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Pillow 101: What Pillow Is Best for Me?

Pillow 101: What Pillow Is Best for Me?

Let’s be honest. For most of us, our pillows are an afterthought. We spend all this time shopping for the right mattress, but what about finding the right pillow? Not so much. Too often as consumers, we get tunnel vision on mattresses when we should also be asking ourselves “what pillow is best for me?”

For example, let’s say you have a top-of-the-line mattress from a brand like Tempur-Pedic or Purple. Did you know that an old, worn or ill-fitting pillow could still be enough to wreck your sleep quality? That’s why here at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet, our resident mattress experts are pillow experts too!

In the short guide below, we’re going to share the most important information you need to know about shopping for pillows. But most importantly, you’ll know how pillows should fit and how to find the right pillow for you.

Myths, Misconceptions, & Finding the Best Pillow for Me

person throwing a pillow

Before we get started, it’s important to dispel some common misconceptions about pillows, how they should fit, and their importance to quality sleep. That way we’re all on the same page. There are several persistent myths about pillows that we hear on a regular basis. Here are a few of them:

Myth #1 – They Aren’t Really That Important

As we mentioned at the beginning, consumers have a tendency to treat pillows as nothing more than an accessory. Instead, you should be thinking of your pillow and mattress as a singular, unified sleep system – because that’s exactly what it is. Pillows are critically important to quality sleep.

Why is finding the right pillow so incredibly important? Because your pillow supports approximately 1/3rd of your spine and makes up around 1/4th of your bed’s sleeping surface. As a result, your pillows are responsible for at least that much of your comfort.

Myth #2 – Thick & Fluffy Is Always Better

man in gray robe sleeping on a giant, comically large pillow

Keeping Pillow Myth #1 in mind, most consumers need to reexamine how to buy a pillow. However, instead of doing our due diligence, our tendency is to just buy one that looks nice and fluffy from our big box store of choice. Half the time, we don’t even try it before buying!

But there’s a problem – thicker pillows are not always more comfy or supportive. Just because it looks fluffy doesn’t mean that it’s the best pillow for you.

Myth #3 – One-Size-Fits-All Is Good Enough for Everyone

If you’re asking “what pillow is best for me?” (which you should be), the answer really shouldn’t be the same for you as for someone else with a totally different preferred sleep position, weight, height, or other different measurements. These factors matter. By dismissing their importance, you’re possibly sleeping on a pillow that isn’t best for your sleep style or body type. Choosing the wrong pillow can be a literal pain in the neck.

picture comparing size of different size pillows

Yes, there are pillows on the market that present themselves as the happy medium, perfect for all sleepers. And sure, maybe these pillows are at least somewhat suitable for most sleepers. But just like a one-size-fits-all garment, are they really a perfect fit for anyone? Not usually.

3 Critical Questions for Pillow Shoppers

By now, you’re probably seeing a trend. Far too many sleepers don’t take their pillow selection seriously. Either they don’t want to take the time to find the right pillow or they’ve been led to believe it doesn’t really matter.

Hopefully by now you see the value of finding the perfect, Goldilocks-style, this-one-is-just-right pillow for you! But exactly how do you find it? The questions below are the best place to start.

What’s Your Sleep Position?

collage of woman tossing and turning sleeping on side, back and stomach

This question is straight-forward, but your preferred sleep position is very important when shopping for both mattresses and pillows. Are you part of the 60% to 75% of the population that sleep on their sides? Or are you the second most common – the back sleeper? Or finally, are you the rarest sleeper of all – the stomach sleeper?

Why does it matter? The short answer is that the angle where your neck and cervical spine intersect with the pillow varies widely based on your sleep position. For reasons we’ll address below, side sleepers should typically avoid thinner pillows, while back and stomach sleepers should generally avoid overly thick pillows.

What Size Is Your Frame? 

man and woman smiling and both holding a pillow

No, not your bed frame. We mean your frame. What is your build like? While being petite, full-figured, lanky or athletic can be a factor, we’re mostly interested in the width of your shoulders. Are your shoulders wide or narrow?

Just like with your sleep position, the width of your shoulders can change the angle of your neck where it meets the pillow. Especially for the majority of sleepers who sleep on their side. Side sleepers with broad shoulders will typically require a thicker pillow than side sleepers with narrow shoulders.

What Type of Mattress Do You Have at Home?

Finally, let’s consider your mattress at home. While this is usually less critical than the two questions above, you don’t want to buy a pillow that doesn’t play well with your mattress.

woman grimacing and holding neck in pain due to too thin of a pillow

 For instance, let’s say that you have an extremely plush mattress that you really sink into. Combine that with a thick pillow and your shoulders could sit significantly lower than your head and neck resting on the pillow. If your pillow puts your head/neck at either an upward or downward angle, you could be in for a world of hurt.

How To Find the Right Pillow

Here’s our process for fitting customers for pillows in our stores. This process is important because buying a pillow based on feel alone can be deceptive. While you can try these steps on your own, it really helps to have a pillow shopping buddy with a second set of eyes.

1)  After assessing your answers to the questions above, we select an option that we think fits your unique sleep profile.

2)  Next, we have you lie down on a mattress with your head on the pillow in your preferred sleeping position, whether that be back, side or stomach.

3)  Then, looking from the side of the mattress, we imagine a line from your tailbone all the way to the crown of your head. We want this line to be as straight as possible. This is to check for proper spinal alignment.

4)  If this imaginary line is straight, congrats, you’ve found a compatible pillow! However, if the line tilts downward where your head meets the pillow, that means that it is too thin or not supportive enough. If the line has an upward tilt, that means the pillow is either too thick or too firm. In either case, we’d find another option for you and reassess until we find one that’s just right for you.

Next Up: More Solutions for Your Sleep Issues!

Now that you know how to buy a pillow and how to decide for yourself “what pillow is best for me”, let’s shift focus to other factors in your life that may be keeping you from getting your best sleep. Be sure to read our other free, helpful resources on sleep including our Sleep Factors series:

Of course, if you’re in the market for a new set of pillows, we’d absolutely love for you to come in to any of our North Georgia furniture and mattress stores. Come in today, get fitted by one of our experts, and try our selection of top-quality pillows from premium companies like BedGear, Purple and Tempur-Pedic!

 
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