A survey conducted by a famous Dr. Idzikowski of the Edinburgh Sleep Center tabulated that out of a thousand people, six-hundred ninety have been found to sleep on their sides. Not surprising since most human beings have been sleeping in their mother’s wombs on their sides, in a curled up fetal position. For every position there is a certain type of pillow that is ideal. That being said, the answer to the question “What is the best pillow for side sleepers?” would vary from person to person depending their side sleeping position.
What are The Different Side Sleeping Positions
Believe it or not there are actually varieties of side sleeping positions in humans. These are the log, the yearning position, and the ever-popular fetal position. The log is characterized by straight side sleeping position with hands on the side. The yearning position is characterized by a person yearning for something, most commonly, yearning position sleepers such as myself have a hard time sleeping without hugging something, in my case a pillow. The fetal position on the other hand is the most common, described by the curling up of the body of the sleeper similar to the baby’s position inside the mother’s womb, as the name suggests.
The best side sleeper pillow type for each Position
For logs and yearning position side sleepers, a neck or cervical pillow with a knee pillow is the best side sleeper pillow, since it supports the neck by providing a deep area for the head to rest and a supportive place to keep the neck in aligned with the spine while sleeping, but a knee pillow is an optional beneficial addition to get the benefits that a body pillow provides.
Most yearning and fetal position side sleepers, find it easy to get to sleep while hugging something, hence the best pillow I can recommend is the body pillow. I, myself, am a fetal position sleeper, and I sleep hugging a body pillow. With the body pillow’s long body, I can easily find something to hug, support my neck, and place something between my knees for lower back support.
The reason why most people put pillows between their knees is for lower back support. During non-REM sleep, our bodies move during sleep, and sometimes their is a tendency to twist the lower back. For old and middle-aged, people this has sometimes posed as a problem, hence having a side sleeper pillow could really aid not only your comfort but also your protection.
When Buying the Pillow, Consider these criteria
You must identify what type of side sleeper you are before deciding to purchase a side sleeper pillow, if you are a combination of any of the above mentioned variations, you might consider buying multiple pillows for your head, arms, and back, just to be on the safe side, so that if you’re not comfortable, you can always switch positions and variations. It’s also important to consider the type of material the pillow is made of. Orthopedic pillows are great for the neck, but not great for hugging, in my opinion. Remember to also choose something you are not allergic to, cotton pillows seem to commonly be the least allergenic. Easy Snooze has also suggested in one of its articles, to buy multiple pillow cases to change every other day in order to promote good hygiene and avoid blemishes.