When it comes to healthy living habits, there are lots of small things we are told to keep an eye on in our daily lives. We’re told to watch our diets, exercise on a regular basis, drink lots of water…
I could go on- we’ve all heard these same talking points of traditional wisdom over and over throughout the years. With all of that being said, there is one bit of health and well-being advice that often goes overlooked, if it’s even mentioned at all.
Sleep is a huge part of the human experience, and so it should be said without question that getting a good night of sleep is important to your overall health and well-being.
While choosing the right mattress is part of what contributes to getting a good night’s sleep, today we are going to be focusing on the other huge component of that equation: having a good pillow.
We will be getting into the nitty-gritty of the how’s and why’s you should invest in a good pillow, but most of it comes down to looking out for your body. A firm pillow, one that is good at doing its job, keeps your head, neck, and shoulders both supported and comfortable while you catch those precious zzz’s.
This helps your breathing, allows your body to reset itself, and helps your mind to clear the cobwebs out and ready itself for another day of input. If you’ve ever had periods of poor sleep, and just going through your day in a haze, you may have been experiencing something as simple as needing a new pillow. So, let’s go over the specifics.
You might not think so at first, but there are many sides to the matter of what type of firm pillow you should invest in. A good place to begin may be to look at how just about every company out there makes the claim their pillows are the best and offer superior comfort.
It’s true that a lot of this all boils down to marketing, but in certain cases, the claims these companies are making aren’t necessarily false or misleading. Often, it just comes down to what type of sleeper are you, and what type of fabric and material works best for you. Pillow manufacturers aren’t mind-readers, so when it comes to the research on what’s best for you, you’re going to have to put in the legwork and do the research.
If you don’t research what pillow works best for your body and sleeping patterns, a lot of the marketing these companies invest in may end up misleading you in the long run. If that happens, you’ll find yourself still sleeping poorly, but now for completely different reasons; you’ve made a poor purchase, and that brand-new pillow just isn’t doing the job you need it to do.
So, think twice, and read carefully before running out and just spending cash on the first firm pillow you lay eyes on. It’s articles like this one that is going to help you choose just the right one for your specific situation, so read on.
While we’re all guilty of bad habits in our daily lives, perhaps the easiest to let go on, and unfortunately one of the most damaging to us at the same time, is poor sleep. Continuously not getting a good night’s rest can do serious damage to your body in the long term. You might not think so at first, but what starts of as going through your day can quickly grow into not being able to function or handle simple day-to-day tasks.
Drowsiness, light-headedness, concentration problems- all of these issues and more can sometimes be tied to poor sleeping habits. While some healthy habits are harder than others to keep up on, this is one that shouldn’t be ignored, nor is it difficult to correct. A bit of research, and one purchase is all it takes.
Sleeping with the correct pillow improves your overall sleeping experience by keeping your spine positioned correctly. This seemingly simple correction helps to line up (no pun intended) several different aspects of your physical well being.
You’ll find your comfort increased, your breathing more consistent and smoother, your shoulders will be relaxed, and perhaps most importantly, you will find it easier to calm your brain down and drift to sleep. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re really talking about here- getting your body to the point where your mind can switch off for the day, and start preparing yourself for the day to come.
Last but not least, before we discuss the best firm pillows worthy of your time and money, we should touch on the different types of sleeping positions, and the pros and cons with each of them. Again, it’s not something you might think about too often, but issues like pillows and sleeping positions matter as your body begins to age.
There’s lots of debate on the topic, but the general consensus seems to be that the best position for sleeping is on your left side. Doing so keeps your back aligned, allows for steady breathing, and provides cushioning support, and protection for your heart and the surrounding tissue. Past that, things get murky. Sleeping on your back is seen as common and fairly healthy, but can sometimes lead to back pain and apnea. Sleeping on your stomach is the second most common position, but can also lead to breathing issues. See? Complicated. Suffice to say, you may be best off on your left side.
But what about the pillows themselves? Well, that’s a far easier matter to resolve. In our blog, we’re going to be talking about several makes and models of pillows. There’s a healthy array of diversity to hopefully take into account everyone’s own unique preferences. Everything from goose down, foam, hypoallergenic, and more traditional pillows will be discussed and analyzed. This should help you figure out the choice of pillow that is best for you given several different factors.
