loft (3-4 inches) type of pillow since they only have to rest their forehead to avoid neck strains while they lay face down so the medium loft pillows will be suitable.

  1. Combo Sleepers

It is harder for people who sleep in undetermined positions to determine the types of pillows, firmness, and loftiness that would suit them. Therefore, adjustable pillows like shredded memory foam or latex pillows are moldable, lofty, and adequately firm.

Different pillow materials offer various benefits and considerations:

  1. Feather pillows are affordable and supportive but may poke out or emit odors.
  2. Down pillows are luxurious, soft, and durable but may cause allergies and require regular fluffing.
  3. Down alternative pillows are hypoallergenic, affordable, and easier to maintain.
  4. Memory foam pillows contour well, relieve pain, and adjust to movements, with options like shredded or block foam.
  5. Latex pillows offer pressure relief, and are resistant to allergens, but may cause allergies in some individuals.
  6. Microbead pillows provide support and cooling but are not eco-friendly and may spill beads.
  7. Buckwheat pillows are durable, and eco-friendly, but can be noisy due to hull movement.

Each material has unique features and considerations, so choosing the right pillow depends on your preferences and needs.

The Final Verdict

Taking the time to make a sound choice of pillow that readily meets or beats your criteria would now be easier and quicker. Since we compiled the essential facts and figures, you must know before you go after the products. A night of good sound sleep gives you dreams—the very foundation of your drive to live. So choose once, and choose well!

Bonus video: The Best Type of Pillow for Sleeping for Neck Pain, Pinched Nerve & Herniated Disc – Dr. Mandell

Thank you for reading!

Jan Hajek
 

I am an experienced writer. I write about home improvement topics such as construction, electrical work, plumbing, security and safety, interior design, exterior design, tools and woodworking, gardening, and garage organization. I love helping people improve their homes and make them more enjoyable places to live.

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