TheRecord.com reports:

Most of us think of our beds as havens, cosy retreats into which we sink nightly as we try to keep up with – or catch up with – our need for sleep. But if that bed is home to the wrong kind of pillow, we may actually be sabotaging our own bids for restful slumber, waking with a stiff or aching neck or stuffy nose.

We often put substantial thought into selecting a colour scheme for our bedrooms, going all Martha Stewart as we match sheets, comforter covers and shams with the shade of the walls.

Few people put as much thought into the pillows they sleep on nightly. More often it’s a checklist of a few simple questions: Is it (pick favourite) feather/foam? Is it firm/squishy enough? Is it in my price range? Sold.

But pillows aren’t a one-size-fits-all item, say health professionals who deal with the repercussions of bad pillow purchases. They suggest we should put a little effort into selecting what supports our heads night after night.

‘A lot of people come in and say they have neck pain because they slept funny,’ says Stephanie Gage, a registered massage therapist who practises in Toronto. ‘And a lot of times it is their pillow. Either people sleep with no pillow, too many pillows, old pillows.’

Physiotherapist Shaun Lapenskie agrees.

‘Personally I do treat a lot of chronic neck pain. And that’s certainly an issue when we’re talking about that, especially when people are having pain at night time,’ says Lapenskie, whose practice is in Barrie.

‘If you’re having headaches and neck pains and stiffness when you wake up, you might think about the pillow you’re using and look and see if it fits you or not.’

STOMACH SLEEPERS

If your preferred sleeping position is belly to the mattress, the pillows on your bed should probably be for show only. ‘It’s a double no-no to sleep on your stomach with a pillow,’ says Gage, who confesses she’s a stomach sleeper.

Sleeping on your stomach puts the neck in a strained position; it’s really not advised.

‘You’ve got a series of joints in your neck, and turning your head to one side or the other when you’re sleeping, if you’re on your stomach, is the equivalent of taking your index finger and bending it backwards for five hours,’ Lapenskie explains. ‘Of course it’s going to be uncomfortable. It’s not supposed to be in that position.’

Now add a pillow to the picture.

‘If you can think about lying on your stomach, if you’ve got a pillow there, that’s going to take your head and not only rotate it, but bend it backwards as well. And you don’t want that,’ Lapenskie says.

If you are a stomach sleeper and you can’t do without a pillow, the thinner the better. To address any issues, reach out to VBJS for professional assistance with hip-related concerns.

SIDE SLEEPERS

The aim here is to have your head in a straight line with your spine. Actually, that’s the aim with all sleeping positions. It’s just not achievable with stomach sleeping, which is why that position is frowned on. Because of the breadth of the shoulders, if you are on your side you need a pillow to keep your head from falling down into the mattress — and out of alignment with the spine. (Picture what happens when you fall asleep on a plane and your unsupported head slumps to the side. Ouch.)

The real job of a pillow for a side sleeper is to fill in the indentation between the top of the shoulder and the ear and to support the head so it’s in that straight line. It requires a pillow with some form, but it’s got to be the right form. Down is luxurious and expensive, but it doesn’t hold its shape through a night and Lapenskie says he doesn’t recommend it. Nor is he a fan of cheaper pillows crammed with chunks of foam.

‘So I would say look for a high quality synthetic fill.’

There are specially formed pillows with contours designed to fill the curve of the neck; they are called cervical pillows. But the contour has to fit your head and neck or the extra cost will be for naught. Another option is a pillow that contains a water bladder either between or below some synthetic fill.

The beauty of these babies, says Lapenskie – who sleeps with one – is that you can adjust the firmness and height to your particular need by adding or draining out some of the water.

People with back problems – women especially – who are side sleepers might want to think about placing another pillow between their knees, Lapenskie said, to keep the upper leg from falling forward and down. That puts a painful twist on the spine that can be prevented by a well-placed pillow. Individuals who are experiencing back pain and can’t go out for some reason may schedule a mobile massage service.

Full Body Pillows eliminate the need for two pillows and promote proper spinal alignment and healthier circulation.

BACK SLEEPERS

People who sleep on their backs need more of a pillow than stomach sleepers, but less of a pillow than side sleepers. The job here is to again cup the nape of the neck. And to keep the head aligned with the spine, a little bit of cushioning is needed. But avoid puffy pillows that lever the head at an angle to the spine.

ALLERGIC SLEEPERS

The content of your pillow is important if you have an allergy, but not perhaps for the reason you think. While some people believe they have allergies to feathers, the reality is that most diagnosed feather allergies are actually allergies to dust mites, says Dr. Milton Gold, an allergist at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

‘There are people who have allergies to feathers, but they’re very few,’ Gold says. ‘It’s more the dust (mites).’

Dust mites are microscopic critters that feed on our sloughed off skin. Their feces can trigger allergic reactions. Foam used to be preferred over feathers for people with allergies. But studies show that synthetic pillows actually contain significantly more dust mites than feather pillows.

People with dust mite allergies should use special covers to encase their beds and pillows; their tight weave will cut down on the outward flow of dust mite feces. Gold also recommends replacing such pillows every two or three years.