The question of how to choose a pillow is a common one. After all, who hasn’t spent the entire night tossing and turning, finding it impossible to fall asleep? Who hasn’t woken up with a neck so stiff or painful that it is difficult to function that day? This simple-seeming piece of bedding can determine whether you get a restful night of sleep – and all the benefits associated with that – or whether you spend your days groggy, sore, and struggling with a spectrum of related health issues.
Know How to Choose a Pillow for Rest, Health, and Weight Loss
Simply knowing how to choose a pillow goes a lot further than simply making you feel the most comfortable overnight. While that is very important, so are the benefits of the quality sleep you get when your back and neck are in proper alignment. Your sleep is associated with prevention of disease, mental health, cognitive function, and even broader issues such as weight loss and physical performance.
If you don’t have the correct bedding for your sleep style and needs, then it’s time to start focusing on which changes you need to make. You deserve quality rest every night, and if it comes down to how to choose a pillow for yourself, it’s definitely worth the moment of effort.
How to Choose a Pillow Based on the Right Factors
Beyond knowing what your typical sleep position is (back, side, front, or a combination of those), there are a few other things to consider when you choose a pillow for yourself. The following steps will help to guide you to make the right choice for your comfort and sleep quality.
1 – Softness Level
If you’re looking for extremely soft support under your head, consider purchasing a down pillow (be sure you’re buying down and not feathers. Feathers add firmness and quills!). That said, for a cooler feel, in case of down allergies, or if you are vegan, a quality down alternative can provide you with similar delicate softness to genuine down.
2 – Firmness Level
Another factor to consider in how to choose a pillow is the firm support your body requires. If you need support contouring your neck to relieve pain and access pressure points, you might leave down and down alternatives behind in favor of memory foam that will shape itself specifically to your head, neck and shoulders while still cradling them while you sleep.
3 – Materials
As you saw in point 1, there are factors such as allergies to contend with when you learn how to choose a pillow for yourself. As you consider materials, allergens are a top factor to consider, but so are factors such as firmness and softness, warming and cooling materials, and even the need for washability.
4 – Comfort
When it all comes down to it, you need to feel comfortable in your bedding. Therefore, even if you follow all the advice on this list, it’s important not to ignore the actual feeling of your bedding under your head. Remember that it might take some time to adapt to a new type of bedding. If you’re not used to the pillow you choose, it might mean that you’ll need more than one night to become accustomed to it. If it causes you pain, that’s another story, but give yourself a week to decide whether you find a new one to be comfortable. Still, first impressions matter. If possible, give a pillow you’re considering a “test drive” at the store using a display model or even trying out a new option through its plastic.
Final Thoughts About How to Choose a Pillow
Don’t forget that as important as it is to know how to choose a pillow, your bedtime routine and what you do during the daytime will also determine the quality of your sleep. Taking a nighttime sleep aid on nights when you’re simply not restful, keeping up a regular bedtime and waking time, and winding down at least an hour before going to bed can all make a difference to your sleep quality that will ensure you get the most out of your bedding choices.
