How To Pick The Perfect Pillow, According To Science

Most adult Brits struggle to get a good night’s sleep; as many as 14% of us get by on “dangerously low” levels of shut-eye, regularly catching less than five hours of kip a night.

Meanwhile, about two-thirds of us will experience neck pain at one point or another, while almost 80% of us will get back aches.

Worse, back and neck pain can make your sleep worse, and insomnia may increase your perception of discomfort. Talk about a vicious cycle.

So, it’s a good thing a systematic review of studies has found four pillow qualities that might help with all three.

This research analysed 11 studies, with 309 participants in total. The study authors wanted to evaluate the quality of evidence for the benefits of different pillow materials, heights, shapes, and thermal (heat) properties.

They found “moderate evidence that some of the following pillow parameters could improve sleep quality/spinal alignment, and decrease sleep-related neck pain”.

1. Latex material,
2. A contoured design (a dip in the middle of the pillow with higher sides, especially useful for side sleepers),
3. A height of 7-11cm for the lower, middle part of the pillow,
4. A cooling surface.

Latex pillows seemed best at reducing neck pain, while a contoured pillow with a 7-11cm high centre helped to keep sleepers’ spines in alignment.

Meanwhile, cooling pillows have been associated with more deep sleep than their non-cooling counterparts.

The researchers added that people should try to “consider as many of the above-mentioned parameters as possible when choosing a new pillow that fits their individual needs of promoting sleep comfort”.

Another review of studies found that, generally, feather pillows tend to perform worse than rubber or spring pillows.

And a separate 2011 paper also suggested “feather pillow users provided consistently low reports of pillow comfort and sleep quality”.

But your sleeping position matters here.

For instance, those who sleep on their side might have to put their neck at an uncomfortable angle if they’re using a softer pillow, while front or back sleepers could push their head further out of alignment if using a very stiff one.

That’s why, researchers note, it’s important to factor in your individual comfort level.