When it comes to neck pain we blame it on our desks, phones and even stress. What we never blame is our pillows. Yet a pillow can be the very reason you wake up stiff, sore or unable to turn your head properly. However, if it is your pillow that is the problem it’s one of the easiest to fix, once you know what to look for.
How to know if your pillow is the problem
Timing is everything. If your neck pain is the worst first thing in the morning and loosens up as the day goes on, how you are sleeping is probably the problem. Pain that builds through the day and settles down at night usually means something else, such as posture. A second clue as to if it’s your pillow causing the problem is inconsistency. If you sleep well in a hotel or at a friend’s house but ache at home, the difference is usually the pillow, not the bed. If you like the support you get from hotel pillows and want the same feel at home, choose hotel bedding from Ottoman Textiles.
It’s also good to know that it isn’t very common for pillows to be the primary cause of any neck pain. What they do is expose or aggravate something that is already there, as they hold the joints and muscles in an awkward position for hours until they finally start to complain. This distinction matters, because changing your pillow can instantly relieve pain, even if the neck has underlying problems.
Why the wrong pillow hurts your neck
Necks have a natural curve, and while you sleep at night the idea is to keep your neck and spine perfectly aligned. You don’t want your head titling up or dropping down nor do you want it twisting sideways. A pillow that is too high forces your chin down and stretches the muscles at the back of your neck. Flat pillows allow the head to fall backwards or tilt down towards the mattress. This unnecessary strain on the neck is why so many people wake up in the morning with a stiff neck.
One thing that most of us tend to forget is that pillows aren’t designed to last forever. Fillings get compressed, flattened and lose their springiness, so a pillow that was supporting you well two years ago may now be only a fraction of its original height. When neck pain starts gradually, with no clear reason as to why, it’s often your old pillow needing to be replaced rather than something going on with your body.
How many pillows do you need for neck pain?
When your neck hurts your first instinct is to prop yourself up with more pillows, but for most people that makes things worse. Putting two pillows under the head pushes the head too far forward and locks the neck into that chin-down position. Propping your head up with pillows is one of the most common self-inflicted causes of morning stiffness.
When it comes to how many pillows you need the answer is one, as long as it’s the right height. Back sleepers usually need a thinner pillow that fills the small space behind the neck, but doesn’t push the head up. A side sleeper needs more height to bridge the bigger gap between the shoulder and head so the neck remains level. Front sleepers are the only exception to this general rule. They should use a very thin pillow or none at all, because any real height forces the neck into a deep bend.
Where a second pillow does come in handy is in fine-tuning and in supporting the rest of the body. Two thin pillows can be useful because you can add or subtract one to get the height exactly right, something you can’t do with a single thick one. A pillow between the knees for side sleepers, or under the knees for back sleepers, also helps by settling the whole spine and reducing the tendency to twist.
What pillows are best for neck pain?
If you are looking for the best pillow for neck pain you are not going to get a clear answer, as there is no one pillow that solves the problem. The best pillow for neck pain depends on how you sleep and how you are built, but there are some features that you always want to look for when choosing the best one.
If you are dealing with neck pain every morning and are looking for the best pillow you want something that is going to hold it’s shape while you are sleeping. Feather and down pillows feel great to sleep on. but they flatten under the weight of your head and always need plumping, so any support they provide is gone before morning. Memory foam holds its shape all night, which is good for people who wake up in the same position they fell asleep in. Latex also moulds to your neck but is a little bouncier and sleeps cooler. A hot pillow makes you toss and turn and then you end up in awkward positions.
One of the most underrated options for neck pain is adjustable pillows, which allow you to add or remove filling to change the height. As the perfect height is a personal matter, being able to tune it yourself takes out most of the guesswork. Contoured pillows, which have a dip for your head and a raised ridge to cradle your neck, are one of the best choices for back sleepers. However, they don’t work for everybody. If you can, try one before buying one.
When it comes time to replace an old pillow, looking through a wider selection of bedding makes it easier to match the right height and firmness to how you sleep.
For people who sleep on their sides, shoulder width isn’t really thought about when it comes to choosing a pillow. Broad shoulders create a bigger space to fill, so you need a higher pillow than a person with narrow shoulders sleeping in the same position. When choosing the best pillow for neck pain you want to pick on that works for your body type rather than going off what the label says.
Your pillow and mattress work together
While your pillow might be the reason behind your neck pain, it could be that you are not using the right pillow for the mattress you have. A soft mattress lets your shoulders and hips sink, so you don’t need as much height from your pillow. Firm mattresses don’t allow for any sinking, so your pillow height must be higher to keep the neck level. If you recently bought a new bed and your are now dealing with neck pain, the pillow that used to be perfect may simply not match anymore.
To check your body’s alignment lie down as you normally would and have someone look at your neck from the side. Your head should be level, with your nose roughly in line with the centre of your chest, and your neck neither craned up nor drooping down. If you don’t have somebody at home with you, you can verify the alignment with a photo taken with your phone.
When to get your neck pain checked
Trying a different pillow, or adjusting the height of the one you have, is a great first step to treating neck pain. However, if the stiffness lasts more than six weeks or comes with a pins and needles feeling, numbness or pain radiating into the arm, you need to go see your doctor.
Thank you for reading.
