Why the Position of Your Pillow is So Important

​From white noise to machines to tart cherry juice, a lot of things are recommended in the pursuit of a good night's sleep. However, good sleep hygiene (i.e. habits that are conducive for sleeping well) could be as easy as changing the position of your pillow.

Damien Breitner, store manager at luxury bed store Hästens, explains that when people place their head on a pillow, it should be positioned slightly over the shoulder line giving the neck the correct support.

It might seem like a minor detail, but if your spine isn't supported or positioned properly it can negatively impact your health. Damien says:

"If your spine isn't supported it can cause back pain, which leads to discomfort during sleep. Also, while sleeping, a person is forced to twist and turn to find the correct position, causing a lack of sleep."

He also recommends avoiding pillows that are too soft or too hard, as this can mean the spine isn't aligned properly. It's for this reason also, that Damien suggests having two pillows for appearance when the bed is made, but only sleeping on one of them.

Other Important Pillow Tips for a Better Night's Sleep:

1. Soft, medium or hard?

"It depends what type of sleeper the person is. A person who sleeps on their back will probably need a softer pillow as support is needed, to align the neck and spine. A side sleeper will need a medium to firm pillow to fill in the space between their head and the mattress, to keep the neck aligned. Someone who sleeps on their side, should avoid using a very soft pillow as it may curve around them, and potentially cause breathing issues."

2. Signs Your Pillow Just isn't Doing its Job Properly

"The first sign would be neck pain caused by how deep the head sinks in to the pillow. If a person needs to fold the pillow in half this can lead to multiple health issues such as: neck pain, tiredness, stiff neck, moodiness, lack of efficiency and focus."

3. Maintaining Your Pillows

"We recommend to leave your pillow breathing when you open up the bed in the morning helping it to breath before dressing your bed properly. Plumping it up when dressing your bed and using a pillow protector against body perspiration and dribbles."

4. Changing Your Pillows

"There isn't a rule for the changing of pillows but we will advise to replace them when you feel the pillow fillers (feathers or down) have been crushed and are not giving the correct level support required to align spine and neck."​

3. Maintaining Your Pillows

"We recommend to leave your pillow breathing when you open up the bed in the morning helping it to breath before dressing your bed properly. Plumping it up when dressing your bed and using a pillow protector against body perspiration and dribbles."

4. Changing Your Pillows

"There isn't a rule for the changing of pillows but we will advise to replace them when you feel the pillow fillers (feathers or down) have been crushed and are not giving the correct level support required to align spine and neck."​

Via.