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Find your pillow for a good night’s sleep

Take filling, cost, sleeping position into consideration

By Debbie Carlson, Chicago Tribune
Published: September 22, 2016, 6:02am
4 Photos
Comfort Revolution&#039;s Hydraluxe Cooling Gel Bed Pillow combines memory foam with a gel layer for people who want a cooler pillow. A mesh layer covers the pillow.
Comfort Revolution's Hydraluxe Cooling Gel Bed Pillow combines memory foam with a gel layer for people who want a cooler pillow. A mesh layer covers the pillow. $99 for queen size, www.comfortrevolution.com (Comfort Revolution) Photo Gallery

A good night’s rest can be elusive, and sometimes the culprit is the wrong or an old pillow.

The wrong pillow can cause neck or shoulder pain and headaches, and they can worsen allergy symptoms, said Natalie Dautovich of department of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and environmental scholar for the National Sleep Foundation.

Dr. Marc Leavey, primary care specialist at Lutherville Personal Physicians, in Baltimore, said that because people have different sleeping patterns — side, back, stomach and restless — and there are different pillow styles and fillings, there isn’t one right pillow for everyone. No matter how a person sleeps, Dautovich said, a great pillow allows sleepers to rest comfortably in their natural sleeping position.

The experts offer these tips:

Stomach sleepers only need light support, said Brandon Berman, in-house sleep expert for sleep-products company Reverie. Look for a low-loft pillow, which refers to a pillow’s height as it lies flat on the bed.

“Stomach sleepers tend to like a very thin pillow, which can be used under the head, chest or stomach,” Dautovich said.

Leavey said a thin pillow prevents stomach sleepers from hyperextending their neck. Stomach sleepers might not even need a pillow.

Back sleepers. A medium-support pillow will give back sleepers enough support for their head and neck, the experts said.

Leavey and Dautovich cautioned back sleepers to ensure the pillow won’t lift their necks too high, which cranes the head forward. A lower-loft pillow might prevent that.

Side sleepers need firm support to keep the spine aligned with the shoulders and hips, the experts said. A high-loft pillow can help.

Dautovich said firmer pillows will prevent side sleeper’s heads from tipping toward the mattress. Here’s also where the mattress comes into play, Leavey said. Ideally for side sleepers, their hips and shoulders should sink slightly into the mattress to help with that straight-spine alignment.

Restless sleepers. Leavey said restless sleepers might have a harder time fitting into these categories.

“(Restless sleepers) should … look for a bolster-type pillow or a body pillow,” he said.

Size. Leavey said not to let the size of the bed determine pillow size.

Fill. Pillows are filled with feathers, down, synthetic, memory foam or latex. Down and feather blends are soft and fluffy. Synthetic fillers can still be soft but give some resistance. Memory foam feels dense and supports the sleeper’s head, Dautovich said. Memory foam is that it can be hot, Leavey and Berman said. Latex is an alternative and doesn’t get hot. Memory foam and latex pillows may take some time to get used to, Leavey said, but they are durable.

If possible, test pillows before buying, Dautovich and Leavey said.

“If you spend 10 minutes testing pillow options before you buy, it will be a great investment for your … sleep in the long run,” Dautovich said.

Cost and care. How much to spend on a pillow is a personal preference. Dautovich said sleepers should focus first on what’s comfortable and keeps the spine straight. That said, inexpensive pillows might last only six months or a year at best, Leavey added.

It’s time to replace pillows if they have lumps and sags, Dautovich said, noting that many doctors suggest replacing them every two years.

Leavey said if the pillow can be folded over and doesn’t spring back into shape, shop for a new one. Between purchases, wash pillows a few times a year, Leavey said. Pillows that aren’t washable can be run through the dryer on high temperatures to kill dust mites, Dautovich added.

When it’s time for a new pillow, Leavey said, experiment a little.

“It’s really whatever makes you comfortable. … Don’t be afraid of trying out different kinds,” he said.

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