Pillow for side-sleepers - YouLookFab Forum

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Pillow for side-sleepers

elpgal

Veteran

YLFers, I need some direction to pick a new pillow. I have terrible neck and shoulder stiffness and my PT asked me to experiment with various pillows.

So far, I have tried pillows of various thicknesses, a memory foam one, a shredded latex filled one and another one with an indent where your head rests. I am at a loss for what to try next. Do you have one that you recommend?

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15 replies

Latest reply was from Staysfit

rachylou

Veteran

Eh... I got a whole bed from Duxiana, which is lovely, but you could buy a car for the money... an old car, but it would run. On the other hand, it’s been 25 years. One and done. They make pillows tho... they however don’t appear to sell online...

elpgal

Veteran

Rachy, that’s impressive. I am fickle with mattress preferences so I have resisted spending money on the $3K latex ones but maybe I should go for it. These too come with a 20 year warranty.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Try NEST. Best pillows on the planet.

Kate

Veteran

I sympathize! I had the same issue recently for about 5 months. With the help of a wonderful PT here’s what worked for me. She had me roll up a towel lengthwise and wrap it around my neck before I went to bed. Use whatever pillow you already have. It’s all about the towel! You can adjust it as you need to to provide support. That helped me get a decent night’s sleep, which I hadn’t had in months. Meanwhile, my orthopedic surgeon had suggested I try dry needling. Fortunately my new PT is experienced in that modality. I am now 80% improved and no longer have pain & stiffness 24/7.

Dry needling uses the same thin needles that accupuncturists use. The difference is the needles are inserted into the muscle and manipulated. It’s not bad at all, though not painless. However, I was extremely motivated to find relief from constant pain, so for me well worth it. Now we are using dry needling for my chronic migraines. I’m always happy to try any non-drug therapy. Good luck!!

slim cat

Veteran

I'm on my second Tempur-Pedic medium Profile Neck pillow - It's memory foam with supportive shape. Bad,Bath and Beyond, Amazon and other places sell it. I try to sleep on my back ( doctor' recommendations ) but often wake up on my side. It took a bit of time getting used to it but it did work wonders for my neck.

rachylou

Veteran

Have you tried a latex mattress of any sort? I have to admit the Dux has been worth it.

Flytigress

My husband and I both love our COOP Home Goods pillows!

L'Abeille

Veteran

I swear by my pillow filled with buckwheat husks, bought a second one for nights on call at the hospital, and recommend it to many of my patients, with much positive feedback. Now our local dentist's office carries them for sale, so he must have seen benefits too. (Depending where you live, you might also try your local farmers' market!)

They are VERY firm, but can be molded to the exact shape you want, and hold that shape all night long. They are great for migraines too IMO.

elpgal

Veteran

Thanks for all ideas! I am glad I asked.

Rachy, my kid has one of those multilayer latex mattresses that let you customize the firmness. Seems to work well for him.

Anonymous

I use a little couch type pillow. It's firm and fat! Regular squishy pillows put my head too low.

Style Fan

Veteran

I have heard great things about Buckweat pillows. I am curious about dry needling. I am going to look into it.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I really like the Wamsutta Extra Firm Support pillow; BB&B has it. Despite the name it's not crazy thick, just supportive with a gusset around so it doesn't smush as quickly. I just bought a new one the other day which is why I remember the name. I can't do down pillows and haven't liked any foam ones so this is a good option for me.

April

Veteran

I feel like we have every pillow known to man: buckwheat; memory foam; down; non-memory foam; water pillows; artificial down replacer. They all have their challenges. Buckwheat is great but needs to be positioned correctly and in the middle of the night, it's not so easy to automatically get that done. The water pillow weighs a ton, and my husband really hurt his shoulder by over-filling his. Our memory foam pillows are like cinder blocks.

For me, the best thing is to use down with enough fill to support that space between your neck and the bed, but enough wiggle room to squish it into the best shape for you. Non-down replacer would probably behave the same way, I just haven't tried it because the down works for me and I save the non-down pillows for guests with allergies.

AviaMariah

Veteran

I have a lot of neck and shoulder trouble and I swear by the pillow I purchased at The Sleep Number store. It's a molded pillow.

Staysfit

Veteran

My mother swears by a buckwheat hull pillow. It can be molded and made to the correct depth for comfort and its comfy. She has a terrible neck from post polio syndrome and secondary arthritis. She has tried almost everything on the market.