Is Your Pillow Impacting Your Health?
When sleeping on a bad or worn out mattress it is often noticeable immediately.
You may notice a worn out groove or even the possible spring poking into your back. However, the mattress that you sleep is is not the only factor that has a role in your ability to get good nights sleep, your pillow is just as important or could be argued more important than your mattress!
Most of us take our pillows for granted, but you may not know that they are vital for your comfort, posture as well as your overall health and wellbeing while you are asleep. Like everything else we sleep with such as blankets, donnas, sheets etc. our pillows can also wear out over time. So how can you tell if your pillow needs to be replaced?
The Importance Of Pillows
The pillow you sleep on plays into a variety of important roles while you sleep during the night:
• Back and Neck Support. This may seem to be the most obvious factor of the results of a worn out pillow. All pillows are designed in a way to support both your neck and your back while you are asleep. The neck has a natural curve to it, so when you are trying to lie down flat, you may possibly feel some strain. A pillow that is supportive will maintain your head at a slight elevation so you don’t experience any long-term neck problems. It is common to also sometimes use a separate pillow to add support in other areas depending on how you sleep. For example, if you sleep on your side you can place a pillow between your knees to keep your back straight throughout the night.
• Comfort. Most of us love the feeling of resting our heart on a pillow that is soft and supportive. After a long days work you know how comforting it can be to lay down on a good pillow. This comfort is important for providing relaxation and can help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer!
• Cleanliness. Like your other bedding, your pillow also needs to be clean! Although washing and changing your pillow case frequently to help keep it reasonably clean, overtime a variety of bodily fluids such as oils, sweat, microorganisms and suit can accumulate on the actual pillow itself.
• Temperature. Pillows also can control your body temperature. If you happen to sleep on a pillow that is not breathable, the pillow can heat up through the night, in turn resulting in a climate that results in discomfort and can lead to a bad night sleep.
Signs Of A Bad Pillow
How can you tell if the pillow you currently sleep on is worth replacing?
• Tossing and turning. If you’re constantly constantly tossing and turning throughout the night, this can result in poor-quality of sleep. There can be a variety of reasons why you could be moving around a lot during the night. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or worries, this could be the cause of the problem. If the mattress that you sleep on is past its time and no longer properly and effectively supports you the way that it did when you first got it, it could be the problem. Otherwise, if your pillow is worn out and old, this may be the biggest problem and cause of a bad nights sleep.
• Insufficient support. Over time, most types of pillow end up going flat, or slowly lose their support for your head and neck. After spending countless night resting the full weight of your head or body on your pillow, they obviously can no longer do their optimum job of supporting you properly. You can gauge this by comparing the fullness and support it gave you when you first got it.
• Neck and/or back pain. How frequently do you wake up in the morning with either neck or back pain? If this becomes a constant issue, your pillows are most likely to be the culprit. Pillows are meant to provide optimum support for your neck and back during the night so if your pillow does not provide you with this type of support it may be time to invest in a new pillow to revitalise your sleep!
• Subjective discomfort. Sometimes you can tell immediately if a pillow is just not right. When sleeping it’s important that you feel comfortable almost immediately or you will spend time trying to get comfortable to fall asleep and also cause problems for the amount of sleep you end up getting. If your pillow is no longer of the same comfort it was when you first got it, whether this be because of the texture of the below or becomes your taste in pillow has changed, it’s time to get a new one.
• Allergy irritation. As your pillow collects dust, particles, oils and other materials over time, your pillow will tend to produce more allergic reactions. If you find that your allergies are constantly playing it, it could be your pillow to blame!
• Heavy discolouration. When you take the case off your pillow what to do you see? Is it really discoloured or have various marks on it? This is the sign that your pillow is past its time and a substantial reason to replace it.
• Inconsistency. Run your hand across the entire surface of your pillow. Is there a consistent texture and firmness to the pillow? Or does the pillow feel lumpy or patchy? If you find that your pillow has a lot of texture inconsistencies, it may need to be replaced!
Finding The Perfect Pillow
If you are in the market to buy a new pillow to replace your old one, you should look for the best quality pillow. The following factors can help you find the right pillow for you:
• Number and placement. How many pillows would you like? Depending on your sleeping position, it may be suitable to have a second pillow to give additional areas of your body support.
• Firmness. Every person prefers a different level of firmness to their pillow. Here at Spinal Design our pillows are multi adjustable and are suitable for all types of sleepers. You can take out the filling for a softer pillow or add more for a firmer pillow.
• Structure and materials. You may find that some pillows have a unique structure that will give them some type of edge. For example, breathable air channels that keep the pillow cool, or a special materials that will prevent or reduce allergies. Here at Spinal Design our pillow is anti-microbial, anti-fungal and dust mite resistant. The inner cylindrical fibres are naturally resistant to bugs making this a healthier sleeping option. No poisonous and toxic chemicals are added to kill dust mites. Our pillow is also ErgoVent tested and has the best results for a natural, adjustable and ventilated pillow.
• Other features. You can also find pillows that comes with extra features such as, infused with essential oils that can help you relax and fall asleep.
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Are you ready to replace your old pillow with one that can provide adequate head and neck support? Consider trying our Spinal Design pillow!
You can watch a video all about our Spinal Design Pillow by clicking the link here >
Spinal Design is dedicated to bringing you the best nights sleep possible. After 20 years of refined customer-based research combined with scientific Ergovent testing we have produced the BEST pillow that is proudly made and owned in Australia. The Spinal Design pillow provides individual support and hypoallergenic comfort especially for those with allergies and ventilation to suit the humidity of the Australian climate.
If you have any questions regarding our state of the art pillow please do not hesitate to Contact Us and we will be happy to answer any query you may have!
