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Your sleeping position and pillow work together to provide support for your head, neck and spine. Ideally, your spine is kept in what’s called a neutral position. A neutral sleeping position keeps all the bits and pieces in your back in an ideal posture, preventing unnecessary pressure on your discs, muscles and nerves. Keep your spine neutrally aligned and you’ll avoid discomfort (or worse).

Your preferred sleep position will help determine the best type of pillow suited for you.

Stomach Sleeping Position

Avoid sleeping on your stomach as it’s difficult to maintain a neutral sleeping position.

Sleeping on your stomach forces your head and spine into an unnatural upward bend. Staying in this position for hours on end is not good for your back or neck and can result in significant discomfort and restless sleep.

Can’t change your sleeping position? Stomach sleepers will prefer box or low-loft pillows. 

Stomach sleepers need considerably less fill in their pillow than someone who sleeps on their side or back. If you sleep on your stomach with a pillow that’s too thick (most traditional pillows are), your spine will bent at an angle which is more likely to cause aches, pains, or numbness.

Back Sleeping Position

Back sleepers will prefer a pyramid pillow, a box pillow or a low loft pillow. 
The best pillow for back sleepers will adequately fill the space between yourself and the mattress, elevating your head only as high as is needed to achieve a neutral position. A pillow that’s too thick will elevate your head too high. As a result, your neck is bent upwards, potentially straining muscles, nerves and discs.

Conversely, a pillow that’s too thin will result in an uncomfortable downward bend in your neck.

A supportive, malleable pillow will prevent lateral neck twists and strains.

When on your back, gravity will pull your head to your left or right shoulder as you sleep. The ideal back sleeper pillow keeps your head positioned relatively straight, or upright, facing the ceiling. This reduces the lateral twist in your neck.

What are Pyramid pillows? Pyramid pillows are ergonomically designed with an triangular shape which helps to support the head and neck at just the right position to improve your breathing for back sleepers - and it's even been known to have a dramatic effect on snoring as it's maintains the open airways.



Side Sleeping Position

Sleeping on your side with the wrong pillow can interfere with sleep and even lead to serious neck or back pain.

Sleeping on one’s side is the most common sleeping position. For most, it’s the instinctive and most comfortable way to sleep.

Side sleepers will prefer a high-loft (thicker) pillow.

This simply because there is more space to fill between your head and the mattress while on your side vs. other sleep positions. When you lie on your side, your pillow needs to be thick enough to keep your spine straight, but not so thick that it bends your neck out of alignment.

Side sleepers will be most comfortable on a firm or extra-firm pillow.

A common issue for side sleepers is that their pillow slowly collapses under the weight of their head during the night, becoming too thin. This loss of support will cause your head and neck to bend downwards, resulting in unnecessary strains that can lead to neck or back pain. Folding a pillow in half or using more than one pillow will not compensate for inadequate loft and support.

Did you know? .... Resting on your left side for some people can help with morning sickness, feelings of nausea or the effects of an "overly full" stomach.

To sum up your sleeping position matters.

It may seem impossible to control the position you sleep in since you aren’t aware while sleeping. If you have bad sleep posture, it is feasible to make a change. 

Good habits can make a considerable difference in the amount and quality of sleep you get.

When going to sleep, or if you wake up in the night, make a conscious effort to follow these guidelines:

• Keep both your head and neck straight, in a neutral position, avoiding any twists and bends in your spine.
• Use malleable pillows that are capable of conforming to your neck and spine as you change positions throughout the night.
• The most common sleeping position is on your side, with your legs and hips aligned and flexed. Because this position leaves your upper leg unsupported, the top knee and thigh tend to slide forward and rest on the mattress, rotating the lower spine. This slight rotation may contribute to back or hip pain. To prevent that problem, place a pillow between your knees and thighs…If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back. You might try a small, rolled towel under the small of your back for additional support. Support your neck with a pillow.

To sum up your sleeping position matters.

It may seem impossible to control the position you sleep in since you aren’t aware while sleeping. If you have bad sleep posture, it is feasible to make a change. 

Good habits can make a considerable difference in the amount and quality of sleep you get.

When going to sleep, or if you wake up in the night, make a conscious effort to follow these guidelines:

• Keep both your head and neck straight, in a neutral position, avoiding any twists and bends in your spine.
• Use malleable pillows that are capable of conforming to your neck and spine as you change positions throughout the night.
• The most common sleeping position is on your side, with your legs and hips aligned and flexed. Because this position leaves your upper leg unsupported, the top knee and thigh tend to slide forward and rest on the mattress, rotating the lower spine. This slight rotation may contribute to back or hip pain. To prevent that problem, place a pillow between your knees and thighs…If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back. You might try a small, rolled towel under the small of your back for additional support. Support your neck with a pillow.