The second part to ensuring you have a great sleeping set up is having a suitable pillow. Sometimes people come into the clinic and mention they wake up with neck pain for no apparent reason! This sometimes can be related to your pillow.

There are a couple great ways to check to see if your pillow is knackered and you need to replace it.

• It’s covered in stains
• It’s lost it’s fullness – you find yourself folding it multiple times to get the perfect height
• It’s lumpy and misshapen
• It’s older than 18 months/1 yea

Is this pillow right for you?

Thickness/height

Everybody has their preferences for pillow height that can be influenced on sleep position.

Sleeping position tips

There are no hard and fast rules when coming to sleeping positions. If we were to record you sleep (we promise we won’t) you would move up to 40 times per night. However, I know there are some people that stay in the same position all night.

Side sleeper – firmer pillow. A pillow height that prevents your neck sitting in a twisted position is best.

Front sleeper – thinner pillow. Those that sleep on their front often find a thinner pillow is better as a thicker, more plump pillow can feel suffocating!

Back sleeper – either thin/thick pillow maybe be suitable

• Find yourself stacking pillows = pillow’s too thin
• Neck feeling sore/touching the ceiling – pillows too thick/high

As always, comfort is key!

Fill power? What’s that then?

Fill power represents the quality of the filling. In short, the higher the number, the higher the quality – 600 represents a high-quality filling that should have a longer life.

Type of fibre

There are many different types of fibre and pillow fillings – I won’t go into all the different types as I believe you are best heading to the shop and trying for yourself! Which one feels best to you?

Neck pain? Memory foam pillows have been very popular in recent years due to their ability to change and mould to the shape of your head, neck, and shoulders making you feel supported and comfortable.

Bonus tip: If you find yourself waking up with a dry mouth/blocked nose, check for allergies. Two main reasons include an old pillow (full of dead skin and sweat remember), and type of fibre (typically cheaper feathers that hasn’t been treated or washed properly). In this case choose a hypoallergic pillow fibre and you’ll find your sleep quality improve and your nose a lot clearer!

Prolong your pillows life!

Pillow protectors

Same premise as mattress protectors, a pillow protector is a cheap addition that can increase the life of the pillow and can easily be washed.

Buy multiple pillows

Buying multiple pillows reduces the overall use of one keeping them nice, fresh, and plump. Most retailers offer deals (2for1) or sell pillows in sets of 2 -take advantage!

You can wash your pillows too!

Read the instructions on the tag before washing. If in doubt go for a lower temperature and spin. Ensure the pillow can dry in a relatively quick time and that it is fully dry before using again. Air drying is preferable to tumble dry.

Do you have any more tips? What type of pillow have you found best? Do you know someone that would benefit from reading this, please share the love!

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Check out our blog about finding a suitable mattress