We are used to sleeping with pillows every day, but have you ever wondered, do we really need pillows, what if we sleep without pillows? This is an interesting question. If you are also curious about this question, you can read on this article. This article will tell you why we need to sleep with a pillow.
Part 1. Why you need to sleep with a pillow
Firstly, the spine of our body is a straight line when viewed from the front, but a curve with three physiological curves when viewed from the side. In order to protect the normal curvature of the neck and maintain normal physiological activities during sleep, pillows play a certain role during sleep. A good pillow and the correct pillow position will protect and fill the gap according to the curvature of your cervical spine. Therefore, if you sleep without a pillow for a long time, you will definitely accelerate the development of cervical problems, as well as increase the risk of poor sleep quality and spinal deformity.
Secondly, as we know that the pillow is actually not used to support your head, while the most important purpose is to support the neck. So when sleeping with a pillow, be sure to pay attention to put the pillow on the correct position so that it has full support of your neck.
Part 2. What kind of pillow is good for your cervical spine
Of course, the height of the pillow is an important factor to consider:
When sleeping on a high pillow, the neck is in an excessively flexed state no matter you sleep on your back or on your side. After a long time, the ligaments around your neck will be pulled and strained, and eventually become loose, the stability of the cervical spine will be weakened, which leads to cervical spondylosis.
If the pillow is too low, the position of your head will be low as well, and the blood flow in your head will be easily congested. After waking up, you will feel that the head is swollen and occasionally painful, and the face will also be edema.
The correct pillow position and height are determined according to the person's body shape and habitual sleeping position.
For back sleeper: People who are used to sleeping on their backs, the pillow they pick should be able to fill the gap at the back of the head.
For side sleeper: People who are used to sleeping on their side can choose a slightly harder pillow. When lying on the side, the pillow must fill the gap between the shoulders and the head.
Part 3. How to pick the right pillow for you
How to choose the right pillow? Generally, you need to choose different types of pillows according to your actual needs:
Those who have no neck and shoulder problems are not sensitive to pillows, basically you can choose all types of pillows on the market, but the height of the pillow needs to be paid attention to.
Those who feel fatigued, have a poor mental state or are prone to insomnia, you can use pillows with soothing and sedative effects, such as some magnetic therapy pillows.
Those who have neck discomfort or already have neck pains, it is recommended to use a cervical vertebra pillow that promotes blood circulation and has a good support. This type of functional pillow is generally made of sponge, memory foam or latex material. The design conforms to ergonomic mechanics and can protect the cervical spine.
