Pillow Talk- Is your pillow helping or hurting?

I am often asked for recommendations when it comes to pillows. I thought I would summarise the answers to some common questions.

What should you look for when it comes to choosing a pillow?

There are a few key points you should take into consideration when

selecting a pillow. Positioning of how you sleep is a main factor.

1.    Side sleeper- If you sleep solely on your side then you need something that will fit in the nook of your neck so that you can keep your neck in a neutral position. Something too high will put an uneven

amount of force on your neck muscles and something too low means

that you will risk straining your neck ligaments when you are in an unsupportive position for a sustained period of time.

2.    Back sleeper- If you are a back sleeper you will not need as much contour or height as too much can flex your neck forward, impede respiration as well as become a source of headaches.

3.    Tummy Sleeper- This is an interesting one as we should try our best to avoid sleeping on our stomach as there will be an increased strain on our neck to breathe as well as placing our arms under our pillows which at times defeats the purpose of contoured pillows for example.

What type of material should your pillows be made out of?

There are always new products on the market which may mean that there isn’t enough time that has passed to assess how good the prod

uct can be. I personally recommend pillows that are made from memory foam as it has lasted the test of time. They are hypoallergenic which is great for hay-fever sufferers like myself. The technology uses the heat your body emits to change the shape of the pillow to give you catered support and then once your head is off the pillow it will return to the original shape. Another feature of these pillows that I like is the fact that there are middle inserts that you can remove and it has two different heights of contours to choose from. This means that you aren’t stuck with a “one size fits all” pillow that you either love or hate. You can then change the way you position the pillow and remove the middle insert to find what suits you best or help you transition to the pillow.

How often do you replace your pillow?

The general rule is every 1-2 years we should replace our pillows as you can get a collection of dust mites, mould and skin cells collecting over time. However, you may find that there are other ways you know it is time to change it up. If you feel that you aren’t getting enough support and have constant neck issues or headaches or an issue is lingering for more than you anticipate then it may be time for an update!

Dynamic Chiropractic NSW stock a wide range of pillow products to suit your requests and needs. Please feel free to call the clinic or to ask Dr Amy Norman at your next consultation!