What are some of the best neck pillows?
This was a recent question I received from a reader of this blog...
The “ Best “ Pillow descriptor is going to be different for every body. Just like preference of toothpaste. Someone may say the best pillow is one that helps them sleep the best. Another may say, the “best” pillow is one that helps with neck pain relief. Maybe relief from more serious symptoms such as numbness and tingling, or weakness in the upper extremity. Such as occipital neuralgia. Such as a Herniated Disc in the Neck. Another may say, the “best” pillow is one that keeps them cool at night. Another may say that the “best” pillow is one that allows them to sleep in any position comfortably - side and back sleeping. They may say this because they have a certain condition which keeps them sleeping in one certain position.
So, one Pillow that is “Best” for one person may not be the “best” for another. And I am in the business of pillows… so I have heard everything.
In my career, many pillows have come and gone and these are the ones that have lasted. Hopefully, you gather some information from my list that can help you make a better decision. Keep in mind, everyone is looking for something a little different when it comes to getting the right pillow. Here are some factors to look at when choosing the best pillow:
- Size of pillow - small, medium or large
- Can you sleep on your back or side (or stomach, but I don't recommend this)? If you have recently had cosmetic or facial surgery, you may want a pillow that allows you to sleep on your back only and keeps you from turning on your side. Same with an cervical fusion surgery.
- Does the pillow help with symptoms of neck pain, numbness and tingling, weakness, shooting pains. For example, for a patient who suffers from migraine headaches, they are going to want a neck pillow that helps them with that. For anyone who suffers with acute or chronic neck pain, the right pillow choice can be the difference between a good night of sleep vs no sleep at all.
- Does the pillow give you different options of sleeping? For example: different surfaces of sleeping.
- Does the pillow keep you relatively cool at night or does it make you warm. For example some memory foam pillow can create a very warm environment, disrupting your sleep
- Does the pillow give you proper support for your neck?
- Is the pillow the right firmness? Too firm, can create forward head posture, and not enough firmness can also be very uncomfortable for your neck and back. You can also buy adjustable pillows these days that allow you to adjust for the right firmness level
- Does the pillow help you with posture? So many of us are working on the computer or we are on our iphones, ipads and ipods that it is affecting our back posture. The right pillow can help you proper posture.
Anyways, lots to think about... It is definitely important to have the right pillow because we spend 1/3rd of our life sleeping...so make sure you get the right one.
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