The Best Pillows For Sleeping

It’s all about your comfort and what makes you sleep best. Choosing an ideal pillow is not a task that should be taken lightly at all. Pillow selection must form an integral part of your total sleep comfort process and must be in conjunction with other key elements such as mattress and sheet selection. After all is done and choices over the mattress, sheets and pillows are made remember it does not end there, make sure your room is ideal for sleep, for example a comfortable temperature, no or dim light and noise proofed as much as possible. Ensure your sleep routine is adequate, let your good habits dictate a restful night.

Choosing the right pillow should take into consideration the following factors:

1) Your normal sleep position

2) If you currently snore or suffer from any breathing disorder

3) Any allergies

1) Your sleep position is integral to choosing the right pillow. It is said that the best position to fall asleep in is on your side however this is not the essence of this article. What ever your position falling asleep, your pillow will tend to vary. For the stomach sleepers, a flatter than normal pillow is recommended . For the side sleepers, determine the best pillow that keeps your spine alligned, fill that space between the neck and shoulder. For the back sleepers, you need to stay away from the extra firm high pillows, leaning more towards the medium firmness that provide a softer and more comfortable support and does not tend to throw your head forward.

2) There are many snorers out there and you can refer to the article that addresses this here. The best pillows for you are those with a hollow middle where the air passage is allowed to remain open for the free flow of oxygen throughout the night.

3) Allergies should be taken into account when choosing your pillow as well. Those of us with any form of allergies to dust, mites or various organic materials may opt for the man-made synthetic pillows. This serves as a good alternative to down or feathers.

Some other points to note are that pillows do have an expiry date. While it is not labelled or widely touted, you should ideally change your pillows every 12-18 months and definately not keep it longer than 24 months. A past prime pillow can contain dust mites, dead skin cells, fungus and mildew which can affect your health and of course your sleep.

Choosing the right pillow shold be right up there with making the correct choice of mattress. It is critical to get it right. The types of pillows out there include:

Anti-snore pillow: Marketing and advertising blitzes have taken the science out of many of these pillows but research it a little. Try it in the store, feel if it is allowing you to breathe easier in your normal sleep position. Check the return policy if it fails.

Cervical Pillows: Providing extra support for the neck and available in various shapes and sizes.

Cool pillows: Filled with beads that remove the heat from your face. There is a continuous sensation like you are on the “cool” spot on a pillow.

Positional pillows: As mentioned above, these can vary from stomach, side or back sleepers. It is advised that you try it out at the store before deciding which is ideal taking into consideration your body specifications and your angle of sleep for example.

Water pillows: Mostly recommended for theraputic purposes, users can adjust the firmness and height dependant on their physical needs.