Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial when it comes to maintaining good health, so creating the perfect sleeping environment is key. You’ll need to make sure that you choose the correct mattress to suit your body, but did you know your pillow plays an important part too? Choosing a pillow in line with your sleeping position will allow you to get a restful, cosy sleep, and reduce the chance of you waking up in pain.
Thankfully, there is a huge range of mattresses and pillows to choose from, whether you’re looking for the best mattress for an RV, a mattress to relieve pain, or to help you recover from a workout – there is something for everyone. We’ll take a closer look at the various levels of firmness for your pillow to see which would benefit your overall sleep quality.
Loft Vs. Firmness
When shopping for your perfect pillow, these are two terms that you’re going to be seeing a lot of, so it helps to know the difference between the two. Firmness refers to the way your pillow feels and is often ranked from soft, medium soft, medium, and firm. Varying firmness means you can choose the best when it comes to enhancing your sleep and providing you with optimum comfort. The term loft is used to describe the thickness of a pillow and its height. Low loft pillows are flatter and help to keep the neck neutral with the spine. High loft pillows conform to the spine. The type of firmness and loft you choose should be based on your personal comfort, as well as what is right for your body, and sleeping position, which we will look at below.
Pillows for types of sleepers
The way that you sleep is one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to choosing the right mattress and pillow for your body. There are 3 main positions which will all require various firmness to give you a high level of comfort and support throughout the night. Here are a few sleeping positions you may be familiar with, and the type of pillow which would be best for them.
Stomach sleepers
This type of sleeper is most comfortable on their front. They need a supportive mattress like an innerspring or hybrid product that is firm to prevent their body from sinking and creating pressure on the lumbar region. The stomach sleeper will need a pillow that is low in terms of loft, and soft as a contrast to their mattress. The pillow they use should be soft, and flat so that it does not create stress on the neck.
Side sleepers
As the name suggests, this sleeper is most comfortable on their side. They suit a memory foam or hybrid mattress that can relieve pressure from the hips and shoulders and contour the body so that they remain supported. The best type of pillow for a side sleeper is a firm product, that has a medium loft. This will help to support the cervical spine – reducing the chance of aches and pain when they wake. A medium loft pillow will fill the space between the neck and the mattress, relieving pressure for a comfortable night’s sleep.
Back sleepers
These types of sleepers prefer to sleep – you guessed it – on their backs, but did you know there are two distinct types of back sleepers? One is the starfish, which tend to have their arms above their head or to the side, and soldiers who sleep with their arms tight to the side of their bodies. Both types of back sleepers will need a medium-firm pillow to support the head and neck through the night. Much like side sleepers, their mattress will need to contour and support the body, and a medium-firm pillow can help keep them comfortable and pain-free during the night.
Combination sleepers
These sleepers combine all positions to find which is most comfortable for them. They move around a lot during the night, so how are you meant to choose a pillow that’s suitable in every position? Soft pillows are said to be the best for these sleepers. A versatile solution would be a down pillow, which can help to keep them comfortable no matter which way they sleep.
