Dr Lachlan Cossens
Is there a perfect Pillow for me?
The silly season can encourage late nights, drinking and altered sleeping patterns. The festivities can leave us tired and running on less sleep aka exhausted!
When we’re tired we can fall asleep in some funky positions. If you’re like me you’ve probably woken up in some pretty weird positions with a pretty sore neck! Have you ever wondered if there's a pillow that might best support your sleep through the festive season? As osteopaths we often get asked about what position you should sleep in and what sort of pillow you should use so I thought I’d have a chat with you about it.
SIDE SLEEPER
Side sleepers generally need a larger pillow to fill in the space between their shoulder and neck. We generally see side sleepers who aren’t getting enough support from their pillow end up putting their arm underneath the pillow to try and support their neck. The firmness of the pillow is completely a preference based thing but side sleepers who prefer a softer pillow will generally need a higher pillow as when you lie down it will compress slightly.
BACK SLEEPER
Back sleepers can get away with a really small pillow as there isn’t much space to fill between your back and your head. Again the firmness is preference based. Just be sure that the pillow isn’t too high otherwise the neck may become too flexed making it difficult to breathe well.
TUMMY SLEEPER
The dreaded tummy sleepers. Having to twist your head and neck around at right angles just to breathe and then spending up to 8hrs in that position! As a general rule we prefer people not to sleep on their tummy due to the position it puts their body into. In saying that, lots of people do sleep on their tummies and have no problems whatsoever.
If you’re a tummy sleeper and you’re experiencing persistent neck pain, waking up with a sore neck or headaches than it is likely the tummy sleeping may contribute to your complaint. An osteopathic assessment may identify if there is anything else contributing to your symptoms.
Sleeping positions are habitual and like changing any habit, it can take some discipline to make a lasting change. If I’m trying to get someone to change from sleeping on their tummy I’ll get them to sleep on their side with a higher pillow and a pillow between their legs and potentially even one in front of their chest to hug. The idea is that it helps you to stop rolling over onto your tummy.
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To best support your sleep you need to use a pillow that’s right for you and suits how you sleep. There is no point getting a fancy $300 duck down pillow if you sleep on your side and prefer a firm pillow. Between these 3 positions there is no ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect’ position to be in but instead your circumstances or your complaint may dictate what position to sleep in. If you have any questions feel free to have a chat with us during your next appointment.