Your Pillow’s Role in Rejuvenating Sleep

Spring brings warmer weather and other changes, so it’s a great time to see if you could benefit from some new bedding.

One easy way to update your sleep setup is with a new pillow. It’s an important part of your sleep experience after all.

Pillows come in all shapes and sizes, and we know them as something that can help us sleep better. This wasn’t always the case though.

One of the first pillows was created over 9,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Back then, pillows were made from piece of stones, with the tops made into “a half-moon shape.”

The pillow’s purpose was to keep heads from touching the ground and to keep insects away from people’s noses, mouths, and ears.

Meanwhile, Ancient Greeks and Romans seemed to be a little more creative. They made their pillows by filling pieces of cloth with straw and feathers.

The pillow evolution has continued over thousands of years—not just in the way they’re made but their purpose as well (thank goodness, right?).

Pillows Today

Today, a pillow’s purpose is all about comfort and support for your neck and spine, and there are so many options at our fingertips.

You probably won’t find a straw pillow anywhere, but you can find down-feather pillows in addition to memory foam, latex, microfiber, and others.

Choosing the Right Pillow

As you start looking for the perfect pillow, consider these few factors: material, support, and personal sensitivities like allergies or temperature.

Getting the right amount of support from a pillow can be tricky. Not only does the material and firmness level play a role, but the pillow’s loft is another contributing factor.

You might have heard the term “loft” before but may not know what it is or why it’s important. Loft simply refers to the thickness of your pillow.

There are three traditional lofts for pillows: low loft, mid loft, and high loft. The loft, or height, that you choose will depend on your sleep position.

Let’s use stomach sleepers as an example. A low-loft pillow is usually the best option for stomach sleepers, and here’s why.

In this position, your neck is turned to the side and your back is slightly arched. If you have a high-loft pillow, you’ll feel a heavier strain on your neck and spine.

A low-loft pillow, on the other hand, is thin enough where it keeps the neck and spine aligned and helps relieve that tension. This way, you’re not waking up sore.

Here are our loft recommendations for each sleep style. We also suggest considering the pillow’s material and firmness level when comparing pillows.

• Stomach sleepers: low loft (4 inches or less)
• Side sleepers: mid high loft (5-6 inches)
• Back sleepers: mid or high loft (6+ inches)

Pillows for Every Sleeper

Now that you have pillows on your mind, and are more familiar with the science, check out some of our customer favorites that are helping people sleep better.

Side Sleepers: Shoulder Gel ActiveDough^TM Pillow

• Feels like memory foam and latex blend
• Not too soft or too firm
• Shoulder cutout for side sleepers

Stomach Sleepers: Talalay Latex Pillow

• Springy, responsive feel
• Softer than our memory foam and ActiveDough^TM
• Low-loft option for stomach sleepers

Back Sleepers: Dough^TM Memory Foam Pillow

• Natural contouring feel
• Firmer than latex and ActiveDough^TM
• High loft for back sleepers

Universal Sleepers: Convolution Pillow

• Feels similar to a traditional down pillow
• Firmer than latex but softer than ActiveDough^TM
• Made to support all sleep styles

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to finding the right pillow, but with a little research, you can find what you need for a comfortable night’s rest.