They concluded that people have an average of 2.2 pillows on their beds, but as their Sleep Expert Christine Lapp emphasizes, you only need one of these pillows for your head. 'While we only need one pillow underneath our head, you can use pillows for additional support elsewhere, she explains.
According to sleep experts, you should sleep with only one pillow under your head, however, preference and sleeping position often take the lead when it comes to considerations for the ideal number of pillows. Read on to learn why we recommend sleeping with a high-quality single pillow.
Even though many people sleep with two, three or even four bed pillows, the recommended number is just one. A single pillow is all you need to support your head throughout a night's rest. The whole purpose of a pillow is to keep your neck aligned with your spine.
A general consensus among experts is that one pillow is the optimal choice for a good night's sleep. If you've been piling them up beneath your head, it may be time to reconsider.
According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit group that advocates healthy sleeping, the average person sleeps with about 2 pillows. Considering this number, let's take a look at the best ways to help you sleep better based on your sleeping position.
'The use of the additional pillow helps to limit rocking, which can cause stress on the lower back and hips and helps to keep the spine and neck straight and well-aligned. ' Similarly, a study by SleepJunkie revealed that 30.6% of participants sleep with two pillows.
Shortness of breath while lying down.
To gauge the severity of this symptom, doctors often ask people how many pillows they need to lie on to avoid feeling short of breath in bed. For example, "three-pillow" orthopnea is worse than "two-pillow" orthopnea, because you have less tolerance for lying flat.
Using two pillows allows you to adjust the level of support you need, depending on your sleeping position. For example, if you sleep on your side, you might want to use a pillow that is softer and more pliable.
“One pillow allows for a more natural alignment of the spine and neck, which can help reduce the risk of pain and discomfort,” advises Kelly Collins, Head of creative at Swyft Home. “It also allows for better breathing and circulation while sleeping.”
The bottom line: using large or too many pillows may be soft for your head but bad for snoring and breathing patterns. Make sure your pillow keeps your head tilted slightly backwards or in a neutral position.
If you're a side sleeper, you do get to use two pillows but they're not both for your head! The best way to align your spine is to have one pillow under your head and one between your knees. In the side sleeping position, the leg you place on top can pull on your spine leading to stress on your lower back and hips.
Without a pillow to support the head, side and back sleepers may experience stiffness or soreness in the lumbar or cervical spine. Referred neck pain from not using a pillow may also contribute to tension headaches. Even when stomach sleepers don't use a pillow, neck pain isn't necessarily unavoidable.
For side sleepers, it is recommended that people sleep with one pillow under their head and one pillow in between their knees. Back sleepers may want to place a pillow under their knees.
Side sleepers make up 74 percent of the population — by far the most archetypal sleeper. While there are pros and cons to each position, side sleeping is particularly interesting. Human anatomy plays a large role in which position is healthiest.
Pillows that are too high can cause the head and neck to round forward adding tension to the suboccipital neck muscles. Too much tension in these muscles may result in you waking up with a headache or developing a headache in the morning once you've gotten out of bed.
A good rule of thumb is that your pillow should always keep your neck parallel to your mattress, no matter what position you're in. Your neck shouldn't be bent forward or to one side, which is why experts don't recommend sleeping on your stomach.
A good pillow works with the right mattress to support the intricate structures in your head and neck and keep your shoulders, hips, and spine in alignment. All of this helps your body to relax and rest comfortably, so you wake up feeling refreshed.
A pro tip is flipping your pillow sides after every night, so you sleep on a fresh side. Formulate a game plan, whether you flip it to a fresh side in the morning or at night as you're lying down so you get the freshest beauty sleep.
Your pillow cannot impact your sleep, but it can determine how much rest and recharging our bodies can receive. While a bad pillow is not the cause of headaches, neck, shoulder, or arm pain, it can certainly enhance many of the underlying issues that are linked to these symptoms and cause you to get a bad night's rest.
And keeping durable, high-quality pillows for longer also means fewer pillows filling up landfills over time. Compared to costly mattresses, getting a new pillow is a very cost-effective way to improve your sleep environment right away.
Specifically, sleeping on the side or back is considered more beneficial than sleeping on the stomach. In either of these sleep positions, it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced, which relieves pressure on the spinal tissues and enables your muscles to relax and recover.
"One shouldn't have to move pillows out of the way in order to sit comfortably," Brown. "The amount and style of the pillows should be proportionate to the sofa or bed. For example, a full-size bed should never have six decorative pillows in addition to the standard two used for sleeping. That's just too much!"
The correct answer is four. If you sleep in a double bed or anything bigger, you should own four pillows, no matter how many people you are or are not dating or what your gender is.
The NHS advises 'If you wake up in the morning with increased pain and stiffness in your neck, you may need to correct the position in which you sleep. A pillow should support your head and neck by filling in the natural hollow of the neck between your head and shoulders. Ideally only use one pillow. '
Side Sleepers
A knee pillow placed between the legs can reduce hip movement while also holding the spine in a straight position. Side sleeping is often recommended for certain stages of pregnancy and for people with back pain, and using a knee pillow can help these sleepers stay comfortable at night.