As a bedding accessory that supports your head and other parts of your body during your slumber, a good pillow is indispensable in getting you quality sleep. “[A pillow] that will make you more comfortable will improve the likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep,” said Harvard Medical School in its website health.harvard.edu.
On the other hand, the university warned that “pillows even hurt your health…a pillow that’s too soft or too firm often leads to neck pain.” Other problems included interference with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for sleep apnea, and sleep deprivation.
Yet Harvard Medical School said specialized pillows, such as wedge pillows, has health benefits. “Special pillows can help stave off some problems, such as heartburn symptoms…among lifestyle changes, elevating the head to 30 degrees can be effective,” the School noted. “Sleeping with your upper body elevated at an angle can also reduce symptoms of sinus problems…[while] specially designed pillows can help people keep their CPAP masks on.”
Finding the quality pillow for your sleeping positions
The American Sleep Association said a good pillow should have “the firmness and loft that keeps your spine aligned…[and] pick a pillow fill material that you find comfortable.” But this is easier said than done because of the sheer number of pillow types and sizes on the market.
Harvard Medical School said these include state of the art pillows made of “materials that conform to your shape [memory foam], keep you cool, wick away moisture, or repel mold and dust mites.”
Old-school options, such as pillows filled with down and feather, also remain popular. “Before the advent of synthetic materials, down was the filling of choice. Taken from the soft underbelly of a duck or goose, down offers a comfortable, fluffy experience,” said the American Sleep Association in its website sleepassociation.org. Other popular fill materials include buckwheat, millet and other seeds. Consumer Reports added that the pillow’s measurements are just as important as its fillings.
A 2018 survey by Consumer Reports revealed that 70 percent of people identified as side sleepers. “A firm or extra-firm pillow is the best pillow to maintain the proper alignment or curve of the neck and head at…the most comfortable height of 10 centimeters off the mattress,” Consumer Reports suggested. “A traditional or contoured memory foam or latex pillow can support the head at the proper angle and might not flatten as quickly over time when compared with a polyester or down pillow.”
Webmd.com also recommended using “long, thick, bolstered-shaped body pillows and placing the item against your spine. [Body pillows also] keep you from turning over onto your side,”
If you are a back sleeper, Consumer Reports recommends that you use a pillow “that supports or cradles your head without losing the natural curve of your neck,” such as “medium-loft, medium-firm models filled with down alternative, memory foam, or latex foam..”
Consumer Reports and other experts are aware that sleeping on your back could cause sleep apnea, a momentary halt in breathing, or snoring, in which your airways relax and narrow, and your tongue falls backward. “Gravity can cause the tongue to block the airway and create the disruptive buzzing, [so] one solution is to prop up the sleeper using two to three firm pillows or a wedge pillow to elevate the top half of the body,” noted WebMD.com.
They also called for the use of anti-snoring pillows.“[Anti-snore] pillows aim to align your head and shoulders to keep your airways as open as possible, or keep you sleeping on your side,” said WebMD.com. “The pillows come in many shapes, from rectangles to triangles to ovals. Unlike many regular pillows, many are lower in the center and higher on the sides.” Anti-snoring pillows are also distinguished by a narrower and firmer center part, as well as a cutout to prevent sleeping on your back to prevent sleep apnea and snoring.”
Anti-snoring pillows are made with polyurethane, the main component for memory foam. The material is “strong enough to keep you in position, and it provides neck support for comfort.” WebMD.com also recommended using wedge pillows if you continue sleep on your back, instead of using extra pillows.
“[Extra pillows are] actually worse for your head, your neck, and your snoring. A wedge-shaped pillow, often made of memory foam, works because it supports your shoulders and back,” noted WebMD.com. Wedge pillows can also help ease acid reflux, which is caused by stomach acids surging up your esophagus.
Consumer Reports advised stomach sleepers maintain your neck’s natural curve by using “a thin or soft and scrunchable pillow filled with down or feathers…polyester, or thin foam.” However, “a firm, high-loft pillow could leave you with a sore neck.”
The best quality pillow for combination sleepers combines two or more materials. “[Combination sleeper pillows] might have softer and firmer sections, or one that’s lower in the center [for back sleeping] and higher on the sides [for side sleeping].” Buckwheat hulls and pillows made of multiple materials meet this criteria.
Whether you sleep on your back, on your side, or your stomach, you can be sure King Koil’s range of quality pillows have you covered. These include the Nano Fiber pillow. The pillow is filled with soft fiber and silicon, making it ideal for back sleepers.
The King Koil FossFlakes is the go-to pillow for side sleepers. The pillow’s high loft and soft support are ideal qualities for them, as are its Siliconized Polyester Fibers and Cotton Downproof Fabric filling.
King Koil’s Supreme Plush Pillow is filled with Suprelle Fiber. Imported from Germany, the fiber is able to continuously adapt and adjust to the weight of your head and sleeping position, giving a balance between the softness and support you need for a good night’s sleep. As such, it remains fluffy, moldable and resilient night after night. The Supreme Plush Pillow from King Koil is reliably refluffed, enabled for your washing machine and long lasting.
The Bio Organic Latex Pillow from King Koil also provides options for those who suffer neck pain. It comes with 2 comfort level options (firm and soft), also provides pressure relief and perfect head support. The open cell structure of latex creates hygienic, anti-microbacterial and hypoallergenic character. famous for its excellency of durability, Bio Organic Latex Pillow offers consistency and same comfort for years.
The Signature Goose is compatible with stomach sleepers due to its thin, soft size, while the contours support your neck’s natural curves.
Head out to your nearest King Koil outlet to buy these quality pillows or purchase them online to get the good night’s sleep you need.
