Top Specialty Pillows for Side Sleepers
Table of Contents
Understanding Side Sleeping Posture
What to Look for in a Pillow for Side Sleepers
Top Speciality Pillow Types for Side Sleepers
How to Choose the Right Pillow for You
If you sleep on your side, you have likely experienced shoulder pain the next day. If your spine, shoulders, neck, and head are not properly supported while you sleep, this can lead to aches, stiffness, swelling, and misalignment.
Your shoulder joints are cushioned by bursae, which are small, fluid-filled sacs that act as a cushion to reduce friction and absorb shock. When you sleep on your side and your shoulders are not properly supported, the bursae can become painful and inflamed, leading to a condition called bursitis.
You spend a third of your life asleep; do not underestimate the importance of sleep posture! It influences the quality of your sleep and directly impacts overall health; it even affects certain medical conditions. Sleeping with proper support and alignment can relieve the stress on your spine and joints, and also affect your breathing, risk of sleep apnea, and acid reflux.
Understanding Side Sleeping Posture
Ideally, for a side sleeper, you need to maintain a neutral sleeping position. Your spine begins at the base of your head and extends all the way to your lower back, and a neutral position supports the curves of your neck, shoulder, and back in a straight, natural line. A speciality cervical pillow aligns the curves, relieving pressure and keeping you comfortable and well supported through the night.
When you lie on your side, there is a gap between your head and the mattress, which is the width of your shoulder. This gap, which is about 4-6 inches, needs to be supported by the right pillow to achieve a neutral sleep position. The goal is to prevent the head from tilting either up or down, ensuring the pillow fills the gap perfectly to keep the neck aligned with the rest of the spine.
What to Look for in a Pillow for Side Sleepers
If you experience neck pain while sleeping on your side, here are some features to look for in an orthopedic pillow:
- High Loft (Thickness): A side sleeper generally needs a pillow that is 4-6 inches thick (high loft). The thickness must match the distance between your ear and the outside of your shoulder.
- Medium to High Firmness: The pillow needs to be firm and retain its shape, so it resists compression and maintains a critical thickness all night long. A soft pillow will let your head sink too deeply, collapsing your neck down toward the mattress.
- Memory foam pillow material: This material conforms to your spine and provides even weight distribution, which relieves pressure points. This material also resists compression and does not flatten easily under the weight of your head, and maintains the required height for an effective ortho pillow.
- Contoured/Cervical Shape: Many side sleepers prefer a pillow with a contour or slight dip in the centre and thicker sides. The thick side supports the neck while the slight dip keeps the head properly aligned.
- Edge-to-Edge Support: Avoid pillows that are very soft around the edges, as the corners need to remain supportive to keep your shoulder pressed comfortably against the mattress.
Top Speciality Pillow Types for Side Sleepers
Duroflex’s new pillow range is targeted to ease back, shoulder, and neck pain. Here is an overview of the different pillow types.
- Cervical Pillows: Custom built for targeted neck support, with an ideal height of 4 inches. They are contoured pillows, with raised edges and a central dip. Your head and neck fit perfectly into the cervical pillow's curve, which bridges the gap between your shoulder and the mattress. This aligns your spine and relaxes your pain points, making the cervical pillow ideal for people with neck stiffness or posture issues.
- Orthopedic Pillows: These orthopedic pillows target relief from back pain. They’re shaped to support the natural curve of your spine and align your neck, head, and shoulders while you sleep. Orthopedic pillows provide tension relief along the entire length of your spine and are highly suitable for individuals with chronic pain.
- Memory Foam Pillows: The pillows contain a core of new-age, highly advanced memory foam. It contours to your body's shape and offers personalised support, allowing you to sleep pain-free and comfortably through the night. The memory foam pillow retains its shape and does not compress easily, providing complete support.
- Cooling & Fiber Pillows: The all-new Ice Dough™ core is a special cooling gel memory foam that allows for excellent airflow, ventilation, and breathability. Staying cool at night is important for temperature regulation and deep, uninterrupted sleep. The cooling gel, along with the pillow’s Arctic Ice™ covering fabric, makes your memory foam pillow 5x more breathable than any other.
How to Choose the Right Pillow for You
Choosing the right pillow has a direct impact on your sleep quality. If you are struggling with neck pain, a cervical pillow is what you are looking for—one that supports your neck and shoulders. For someone with chronic back pain, go for an orthopedic pillow – this provides overall spinal alignment, pain relief, and optimal back support. The cooling memory foam core is an added bonus to keep you cool, comfortable, and provide high-quality sleep. By choosing the right cervical pillow or ortho pillow, you are choosing better health.
