Choosing a suitable pillow should be a priority when choosing your bedding, since it is decisive for your quality of sleep, and it is a personalized product depending on your needs and preferences; an inadequate pillow can worsen your quality of sleep to the point of causing you pain.
When it comes to suitability, many think the perfect pillow does not exist, each of us must find the one that best suits what we need, and the pillow that best suits you may be the opposite of what another person requires. It must ensure a correct alignment of your neck and spine, maintaining a natural tension-free position.
The position you have when sleeping is extremely important, since depending on it you will need a different mattress and pillow. Depending on the position you prefer, your neck will be in different positions and there are different pillows for each of them, varying in materials, heights and firmness. You should get advice before buying your ideal pillow, so keep reading to find out which is the best option for you if you usually sleep on your side.
Using the right pillow when sleeping on your side can make a difference in terms of mitigating and preventing cervical pain, hence the importance of this decision.
The Best Pillow Height for Side Sleepers
A pillow that is too high when sleeping on your side will inevitably increase the tension in your muscles in the cervical region and on your shoulders. It increases the incidence of respiratory disorders such as snoring, which can disturb other people at your home.
Likewise, you can have similar problems if the pillow is too low, so the best choice when sleeping on your side is an intermediate height that keeps your head perfectly aligned with your spine.
Some of the guidelines that you can follow to choose the best pillow if you sleep on your side, are, for example, measuring the width of your shoulders, since the distance from your neck to the end of your shoulders must be equal to the height of your ideal pillow, with this measure you guarantee the stability of your spine.
Pillow Firmness for Side Sleepers
You can use the distance between your ears and your shoulders to help you determine this, when sleeping on your side you need a pillow that maintains the same distance from both sides; a pillow that is too soft loses this stability, and one side may generally be higher than the other.
Therefore, to sleep on your side you need a medium to firm pillow, in this way, your head will not sink, bending your neck as a consequence.
Last but not least, the pillow material is the last part of the equation. To comply with the required firmness, it can be made of both memory foam and latex. Both guarantee softness and adaptability without jeopardizing neck stability. They keep your spine aligned; however, latex is not recommended for humid climates. By following these tips, you can choose the best pillow for you, as a side sleeper. Not sure on loft? Use our pillow height calculator to find your ideal pillow height.
