Pillow Talk
With my recent interview in Men’s Health, and my television appearance on The Doctors with the famous pillow panel, it’s clear that the consumer’s quest for the perfect pillow continues. Men’s magazines, women’s magazines, travel magazines, daytime television - everyone wants to know about pillows - how are they different? How do you choose? What is THE pillow? Consumer reporters, in particular, like to try and pin me down on this answer, and unfortunately, often miss the opportunity to educate (or may edit an interview due to space) in their zeal to provide “THE answer” for readers.People become very attached to their pillows. The next time you are in an airport, notice how many travelers are carrying their pillows from home. Many people have more than one pillow, and rotate through their own personal pillow menu at home, depending on their perceived needs on a given night. And people tend to keep their pillows far too long (a topic for another blog!)
The pillow is a serious piece of equipment that has a major impact on the quality of your sleep. Pillows are like mattresses for your head. As a good friend (and one who would know) has often told me “the easiest way to turn a $2,000 mattress into a $15 mattress is to put a $15 pillow on it.” Here are three research studies with some interesting findings:
• In 1998, researchers in a Swedish study found that for 36 out of 55 people (neck pain patients and regular sleepers) pillows positively affected their sleep. And 27 out of 42 found a reduction in neck pain. What were the characteristics of the pillows? Soft, not too high, provide neck support, allergy tested, and washable.
• In a 2003 Japanese Study, a cooling pillow was used and the results indicated that head cooling during sleep may help decrease the whole body sweat rate, in humid conditions.
• Preliminary findings from a study recently released in Australia show varying results for latex pillows, foam, polyester, contour and feather pillows in relieving neck pain when subjects compare new pillows with their existing pillows. Subjects indicated that latex performed better than most of their own pillows, with foam and polyester pillows performing about the same as their own pillows.
So what do these results mean to you?
That every type of pillow can serve a purpose. And people should probably have more than one.
Pillows are not simply decorations that you happen to lay your head upon for 7-8 hours an evening, but a key component to your entire sleep system and sleep health. The primary purpose of any pillow is alignment of the spine and neck. Translation: no flexion or tension in your neck while you sleep. If a pillow fails to do this one task one for you, it is simply not going to deliver the total package.
Sweet Dreams.
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep DoctorTM
www.thesleepdoctor.com
