What’s the Right Pillow for You?

Having trouble sleeping? The right pillow can help you rest through the night. Whether you’re a back-sleeper or champion snorer, we’ll guide you to the best place to lay your head…

Hitting the pillow and getting some shut-eye isn’t always as easy as it seems.

About 75% of Americans suffer from one or more sleep disorders at least a few nights a week, says psychologist James Maas, Ph.D., a sleep expert and the author of Power Sleep (Harper).

Pain can also keep you up at night. Nearly 60% of U.S. women report that physical discomfort interrupts their slumber at least three nights a week, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation.

Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you bleary-eyed the next day. It can also have serious health consequences, including a higher risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attack, Maas says.

So what’s costing you those precious zzz’s?

Possibly your pillow.

The right support is medium firm and not too thick. It keeps your head and neck in a line, as if you were standing up, according to Maas.

If it doesn’t, you can end up with headaches, insomnia, pain, stiffness, and numbness or tingling in the arms, says Michelle Zarzana, D.C., a chiropractor in Long Beach, Calif.

And remember, pillows have a shelf life.
“Good pillows might last 4-5 years if you’re lucky, but there are people sleeping with the same pillow they’ve had since they were children,” Maas says.

And that’s just the beginning. The way you sleep and certain health conditions also determine which pillow you need. We asked experts how to get the right support.

1. Back Sleepers
In this position, an unsupportive pillow or no pillow at all may place unnecessary pressure on the back and the joints between the vertebrae.

But a stack of pillows can cause injury too, Zanzana warns. If it makes your head jut farther forward than normal, you’ll get pain and tightness in your neck.

For back sleepers, she recommends memory foam, which molds to the neck’s natural curve. Denser pillows tend to be more supportive, but they’re also more expensive.

Another option is a water pillow, which has a water-filled base sandwiched between polyester filling. Just add water to achieve the desired pillow height.

Both types of pillows offer consistent support, even when you change positions.

Also, placing a second pillow under your knees – such as a bolster (tube-shaped pillow), half-bolster or wedge – can alleviate pressure on the lower back.

2. Side Sleepers
A little feather pillow doesn’t give side sleepers the spine proper support. This can lead to compression of the vertebrae. If you’ve woken up with numbness and tingling in your arms, you’ve probably experienced that.
To keep your spine aligned, side sleepers should use a medium-firm pillow that supports the back and neck.

When testing different pillows, lie on your side and make sure the space under your neck – between the head and shoulders – is well-supported, Maas says.

To improve overall spinal alignment, sleep with a “leg-spacer” pillow between your knees, Zarzana suggests. These are designed to relieve pressure on the hips, knees, ankles and joints.

These pillows may also ease sciatica pain by reducing pressure on lumbar vertebrae where the sciatic nerve is located, says Wayne McAllister, a chiropractor in Stockton, Calif.

3. Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach is a no-no. Don’t do it.

When you lie on your stomach, you have to twist your head in order to breathe. That can lead to neck pain and headaches, Zarzana says. Stomach sleeping also stresses the lower back.

Break the habit by sleeping on your side with a body pillow in front of you, McAllister suggests. This type of pillow is three times as long as a king-size, allowing you to snooze on your side while keeping the front of your body comfortably supported.

4. Neck Pain Sufferers
For the 35%-80% of the population who suffer from neck soreness, memory foam and water-based pillows are best, Zarzana says.
In fact, snoozing on a water-based pillow can relieve chronic neck pain, reduce the frequency of headaches and improve sleep by better supporting neck muscles, according to a 1997 Johns Hopkins University study.

5. Allergy Sufferers
Choose synthetic fibers if you have asthma or allergies.

“Feather pillows can worsen allergies and make you cough or wheeze at night,” says Ronald Kotler, M.D., medical director of the Pennsylvania Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Philadelphia and author of 365 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Adams Media).

Other allergens that might be hiding in your pillow: pollen, pet dander and dust mites – plus their fecal matter. To keep these away from your head, use an anti-allergy pillow cover (on its own or under a regular pillowcase).

In addition to helping you sleep through the night, these pillows could make you look better when you wake up. These irritants often lead to morning facial swelling and puffiness, according to Mehmet Oz, M.D., co-author of YOU: The Owner’s Manual (Collins).

Down alternatives, such as lamb’s wool or silk, are natural dust-mite repellants, so they can also provide relief. Memory foam and water pillows are hypoallergenic too.

6. Snorers (and Their Partners)
If you or your bedmate snores like a foghorn, take heart. An anti-snoring pillow can help.

They’re designed to support the back of the neck and subtly shift a back-sleeper’s head to “the sniff position.” That’s as if you sat upright and pulled your head slightly forward to smell something, Kotler says. This opens airways for easier breathing.

It’s a gentle adjustment that won’t create other problems, such as neck pain.

If that doesn’t help, other factors may be at play.

Some snoring is related to sleep apnea, a dangerous condition marked by gasping or periods of stopped breathing during sleep.

Sleep apnea raises the risk of high blood pressure and is linked to depression and gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you suspect you or your partner have it, consult a doctor.

7. Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.

So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.

He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).

Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.

Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.

Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.