When people think of what affect the quality of their sleep, most people think that it’s entirely down to the comfort and quality of the mattress they are sleeping on; other people think that it’s down to whether or not they wear socks or underwear while they sleep. Many people will instead blame their lack of sleep on external factors, like their partner who starts snoring the moment they fall asleep – and sound like a car starting up when they do it. Some people might even blame it on the dogs next door who bark them awake almost every night and keep interfering with their ability to fall back asleep.
But have you thought that your pillows could be the reason for the fact that you can’t sleep and keep waking up with neck pain, headaches or other uncomfortable symptoms? Yes, pillows are extremely important to the way you sleep – and they could directly be tied to the neck pain and headaches you have been experiencing. Even if you suffer from migraines instead of regular headaches, your neck – and your pillows – could be the cause of it. You might also be experiencing pain in your neck from a previous neck injury: There are many people who have injured their necks in accidents and people who have injured themselves playing sport, just to name two potential numbers.
So, what can you do if you are experiencing neck pain and think that it might be your pillows? Here’s a look at some of the best and most comfortable options when it comes to finding the best pillow for neck pain.
Why pillows are important for you
Many people think that their pillows aren’t an important factor in their daily life, and some people are just too cheap or too absentminded to go out and buy new pillows. First off, you should know that your old pillows are very likely gross and filled with thousands of creatures living inside it – these are called dust mites, and many people have a severe allergy to these. On another note, you should know that it’s never good to sleep on an old or cheap pillow – especially when you get to the point where you are stacking several old pillows on top of each other to make it more comfortable for you. If you’re experiencing headaches or other symptoms, then you can almost definitely know that it’s your pillows causing the problem and it might be time to switch – but this time, don’t just pick a regular pillow that’s going to cause problems for you in the long run just like the one you are looking to replace. Choose a pillow that’s specifically suited to dealing with long-term neck pain.
Old pillows really are a pain in the neck
So, we’ve already said that you shouldn’t hang on to old pillows for too long. But just why is that? And what do we mean by too long? Well, firstly, you’ll know that a pillow is old and has seen much better days by the point that the pillow has flattened down – and possibly changed color from the white that you once knew. This is not the best pillow for neck pain. Once you have to start stacking pillows on top of other pillows just for a little comfort then you know that you should toss the old pillow and move on to a new one. Old pillows are also gross and can cause severe allergies and sinus problems – this in turn can lead to headaches. And if pillows aren’t comfortable for you, then they could be causing neck and jaw pain – and even migraines and headaches to go along with it. Your old pillows could be the reason that your neck hurts when you wake up, and your old pillows could be the reason that you aren’t getting enough sleep. Did you know that pillows could have that much of an effect on the way that you sleep – and how you live your life when you are awake?
What neck pain can do to you
We’ve already established that bad pillows can be a direct cause for the fact that you’re experiencing pain in your neck. So then what else could neck pain be causing? First, neck pain can be a direct cause of headaches – and we mean regular headaches and migraines both. Neck pain could also cause other long term health problems that you would much rather not deal with, including but not limited to developing a permanent crane in your neck, or the fact that you have to keep rubbing your neck to keep it upright. By now you might have tried every treatment and cream in the book and find that you’re still experiencing the same pain. Remember that rubbing some cream into the affected area when you’re experiencing the pain means that you’re only treating the symptoms of your pain instead of the actual cause. If you want to take care of the cause behind your neck pain, you might want to get rid of your pillows instead and start with a new option.
What neck pain does in the long term
Neck pain doesn’t just suck in the short term. Neck pain can also be the cause behind a lot of health problems experienced in the long run. First, repeated neck pain means that you will have to hold your neck in a different way to keep it from hurting – whether or not you’re aware of doing it, you very likely are – and this means that your neck will get used to this unnatural position. (We don’t really have to explain just why this is bad for your neck, do we?) Experiencing neck pain also makes you much more likely to sprain the muscles in your neck with physical activity – which could be as simple as turning your neck when you are crossing the road! It also makes you more likely to develop arthritis of the neck later on in life – would you really want to be stuck with neck pain in ten or twenty years? Arthritis of the neck is an extremely painful condition whereby the neck will degrade – and it could mean the difference between life or death when your neck experiences a severely traumatic event such as a car accident. You should never say that this will never happen – statistically, eventually, it can and will. Are you prepared and is your neck strong enough to take the stress of daily life – or an event such as an accident if it were to happen? Most people are not. Long term neck pain is very unhealthy, and you should always take care of the neck pain you are experiencing now rather than later – your health will thank you for it later, and it’s the difference between being comfortable in your old age or being in a lot of pain.
Bad pillows for the pained neck
Let’s talk about what makes bad pillows for the pained neck. First, the usually cheap and traditional pillows that are stuffed (mostly with cotton) is the option that a lot of people choose because it is cheap and easy to find – but these are very likely to collect dust and dust mites over time, and you have to replace these very regularly, more so than you would have to with any other kind of pillow. Other people rather opt for feather pillows, especially because they have a likelihood to remain cool throughout the night – but these too will need regular replacement and might be the cause behind the allergies you have been experiencing. Yes, most of the pillows that many people have turn out to be extremely bad for them, and they either don’t know it or never think about it. Blow-up pillows, which are made for convenience and camping but end up on many peoples’ beds, also happen to be bad for their health in the long run.
Best pillow for next pain
Now, let’s talk about what makes the best pillow for neck pain. If you’re looking for the best pillow for neck pain that offers you comfort, there are many specialized options. We would recommend bamboo pillows firstly, because of their hypoallergenic qualities and the fact that they do not need to replaced as often as other pillows – but they still do need replacing often, because you do not want mould to take root in your pillows, do you? Keep in mind that bamboo is a wood and should be treated as such – never get it wet. Other good pillow options if you are suffering from neck pain or have a neck injury is one made of memory foam – no people have the same needs for their necks, and memory foam will conform to your individual need. Memory foam pillows offer you a lot more support, and it’s customized to the shape and angle of your head and neck. Memory foam pillows are also much more likely to stay cool throughout the night, which avoids the common drawback of having to turn your pillow around throughout the night because it gets hot and flat the whole time.
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