Category Archives: Side Sleepers

Side Sleeper Pro Neck and Back Pillow: Caring For You While You Sleep

According to the American Chiropractic Association, sleeping on your side and sleeping on your back are the two recommended sleeping positions. These two positions reduce the pressure on the ligaments and muscles of the spine and do not cause muscle pain. On the other hand, other sleeping positions may cause damage to the spine and the nervous system or may lead to neck and back pain.

The Side Sleeper Pro Neck and Back Pillow is a product designed by a doctor to promote proper sleeping posture so you can sleep well and wake up revitalized the next day. In this article, you will know more about the features and the pros and cons of Slide Sleeper Pro. At the end, expect to see the verdict based on the product’s price range.

Features

The doctor-designed pillow is great for people who are constantly experiencing muscular pain due to bad posture while sleeping. The product helps you to correctly align your head, neck, and spine so the muscles and the ligaments involved can relax along with the rest of the body. Using the pillow will ensure that your airways will remain unblocked so you can forget about snoring issues.

The earwell was designed for added comfort and for consumers who like to play relaxing music before drifting off to sleep. The cover material is made of 100 percent cotton and the filling is made of 100 percent polyester fiber. Lastly, the pillow is firm and does not flatten after months of use.

Pros

Aside from its features, the pillow also has noticeable positive qualities:

  • First, the pillow’s size is just right to support the neck and head of the average consumer.
  • The product’s structure helps the shoulder stay in a relaxed position and allows users to position and cradle their head comfortably while sleeping on the side.
  • Also, the earwell is good for keeping the ear from getting crunched by the pillow.
  • Other pillows flatten after weeks of use but the physician-designed pillow stays firm.
  • The product is also professionally made with easy to remove pillowcase and well integrated zipper.

Cons

While the pillow promotes proper sleeping posture, it has a few issues:

  • First, the arms are uneven: one side is longer than the other. As a result, users may need to flip the pillow if they want the same level of comfort.
  • Next, every user is stuck with the default pillowcase. The company does not sell additional pillowcases for interested consumers.
  • The earwell is not large enough which may cause problems for people with big ears.

Conclusion

For many people, getting a good night sleep is imperative because it will affect their performance the next day. The ticket price of this pillow is a good price to pay for a product that ensures proper sleeping posture, especially if the user is experiencing neck and back problems or regularly sleeps on their side. The Side Sleeper Pro Neck and Back Pillow is definitely worth a try!

The ultimate guide to the Best Pillows For Side Sleepers

Here are our top recommendations for 2015. Keep reading below the table for full reviews and  our in depth guide on choosing the right pillow.

ComfySleep Buckwheat Pillow
Our favorite for 2016
Core 200 Tri-Core Pillow
A great value option
Shredded Memory Foam Pillow with Stay Cool Bamboo Cover
A fantastic shredded memory foam pillow, ideal for side sleepers!

Are you looking for a specific type of side sleeper pillow?

Reviews

Shredded Memory Foam PillowThe Shredded Memory Foam Pillow by Good Life Essentials may just be the pillow you have been looking for. On the plus side, this pillow, unlike others similarly filled with memory foam material, will not build up heat because it provides excellent air ventilation.

This simply means that the pillow remains cool for the user even in warm or hot temperatures, meaning no sleep disruption in any climate or weather. Neck, shoulders, and head are firmly supported by this pillow to prevent and alleviate pain in these areas upon waking up in the morning.

The pillow’s bamboo cover is eco-friendly, a deal maker for those who prefer only natural materials. This pillow is 100% made in the U.S. Because we all spend a third of our lives sleeping, rest assured that this is manufacturer-guaranteed never to go flat or out of shape.

Core 200 PillowSide sleepers will find themselves more comfortable if they use pillows especially designed for their particular needs. One such pillow recommended by medical professionals and chiropractors is the Core 200 Tri-Core pillow that has a trapezoidal center to gently cradle the head yet firm support the neck of the side sleeper.

This tri-core pillow’s support for the mentioned areas helps maintain a naturally-straight and horizontal line for the spine and distributes the user’s weight evenly to prevent unnatural pressure or bending that can lead to a crooked spine and chronic pain the neck, head, and shoulder areas. Made of wrinkle-free and crease-proof Fortrel material, the Core 200 is the leading pillow in its class with orthopedic benefits.

Made of 50% polyester and 50% cotton, the pillow measures 24 inches by 16 inches that fits any standard-sized pillowcase. If you would like to eliminate pain in your neck, shoulders, and head upon waking up in the morning, try the reasonably-priced 200 model on for size.

Iso-Cool Memory Foam PillowIf you have sleep problems because of extremely-soft pillows that “trap” your head and neck with their sides, you should consider buying the Iso-Cool Memory Foam Pillow. Admittedly, this pillow can be a tad firm for those who have been used to soft pillows. Those who want to improve their spinal alignment, however, should get an Iso-Cool precisely for its firmness.

Additionally, this pillow is very affordable for its class as well as for its numerous features, especially the PCM beads that make the Iso-Cool versatile. The major buying point for the Iso-Cool pillow is the fact that gives twice the benefit of having two separate pillows: one that keeps you cool when the temperature is soaring and another that keeps you warm when the temperature is freezing.

Those who sleep on their back sides will benefit much from the pillow’s gusseted design and the visco-elastic material of the memory foam as the fill provides the sleeper with neck and head support with its higher loft. And the hypo-allergenic material of the Iso-Cool ensures that you don’t sneeze while you snooze, a feature that will be appreciated by those who are allergy-prone.

What To Look For In A Pillow If You Sleep On Your Side

Did you know that between the three most common sleeping positions, sleeping on your side is the most common? That should mean that a majority pillows are designed with side sleepers in mind, and that side sleepers would have the most universal choice when shipping for new bedding right? Well, to answer your question: yes and no. People who sleep on their side do benefit from a plethora of options that are a good compromise between the thin, almost non-existent, stomach sleeper pillows, and their firmer cousins designed for back sleepers.

Take a step back and look at the shape of the body, which sections of the body do you usually lay on when you are asleep in bed? When you are on your side, regardless of which direction you are facing, the hip and the shoulders are going to take most of the impact from the mattress, and the side of your skull next to your ear is going to support the weight of your head against the pillow.

When you sleep on a pillow that is too thin, your head and neck are going to lay parallel, leaving a minute space against your neck and forcing those muscles to keep your neck upright and in line with your head. If the reverse is true and you sleep on a pillow that is too firm or too thickly padded, your entire head and neck is going to be forced upward which will un-align your spine from its natural positioning. That means that the best choice for your well-being and health is going to be a medium to medium-soft pillow that gives enough resistance to your head to support the weight of your head with enough inflation to support your neck.

Try and analyze how much you move during the night when purchasing a pillow because this can help you to decide on the right type of material for the pillow. If you are someone that likes to toss and turn throughout the night, you might prefer a buckwheat organic pillow or a feather pillow whose content moves around as you do. The only problem with some of the buckwheat pillows is they do have a tendency to make more noise when you move, so do not invest in this type of pillow if you are a light sleeper.

Optimally, if you are a sedentary sleeper that tends to stay in the same place, you want to shop around for an ergonomic design that differs from the traditional rectangular and flat shape of most pillows. Some pillows have extra padding or filling along the lower half of the pillow where you place your neck so that the concentration and the location of the filling inside your pillow is not as dependent on whether or not you get a good nights sleep. These pillows already have a pre-set shape in most cases so again, if you move around, this pillow may not be the best choice for you.

What Should Side Sleepers Look For?

After taking into consideration all of the ideal factors that should go into your purchasing decision, what is the best type of pillow? The best type of pillow depends on you and what you prefer to sleep on, but some of the recommended options that would suit side sleepers are memory foam, latex, and buckwheat pillows.

Memory foam and latex foam pillows have become one of the more popular options in the last few years because of their incredible ability to retain the shape of your body and provide equal support to both your neck and head. These options, unlike down filled pillows, do not let your head slump down into the pillow; rather they meet individual resistance requirements to provide optimal support. The cost of these options are decreasing and can now be found for as little as $20 at some stores, but they still remain one of the more expensive types on the market; however, memory foam pillows often come with some type of warranty and are expected to last for several years, whereas their latex cousins have been known to last up to 20-years in some extreme cases.

Buckwheat pillows

Buckwheat pillows are an eco-friendly design made out of 100% natural buckwheat hulls. Sometimes companies will also use hops, grass, or other natural materials instead of buckwheat for the same purpose. Buckwheat doesn’t collapse like foam or feathers so you get an extra level of support .These pillows also don’t retain as much heat as other types on the market so they are great if you hate sleeping on a hot pillow or always find yourself flipping over the pillow in the middle of the night to find some relief. The only downside to buckwheat is that it is rather heavy,  with some  brands weighing as much as 4-5 pounds, and they will need to be replaced about every other year.

How to Choose the Right Pillow for Shoulder Pain if you Sleep on Your Side

the ideal pillow  if you have shoulder  pain whilst you sleep on your sideThere are as many sleeping problems as there are sleeping positions. The way you position your body as you sleep determines what kind of problems you encounter when you wake up.
Side sleepers usually deal with shoulder pains in the morning. This is because their necks are bent at an awkward angle and kept for hours in that certain position, causing the muscles to cramp and get damaged over time.

This is why side sleepers need pillows that are designed to provide good support for the neck, all the way to the shoulders. This is a bit tricky because you need a specialized pillow to make side sleeping both comfortable and natural.

In line with that, you’ve got memory foam pillows and waterfill pillows in the market as well. To find the right pick for you, go with something that you’re personally comfortable with. Pillows are like clothes. You’ve got to try them on before you can say they’re good on you.
And if you’re budgeting, go for a smaller pillow size with a good brand so you can still save and sleep well at the same time.

Finally, you want to ask if a certain pillow is chiropractor-designed. Nothing puts your mind at ease better than a pillow that’s designed for therapeutic purposes.

Knee Pillows if you are a Side Sleeper

the ideal pillow if you sleep on your sideChiropractors recommend sleeping on the side, also known as the fetal position, which we all assumed as babies in our fetal development in the wombs of our mothers for nine months. While we are comfortable sleeping on our sides, we shouldn’t forget to safeguard our posture, even if it means buying another new pillow to give our necks, shoulders, and heads the proper support and our spine the correct alignment.

Assuming that you have the correct knee pillows, place one or two of these under your head and your neck, and an additional pillow between your knees to keep your hips open, and your knees and legs separated. Most knee pillows are priced affordably, albeit some brands – such as Tempurpedic – are relatively more expensive. The knee pillows in the previously discussed reviews, however, are all good quality brands.

Shoulder Pillow if you are a Side Sleeper

choosing a dynasty mattressShoulder pillows for side sleepers like you will be ideal if you lay in a perpendicular position with your mattress, meaning they will work best for people who maintain relatively few sleeping positions during their sleep. But that is not always the case because even side sleepers shift positions while asleep. Pillows that are too malleable will not provide the firmness needed by the side sleeper.

For people who sleep on their side, keeping the spine straight during sleep is non-negotiable. The space between your outer shoulder and your ear is empty when you are a side sleeper and that is where a pillow should be, a firm one to be precise, to keep your weight distributed evenly and not suspended or bent unnaturally. Without the correct pillow, a side sleeper’s body and neck will not be well positioned during sleep.

Sleep is an integral part of all our lives and you deserve to get a sufficient amount of it regardless of whether or not you sleep on your side. Side sleepers, however, need to choose their pillows more carefully because they have special needs, so to speak, that may not be met with a one-size-fits-all kind of pillow.

Choosing the Right Thin Pillow for a Side Sleeper

how to choose the right thin pillow if you sleep on your sideSleeping on the side has been proven good for reducing acid reflux, and preventing or treating snoring. Sleeping on the side can also prevent neck and back pain. This sleeping position is recommended for pregnant women as well.

With these benefits it is easy to understand why you’ll continue to sleep on your back. Having the right pillow, however, can mean the difference between feeling refreshed and young in the morning, or feeling stressed after tossing and turning all night long.

As mentioned earlier, the pillow you must have in your bed should not be too thick or too thin. Having a pillow that is too thin would allow your head to tilt towards the bed. On the other hand, a pillow that is too thick would have your head tilting away from the bed, and potentially causing stiff neck in the morning. Or you can end up having stiff and achy muscles, or numbing sensation in the arms and hands.

While shopping online for a pillow is convenient, there is also the disadvantage of not being able to test the pillow. Hence you really have no clue on how the pillow would feel, or how well it would support your neck and head.

Fortunately, most of the makers of thin pillows do offer a refund to their customers who are not satisfied with the products they bought online.  You can also minimize the risks of ordering the wrong pillow by looking for customer testimonials on the thin pillow that you are interested in getting.

Keep these pointers in mind the next time you shop for a pillow online, and chances are, you’ll get a pillow that suits you.



What to Look for When Buying the Best Mattress For Side Sleepers

The Best Mattress For Side Sleepers

Are you a side sleeper that always ends up tired in the morning, or do you find yourself waking up intermittently throughout the night? Believe it or not, not all mattresses are made for everyone, and chances are that you may just not have found the right option for you. This guide is going to help you to determine what you should look for when buying a new mattress and the types of mattresses that are best for side sleepers, to help you get the best sleep you have had in years.

Comparison Chart

DynastyMattress New Cool Breeze 12-Inch Gel

Our favorite for 2015

Brentwood Home 10-Inch Gel HD

A great value option

LUCID 12 Inch Gel Ventilated

A lovely product from LUCID

What To Look For In A Mattress If You Sleep On Your Side

If you are a side sleeper, the number one thing you need to keep in mind when searching for a new mattress is to avoid a firm options. The reason being is that when you sleep on your side, the pressure from your body is placed primarily on your hips and shoulders. Firm models don’t give enough support to your hip and shoulders because they are pushing back on your body and preventing your spine from falling into natural alignment. To maintain the natural curvature of your spine and to achieve the best possible rest, you want a softer model that is going to hug your body rather than push against it.

Although you should avoid firm options at all costs, don’t take that to mean that you should make a purchase with absolutely no support whatsoever. Purchasing a mattress because it is soft with little resistance is sure way to wake up with muscles aches and pains that can be worse than being tired in the first place. Ideally, you want to look for a medium-soft model that gives you the best of both worlds.

Reviews

Brentwood 10People who sleep on their side rejoice. The Brentwood 10″ HD has come to your rescue and give you the benefit of not having to wake up with soreness and ache in your shoulders, necks, and hips. With ten inches of high density (HD) memory foam, this model has two layers that are medium firm to fully support your body’s side sleep position and give you uninterrupted slumber.
The top layer’s 2.5-inch is supported by a 7.5-inch therapeutic base that helps eliminate motion transfer reduce the incidence of tossing and turning in bed that often awaken those who sleep on their side. Firm support with a cushiony feel is how side sleeper customers who have purchased this Brentwood model reported their satisfaction with it.

Although this model is a conventional memory foam model, you don’t have to worry about sleeping on a bed of coals because it doesn’t get hot even without the gel infusion found in Brentwood’s other models. If you want something cooler to sleep on, though, you may prefer the models that have built-in gel beads.

Dreamfoam MattressThere are plenty of memory foam models that claim to offer relief for those sleeping on their side who also have back pain, but the DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams 13-Inch Gel  is a cut above the rest in terms of features and performance. To provide the utmost support for your back, the mattress comes with multiple layers, the first acting as the base, the second the back support and the third conforming to your spine’s alignment.

The use of multiple layers, each with a specific function but working together, makes this  ideal for sleeping on the side and easing back discomfort. Although foam mattresses resemble each other, the makeup varies and this makes a huge difference when you lie down and rest.

What makes the DreamFoam effective is you won’t just feel comfortable when you lie down and sleep, but this extends to when you wake up in the morning. In other words, it is not just for sleeping, but for recuperating as well.

SureTemp Memory Foam MattressFew foam mattresses have elicited as much positive responses as the Sleep Innovations 10-Inch SureTemp, and most of the positive feedback comes from people who suffer from back pain and sleep on their sides.

Sleep Innovations is no stranger to be furniture, and the SureTemp is one of their better products yet. This model , first and foremost, feels comfortable, and you just need to press your hands on the poly cotton cover to know this.

However that’s only the tip of the iceberg as this model also provides other benefits like therapeutic support, eliminating tossing and turning, and relief from body aches and pains caused by pressure. Besides offering spinal alignment support, the unit is also resistant to dust mites and allergens, common problems with other similar models. Although there are a lot of models like this on on the market, the SureTemp is just way ahead of the rest in terms of features.

LUCID Foam Mattress There’s been a lot of talk about the LUCID 12  and how it’s been able to help those who prefer to sleep on their side to sleep better, and for once, here’s a product that actually lives up to the hype. There’s plenty in the LUCID 12 to go over, but at the heart of it is the 12 inches of luxurious foam with gel infusion that distributes heat evenly, essential for alleviating back pain and make sleeping on the side much more comfortable.

This model  also has an antimicrobial cover and special pin core technology that boosts airflow all through the layer. Just like other Lucid products, this model has a long warranty –good for 25 years-, and the open cell construction ensures the material will last longer and be more resilient than others. The combination of increased air flow, conforming to the body and allergen resistance makes this a very compelling proposition.

DynastyMattress Cool Breeze Just because you don’t want to spend thousands of cash on a good quality bed product doesn’t mean all you’re ever going to get is a lemon. The new DynastyMattress Cool Breeze which comes in several other sizes as well, dispels this common notion. For its price, this model packs a wallop and is easy on the budget.

With nine sizes to choose from, including those specifically built for RVs, it doesn’t get any better for the customers who buys this Dynasty model. Designed with the use of state of the art technology, this is the only known model in its class with four layers.

Dual cool airflow two-inch foam, high density (HD) five-inch base support foam, and a three-inch layer of gel memory foam on top all combine to give the sleeper the ultimate in sleeping comfort. The premium gel beads in this model ensure that you are warm during winter and cool during summer.

 

What Types Of Mattresses Suit Side Sleepers

Spring Mattresses (Economic Option)

Spring models are low cost, but they are not likely to be the right option for you if you sleep on your side. This is because the springs place all of the resistance on the heaviest parts of your body rather than distributing it equally across your entire body. People who sleep on their sides rely on their hips and shoulders to hold their body up, and spring options will put most of the pressure  on your joints and bones. Choosing this type of mattress is sure to give you all types of aches and pains in the morning and any cost saved on the total purchase price  is likely going to have to be spent on coffee in the morning to wake yourself up!

Latex Mattresses (Average)

Latex is used to produce a natural rubber material that is incredibly durable and not as susceptible to permanent body impressions as other models This means that you are going to be able to keep your purchase for a long time and it is going to give you long lasting support without causing you to sink into the same impression every night.

The two main types of latex models are Dunlop latex and Talalay latex; you’ll want to purchase a Talalay mattress. Dunlop models are much firmer than Talalay because of the way they are produced, whereas Talalay models can be customized to be either soft or firm. Talalay latex brands do not retain as much as heat as their memory foam cousins and don’t give off smells or gasses from chemicals used in the production of foam.

Latex models have motion isolation so that they don’t move around when you or your partner are moving or getting out of bed. The only major downside of a latex product is that they are one of the most expensive choices. The average price of a low-end latex unit starts at around $1,000.

Foam Mattresses (Best)

Foam models are one of the best options in terms of value and quality of sleep because they can give you full body support. Models of this type let your body sink just enough so that your spine is able to bend into its natural shape, whilst also giving adequate lumbar support and resistance so you can sleep comfortably. Foam also contours to the sides of your shoulders and hips to hug your body nicely and give you all round support if you happen to turn or shift around during sleep.

One of the most common complaints of these types of mattresses is that they retain a lot of heat; if sleeping on a hot surface bothers you, you may want to go with a latex option. Another common concern is the potentially harmful chemicals used in the production of these models. Many of these odors are masked with commercial perfumes and deodorizers that can cause breathing difficulties among those with asthma. Good quality entry-level options can start at $400 and up depending on the level of thickness you desire; a recommended thickness level for you so that you can get the best sleep possible is approximately 4 inches.