Pillow features are often discussed, but one that’s particularly crucial for side sleepers is loft. A high-loft pillow can fill in between your ears and shoulders to align your spine more comfortably.
Brooklyn Bedding’s adjustable-fill body pillow boasts a high loft and features shredded memory foam for added neck support. Plus, there’s extra fill to customize its loft to your specifications!
Comfort
If you prefer sleeping on your side, it is essential that your pillow supports healthy posture and provides enough support. An inadequate or insufficiently thick pillow may lead to neck pain as well as lower-quality rest and increase tiredness during the day. Finding comfort while sleeping doesn’t require buying the latest bedding fad; an orthopedic pillow like that from Parachute Home, designed specifically to support side sleepers is both comfortable and supportive – featuring an ultra soft cotton sateen shell for durability. Inside you’ll find plush micro denier fibers that mimic down while being hypoallergenic, helping prevent sneezes. For those preferring natural fills, there’s also an organic version featuring hypoallergenic buckwheat and an adjustable loft setting.
When purchasing a new pillow, take note of how your neck and back feel in the morning as well as how it affects your sleep at night. A pillow that’s too firm will fail to support a neutral shoulder-neck-head position while something too soft could result in too deep of an impression being made into your pillow while sleeping.
Side sleepers looking for optimal support should choose a dense memory foam pillow, which features slow response time and body-contouring properties. Not only does it reduce heat trapping but it can help keep their spine aligned as well.
Side sleeper pillows should have a U shape to create space between your shoulders and face while providing enough cradle for both. Our favorite pillows for side sleeping, the Sleep Artisan and Eli & Elm Cotton Side have this design; its concave center provides space for your shoulders while its wide soft part provides evenly comfortable cushioning from edge to edge.
Loft
As much as we often focus on pillow firmness, loft is also of vital importance when considering side sleeping pillows. A high loft pillow will typically help side sleepers maintain neutral spine alignment and relieve shoulder pressure; low loft pillows could cause your neck to crane upward or downward, leading to neck pain in time.
To prevent this from happening, select a pillow with a medium-to-firm feel that provides adequate support without forcing you to crane your neck too much. Some brands, like Coop Adjustable Loft and Layla Kapok pillows offer adjustable loft options so that you can add or subtract height depending on what’s right for you.
Memory foam or another synthetic material should provide adequate loft and shape retention, like memory foam. One exceptional pillow option available today, such as Eli & Elm Cotton Side-Sleeper Pillow’s unique boomerang shape conforms to the unique contours of your head, neck and shoulders to support neutral spine alignment while relieving pressure off shoulders. Furthermore, its blend of cotton latex polyester makes for an unrivaled sleep experience.
Brooklyn Bedding’s Pure Wool side sleeper pillow provides an organic option. Crafted with ethically sourced wool and Talalay latex shredded into shreds, its eco-friendly cover provides a soft medium firm feel suitable for most side sleepers. Furthermore, its zipper enclosure allows you to alter its fill amount throughout the night for customized comfort levels.
If you’re new to side sleeping, finding the ideal pillow may take some trial and error. Pay close attention to how your neck and shoulders feel in the morning after waking up; if they have trouble resting through the night despite efforts at relaxation then investing in a new pillow might be necessary.
Firmness
Firmness can have a major effect on how pillows feel, and side sleepers require special consideration here: too soft a pillow could allow your head to sink too deeply into it, leading to undue pressure on your neck and spine and eventually pain in those areas.
However, too firm of a pillow may feel too firm and cause discomfort or stiffness in your shoulders and back. Therefore, it’s crucial that you find one that meets all of your individual needs.
if you’re still undecided on which level of firmness suits your preferences, consider an adjustable fill pillow like our Editors’ Pick Eli & Elm Cotton Side-Sleeper Pillow. With its lofty build and extra half pound of filling to customize to your ideal comfort levels, this is sure to give a cozy night’s rest! Plus it contains latex and polyester blend fill for a supportive yet comfortable sleeping experience without feeling too hard or soft!
Lagoon Hippo Pillow offers another solution, featuring one piece of molded memory foam that molds to your body to maintain proper spinal alignment while you sleep. Ventilated for airflow while you rest, its CertiPUR-US certified foam doesn’t contain harmful chemicals and it comes with a 100-night sleep trial period; so you can give it a go and if it doesn’t suit you simply return it easily!
Materials
Materials used to construct pillows can have an enormous effect on their performance, so it’s crucial that when shopping you take this into account. Selecting pillows made from high-quality, breathable fabrics helps ensure a restful night’s rest, without waking up aching or sore. Side sleepers should also look out for hypoallergenic/antibacterial pillows that may reduce irritation caused by allergies/sensitivity issues.
Side sleepers must consider how the material of their pillow fill will feel against their heads and necks when making their decision. Memory foam pillows tend to be ideal, as their dense density provides adequate head support while sleeping; however, memory foam may trap heat, creating issues for those prone to hot flashes or night sweats who already struggle with hot flashes or night sweats. Therefore, for best results it may be beneficial to select one made of gel-infused memory foam or which uses shredded fill instead of solid blocks of memory foam fill.
If memory foam isn’t your cup of tea, you could also opt for an organic cotton or natural fill pillow like the Forbes Vetted Puffy Pillow which features a cover made from 100 percent organic cotton and fill made up of ethically sourced wool and natural shredded Talalay latex for temperature regulation and soft, medium-firm feel and loftiness suitable for side sleepers.
Layla Kapok pillow is another excellent option for side sleepers, featuring memory foam with an adjustable loft and zipper enclosure that enables users to customize its loft. Ideal for side sleepers concerned about memory foam being too firm or holding heat, this queen and king-sized option retails for $99.
Other Features
When shopping for pillows designed specifically to support side sleepers, comfort and firmness should be top priorities. A comfortable pillow will support your neck and spine while resting. Firmness preference can vary between individuals but most side sleepers prefer medium to firm mattresses that don’t cause their necks to curve uncomfortably during restful restful sleep.
A pillow that does not provide your neck with adequate support may lead to long-term discomfort or injury, as well as disrupt your sleep pattern. Additionally, finding one with enough loft and width should help achieve neutral alignment while you sleep.
Memory foam pillows were among the many tested in our roundup. Their responsive feel helps ensure proper alignment of your shoulders and back; memory foam also offers great breathable cooling features to combat hot sleepers’ discomfort.
Latex mattress toppers provide excellent neck support during sleep and have a springy, bouncy texture. Plus, latex is hypoallergenic and doesn’t trap heat like memory foam does – perfect for people with sensitive skin or allergies!
If you prefer down pillows but worry that a feather pillow might deflate during sleep, we recommend exploring the Helix Down and Feather Pillow which features a three-chamber design to prevent your pillow from deflating during your restful night of slumber. Its middle chamber contains feathers combined with down for optimal support while its outer two chambers feature fluffy down for supreme comfort.
The Sleep Loft - Online mattress showroom 