When was the last time you purchased a new pillow? If “a long time ago” comes to mind, then maybe it’s time you splash out a little and give your neck the comfort and support its after!

Are you still sleeping on the same pillow you had 10 years ago? Waking up with a sore neck? Or are you constantly folding or fluffing up your pillow just to try and get comfortable?

If this is you, then this is a little hint that its time to go pillow shopping!

However, when it comes to pillow shopping, its not as easy as you think…. With the wide variety of pillows out there it can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack!

Sleep like a baby!

When it comes to sleep there is one thing that we all want, a good, undisturbed and comfortable rest every night. However, that old, flattened, floppy pillow might just be preventing you from sleeping like a baby!

So let’s test out how dead as doornail your pillow is:

Pillow Hygiene

Sleep plays an important part of our lives, in fact roughly 30% of our lives we spend sleeping! So yes, sleeping beauty, that’s a long time with your head on the pillow, no wonder they recommend replacing your pillow so soon!

As a general rule the recommendation of replacing your pillow is every 18months to 2 years, however depending on the pillows material this varies, as for memory foam pillows can be replaced every 3 years. Natural pillows have a longer life than those made of a synthetic material. So just like the food we buy, pillows too have an expiry!

So, what does it mean for our health? An old pillow can act like a dust collector- collecting dead skin, mould, fungi and mites, which can trigger allergies and affect our breathing, which is not ideal when sleep is vital for our health!

At the end of the day if the pillow is stained, smells or extremely floppy, unsupportive or past its expiry it should be replaced!

Pillows importance

Pillows help to support a healthy sleeping position, more importantly they are designed to help support our neck and back.

As the human body is structured with natural curves along our spine, a pillow assists in providing support for our head and neck to keep the body aligned. If our head, neck or back are supported incorrectly this can lead to pain, stiffness, strain and discomfort within those areas.

Ideally, we want our muscles to relax as soon as our head hits the pillow, however if a pillow is too high or too low, our body is unable to relax, forcing some muscles to be put on stretch and start working overtime- and you’re paying the fines when you wake up with that sore neck!

This one’s too soft, this one’s too hard, this one’s too fluffy…. 

Sounds like we have just jumped into the fairy-tale Goldilocks and the three bears! Choosing the right pillow can be just as hard as Goldilocks found to pick the porridge that was “just right”!

Let’s start by working out how you sleep- because yes this can help just a little! Although many of us when we sleep toss and turn, flip from our back to side to stomach, it can still be a good starting point to finding that perfect pillow and getting a great night’s sleep!

Side sleepers: go for a firmer, thicker pillow that is designed to keep our neck straight. A general guide for pillow thickness is by measuring the distance from your ear to the tip of your shoulder (acromion). Now to find that missing puzzle piece.

Stomach sleepers: go for a very soft pillow or ditch the pillow altogether!

Back sleepers: go for a flatter or softer pillow with some neck support that keeps the neck in a neutral position without flexing the neck too far forward. Best choice would be a pillow that supports your nature curvature of your neck.

At the end of the day the best pillow for anyone, is the one that feels COMFORTABLE!

Source from:https://www.bodywellhealthcare.com.au/pillow-talk-is-your-pillow-affecting-your-sleep/