Your pillow is just as important as your mattress when chasing that perfect night's sleep.  If you have headaches, neck pains, shoulder pains, numbness, sneezing, snoring or wheezing when you wake up, your pillow may not be causing the problem, but it is likely contributing.   

It may be time for a new pillow for several reasons.  Here's a really good one . . . it is probably crawling with fungi and buggies.  Yes, it's true.  The journal "Allergy", published in 2006, says that pillows as young as 18 months old contained up to 47 different kinds of fungi!  The researchers found about four to 16 fungi species per pillow, with synthetic pillows having more.  In that case, if you have allergies or asthma, your pillow is probably not helping matters.   Besides, it's gross.  Consider tossing your old pillows and replacing them with a new fungus free or anti-microbial pillows.  While you're at it, you might as well choose your pillows according to the most important criteria:  how you sleep.

At AllegroMedical.com we display about 70 bed pillows in our Pillows category.  To save you the trouble, I've separated them according to sleep type and specialty pillows.  I'm searching for the perfect pillow myself, so I'm hoping this endeavor will bear fruit for us all.  

 The perfect pillow will keep your head aligned right on top of your shoulders when lying down - not too far to either side, or up and down.  Therefore, the thickness of your pillow is important, depending on how you sleep.  Think you need the biggest, longest, fluffiest, most expensive pillow every made?  Au contraire.   In fact, pillows that are too dense, fluffy or wide merely create tension in your neck and shoulders.

Pillows by Sleep Type

Side Sleeper Pillows are lofty and thick so they keep your head staight by filling in the space between your head and shoulders.   Our most popular pillow, the Better Sleep Pillow was originally designed for side sleepers, but it also works great for back sleepers and stomach sleepers because of it's mult-positional, multi-functional contoured design.   This is also true of our Sleepmatterzzz Dual-Valve Cervical Pillow, a super popular pillow with 5 star reviews.  See all Sleepmatterzzz pillows.

 

Back Sleeper pillows are designed so that when you are lying on your back your head stays neutral - perfectly aligned with your spine, sitting squarely on your shoulders.   We have several pillows that support both side and back sleepers by automatically adjusting as your sleeping position changes.  If you alternate between your back and your side (or your side and your stomach) be sure to get one that works in multiple positions.  

 

Stomach sleepers are just weird.  Okay, that's what I tell my stomach sleeper boyfriend Todd anyway.  Seriously, though, experts say it is not the best way to sleep because if your bed is soft and you use a pillow, then you are not keeping your head neutral.  But if you must sleep on your stomach then please use a specially designed pillow, a very thin pillow or no pillow at all.  The Sleepmatterzzz Dual-Valve Cervical Pillow would be perfect for sleepers who switch from their side to their stomach. 

Specialty Pillows

Allergy-Free Pillows and Covers are a must for allergy sufferers.  We even have an Anti-Allergen Mattress Cover. 

 

Anti-Snore Pillows:  The Snore-No-More Anti Snoring Pillow is our most popular,  but from reading the reviews, it either works or it doesn't work at all.  It was featured in Woman's World Magazine as the "best snoring pillow" though, and it seems to help a lot of people.   See our Snoring Section for all of our anti-snoring products.

 

Bed Wedges and Body Positioners are ideal for helping your body maintain a comfortable body position while you sleep.  They are often used for post-surgery bedrest , footrest or blank support as well.  The leg/knee wedges and back wedges are especially popular.  You can put them between your knees for side sleeping, or under your knees, or behind your back.

 

Body Pillows are especially good for side sleepers and pregnant women who like to keep their spines aligned, and circulation going by sleeping with a pillow between their knees.

 

Cervical Pillows come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all designed to support the neck.   Cervial pillows help relieve pain associated with muscle tension, stress and strain by promoting proper alignment and support.   

 

Cooling Pillows/Covers are heaven for hot summer nights and hot flashes.   I have two Chillow Pillows that I use all Arizona summer long.  They are super popular and I highly recommend them.   

 

Water Pillows allow you to personalize your pillow by filling a water pouch inside the pillow for soft, medium or firm support.

You can't tell what's going to work until you sleep on it so try to get the one that fits the best with your sleep style.  In my case, I've kissed a lot of toads, but I will continue to seek out the perfect pillow.  Even punching and feeling it in a retail store doesn't make much of a difference. 

See our new category, Beds,  and also read how to retrofit the rest of your bed in my blog Bed Check for Better Sleep.

At least we have a lot of products to choose from, right?  Happy shopping!

-v