Most people are looking for a comfortable night’s sleep and nothing more. When they get home from a hard day’s work or a rough night’s partying, all they want to do is get to bed and sleep. When people come back from vacation, they might have really enjoyed the vacation – but by the end of it they still look forward to getting home to their own beds the most and going right to sleep. Sleep matters. And sleep really matters if you want to be a functioning human being – we’re not completely sure why, but the average human needs at least eight hours of sleep per night, and while there have been a few people who have claimed to be able to go without sleep, their claims turned out to be scientifically unproven and it still remains: You need sleep!
People sleep in different ways. Some people sleep on their back, some people sleep straight on their stomachs, other people sleep a bit like a windmill and it’s impossible to share a bed with them on anything that’s not a queen size. But what if you are one of the many people who sleep on your side? Then you should consider the kind of pillows you are using – not everyone sleeps on their sides, and most pillows aren’t made for comfort for the people who do prefer to sleep on their sides.
Here’s a look at just how it can all affect your sleep – with the best pillow for side sleepers – and how you can find the best kind of pillow if you are someone who sleeps on their side like thousands of others.
The consequences of no sleep
Have you ever seen the classic Hollywood movie “A Nightmare on Elm Street”? Even if you’ve only seen the re-make you’ll remember the basics behind the movie: Tormented by villain Krueger, teenagers try to stay awake for as long as possible to keep away from the monster who can only find themselves when they fall asleep. The consequences of staying awake for too long – or sleep deprivation if you want to sound a little fancier – is pretty apparent in this movie series: First, you will start feeling the effect and you might experience a range of symptoms that include blurred vision and headaches – and eventually you will experience what’s called micro-napping. Yes, most peoples’ insomnia isn’t this severe – but if you aren’t getting enough sleep, it could be the cause of many other symptoms, such as experiencing headaches or neck pain.
Sleeping comfortably
Okay, so you might not be getting any sleep, but you might also not be getting comfortable sleep – could this be the reason for the fact that you’re constantly awake throughout the night? We’re almost certain that it could be. You should be getting great, comfortable sleep – not just sleep. Otherwise, you could be experiencing neck and back pain – and you could be waking up throughout the night without being completely sure why.
People who aren’t sleeping comfortably also tend to sleep in weirder and weirder ways as time goes on to make themselves feel more comfortable – and this is the main cause of feeling “stiff” when you wake up. Are you sleeping comfortably? This seems a little drastic, but if you aren’t sure about the quality of your sleep and you sleep alone, then you could set up your webcam to record you while you sleep – check the footage in the morning and you’ll know exactly what kind of sleeper you are. Not what kind of position you happen to fall asleep in, but the position you actually sleep in – which you won’t be aware of as a lone sleeper until you see it for yourself. Couples, obviously, can just ask their partners how they sleep to find an answer to this question. Are you a front sleeper, a side sleeper or a back sleeper? This article, if the headline didn’t tell you, is written with the side sleeper and their comfort in mind.
People sleep in different ways
People sleep in many different ways, and something that’s comfortable for one person might seem like the most bizarre way to sleep for someone else. The most common positions for people to sleep in are sleeping on their sides, sleeping on their backs or sleeping on their fronts – but there are many variations on this. Some people have to have extra pillows for support and stack pillows behind their backs, in front of themselves and in between their legs. Other people prefer to have only one pillow and prefer to change this pillow on a regular basis. Everybody sleeps in a different way, and it’s important that you know this to begin with. As we’ve already said, it’s important that you find out just how you sleep – ask your partner, or set up a webcam instead if you want to see for yourself and you are someone who sleeps alone.
Why you sleep on your side
Okay, so if you’re still reading this article then it means that you are likely someone who sleeps on their side. There are many reasons why you might prefer to sleep on your side. First, it’s generally not recommended that people sleep flat on their backs – and this comes right from sleep experts! – because if you sleep on your back then you are more likely to snore, cough in your sleep or develop the condition called sleep apnea, which means that you stop breathing in your sleep. It’s generally considered a bad idea if you sleep on your back! If you sleep on your front, you might be cutting off circulation to several parts of your body including your arms and keep waking up with the feeling of pins and needles throughout the night. But if you sleep on your front, with the right kind of pillow support, it doesn’t keep your neck at an odd angle and it doesn’t cut off your circulation.
You might also be less prone to conditions like snoring, heartburn while you sleep and grinding your jaw in your sleep – these are also all conditions that can cause even more symptoms while you are awake, like issues with food digestion and tooth pain. Oh, and have we mentioned that this can also cause headaches? You probably choose to sleep on your side because it happens to be the most comfortable position for you to sleep in – especially with some added pillow support. Whether you sleep alone or with a partner, sleeping on your side is generally considered to be the healthiest position – and some of the most common ones, too. (Yes, even if you sleep on your front – and a little to the side – it still counts as rather sleeping to the side…) So, what if you’re sleeping on your side and it should be comfortable – but just really isn’t? Then it could be down to the fact that you have the wrong pillows for sleeping on your side!
Pillows aren’t just for sleeping
Let’s talk about what pillows are really for. Most people immediately think that pillows are for sleeping on, but they should remember that pillows are also often used for extra support – not just on couches, but also on your bed for if you need some extra support behind your back or a pillow between your knees for comfort. You also want to pick pillows that are comfortable for this, especially if you consider yourself a side sleeper. This little tip alone could save you hours from staying awake in the middle of the night – and mean that you’re not in nearly as much pain when you wake up the next day. Pillows aren’t just for sleeping and you should think about the pillows that aren’t just keeping your head up, too.
The best pillows for side sleepers
So, just what are the best pillows for side sleepers, then? First, the traditional cotton pillows that most people pick should not be considered for long-term sleeping – yes, even if this is the pillow you’re using right now, we’d recommend that you replace it right now. They might be cheap, but this also refers to their quality – and these pillows are more likely to get hot, go flat and collect all sorts of things that you don’t want near your head, lungs or body like dust and dust mites. (Have allergies? This could be the reason behind it.) You shouldn’t rely on cheap cotton pillows for comfortable sleep – especially not for the long term. Another bad pillow for side sleepers is considered to be feather pillows, which is a popular option for many people including when it comes to motels. They are comfortable, exotic and great – but only for a while. Then you realize that the pillow gets old like others too and then it stops being comfortable. The best pillow for side sleepers is memory foam, because this conforms to the shape of your body and neck – and this gives you the comfort that you really need to get a great night’s worth of sleep.
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