How to Choose the Best Pillow for Neck Pain
You spend about one-third of your day sleeping. The position of your neck during that time can have a great impact on your spine and any neck pain you experience. Here are some tips for choosing the best pillow if you suffer from neck pain.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Pillow
Pillow Material
Feather, polyester, latex, spring, or water. There are so many pillow types to choose from! So which is the best?
Feather, polyester, and latex are the most common pillows available on the market today. Of these choices, there’s evidence to suggest that, in terms of neck pain and position, latex pillows are a better option than either feather or polyester pillows.
However, there are new pillow materials entering the market including spring and water! Initial research on these has shown that they may be able to help reduce head and neck pain.
Pillow Height
People have different preferences when it comes to the height of their pillows. In fact, some prefer to use more than one pillow when sleeping to raise their head higher.
The height of your pillow affects the pressure on your neck and curvature of your spine during sleep hours. Both these can have an impact on head and neck pain.
So what is the optimal height for your pillow? The right height for you may not be the right height for the next person. It depends on your gender and how tall you are. However, a pillow height of roughly 3.9″ (10cm) has been shown to be optimal, considering the normal curvature of the spine.
Pillow Shape (Contoured Pillow vs. Regular Pillow)
Not all researchers agree on whether a contoured pillow is better than a standard pillow. However, there are some studies that have shown extended use of a contoured pillow can reduce neck pain in people with osteoarthritis.
The Best Pillow for Neck Pain Sufferers
Though it varies by individual, a 3.9″ thick latex pillow is a good choice. However, only you can know if you’re using the best pillow. If you’re continuously waking up with neck pain it might be time to change things up and try a contoured pillow.
Have you found a pillow that’s helped you with chronic neck pain?
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