As you know I often find sleeping quite painful. I blame the fibromyalgia, but it could just be an ageing body, a dodgy mattress and the wrong pillows. Or a combination of all of the above.
Anyway, since getting a mattress topper (thanks Mum), there has been some relief for my back. Now it's time to think about my neck.
It's time to research pillows.
According to Redbook Magazine March 2016, your predominant sleep position will determine which pillow is right for you.
So to test a pillow we've got to lie down with it. Get the bed ready Big W, I'm gonna need an hour or so to work this out ...
Apparently the standard rule of thumb with pillows is that it should hold your neck in a similar position as when you're standing upright.
Unless you wake up with congestion or dry mouth, which means you may need to raise your head a little higher to avoid sleep apnea issues.
If you're a side sleeper then a fluffy pillow is apparently the way to go to help keep your neck parallel to the mattress.
For back sleepers a flatter less supportive pillow is apparently best to stop your chin pitching forward towards your chest.
Stomach sleepers should aim for the thinnest of pillows to stop their necks from overarching.
Huh. That's all interesting stuff, but I might need a different pillow for every night of the week!
When I first get into bed the most comforting position is on my side all cuddled up with a very fluffy pillow and lots of blankets to cuddle up to.
However, if I am willing to forego the "fluffy pillow cuddles" I have found in the past that I get the best quality sleep and the least neck pain when I sleep flat on my back with a chiropractic pillow (the one with the little neck support in it).
Until I started writing this I'd forgotten about the benefits of the chiropractic pillow. The crawling into bed with a fluffy pillow is just so appealing! The chiropractic pillow seems so "clinical" in comparison.
Anyway, as I sit here in the pre-dawn with a crick in my neck and pain shooting up and down my Deep Fried spine, it might be time for me to give Mr Fluffy the flick and head back to a more medicinal approach.
Do you wake up with a crick in your neck?
What pillow works best for you?
That's my pillow talk for the day ...
Have a good one!
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I had a selection of 4 different style pillows at the hotel in Sydney on the weekend and none of them worked. I came have with a sore neck and back. Nothing better than coming home to my own bed and pillow. Interesting info about how to choose the right pillow. I like a firm pillow and I sleep on my back.
ReplyDeleteI need to get back to sleeping on my back I think. Good for my neck and good for my cleavage!
DeleteI have the indent pillow but more because I got it on a whim than I needed it...
ReplyDeleteMy masseuse gave me mine because she had also bought it on a whim and didn't need it.
DeleteI have a really expensive pillow and it curves to my head. But I still get a sore neck from my computer. BTW I love your new site
ReplyDeleteThanks Natalie! New bloggy clothes after how ever many years. I also thought I should make it obvious that I blog about ageing positively instead of just implying it through my posts. Figured I needed to spell out the niche
DeleteGreat post Leanne!
ReplyDeleteI think that's the exact same thing I wrote on your blog this morning Min! LOL
DeleteI often get a crick in my neck from sleeping wrong or I suspect it's really from the position of my neck as I read in bed before going to sleep! It unfortunately results in 3 day head aches so I do pay particular attention to the position of my head and pillow and try not to read in bed before I go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteI get those headaches too, Shockers. I really need to pay more attention to my sleeping position. I'm hoping by writing about it will hold me more accountable to myself.
DeleteI use a fairly thin pillow, so the last time I went away, the pillows (even when I asked for flatter ones) were so huge they hurt my neck. Totally taking my own pillow next time!
ReplyDeleteYep! Take you're own pillow.
DeleteI bought myself a Chiropracter approved, really expensive pillow and work up feeling worse, switched back to my cheap soft pillow and love it. :-)
ReplyDeleteOuch. That's a bugger, Oh well, nice that you can get back to cuddling your nice lovely fluffy again.
DeleteI love my chiro pillow but sadly so did my puppy! So he has chewed bits out of the memory foam everywhere! I am considering getting a bamboo pillow mainly because i watch far too much daytime tv and I have always been a sucker for ads!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I saw those bamboo pillows at the Canberra Show last weekend. I was seriously considering but then decided what if I pay all this money and I end up worse? I really need to try before I buy first ...
DeleteI hate a fat pillow. Hubby bought one of those bamboo pillows and it was really fat and firm - he hated it too as it didn't do his neck any favours. I know I keep my flat, soft pillow too long because I hate the thought of trying out a new one.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though we need sleep shops that let us try it all while actually sleeping before we buy.
DeleteI have a memory foam pillow- works for me!
ReplyDeleteI have one of those too. Seems to be too big for me though. Or something. SO now it's on the Hubsters side of the bed.
DeleteI find if I get a medium height cheap pillow every year or so it works great. I've tried the expensive ones but they aren't much better. Yoga helps by neck the most! #TeamIBOT
ReplyDeleteYoga! Between you and Kathy at Yinyang I really need to listen and give it a try
DeleteI'm a side sleeper so I opt for the fluffy variety. I often wake up with neck pain but that's not from bad pillows, it's from grinding my teeth! I love it when I go to stay at a fancy hotel, they have the best pillow, some hotels even have a pillow menu! Imagine that!
ReplyDeleteGrinding your teeth. Eek! A pillow menu would be good. Maybe I could spend a week at one of those and then work out which is best and buy their pillows from them.
DeleteI sleep with a medium pillow and a u shape pillow. I like to wrap the u shape pillow around myself kind of like a mini body pillow. I need a new one though as it's looking a bit sad.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of a U shaped pillow! Huh, I should look into that
Deletereally great
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ReplyDeletejust a great post about pillow. Thanks and keep sharing.
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ReplyDeletegreat
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ReplyDeleteOur pillow can make all the difference between a good night's rest and pain, both the morning after and possibly longer.I think we should consider our sleeping style to get the perfect pillow ..
ReplyDeleteGreat Post
ReplyDeleteoften get a crick in my neck from sleeping wrong or I suspect it's really from the position of my neck as I read in bed before going to sleep! It unfortunately results in 3 day head aches so I do pay particular attention to the position of my head and pillow and try not to read in bed before I go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteJona
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