Sleep is one of the most important parts of staying healthy. While sleeping, your body repairs itself from all the damage acquired throughout the day. Sleep helps your immune system work properly, reduces drastic weight fluctuations, improves your mental health and overall cognitive abilities and lowers your risk of serious illness. But it’s not all about how much sleep you’re getting, but also about the quality of your sleep. Non-restorative sleep is a serious issue, and it reverses or at least significantly reduces many of the benefits of a good night’s sleep, particularly concerning memory and information acquisition. Apart from stress or a room temperature that’s too hot or too chilly, the type of pillow you use can also create discomfort and impact the quality of your sleep. If you haven’t thought about the chief qualities a pillow should have before buying it, it’s not too late to start. Here are some suggestions.
Think about the material
When thinking about buying a pillow, the material used to manufacture it and the material of your pillowcase are important. You should choose lightweight, breathable fabrics that don’t make you feel overheated overnight. Cotton is a classic and perhaps the best option available. If you can, pick something made from organic, hypoallergenic cotton.
When it comes to pillowcases, silk is an excellent option for your sleep and the health of your hair and skin, as it prevents your hair from tangling throughout the night. Linen is also great, mainly through the summer months but make sure to choose something that’s not coarse, or it could irritate your skin.
Consider the temperature
It’s very uncomfortable to wake up during the night because you’re overheating. It disrupts the quality of your sleep, affects your circadian rhythm, and doesn’t let all those very important biological processes unfold properly. Some pillows include cooling gel with memory foam so that you never run into this problem again. Moisture-wicking fabrics, similar to athletic wear fabrics, also work great if you want to be sure you stay cool all through the night.
Buy based on sleep position
You may not know this, but every sleeping position comes with a different requirement for the type of pillow you should use. Yes, you read that right. This is because your body requires different things depending on your preferred sleep position. A good pillow should keep your body in correct alignment as you sleep and support your head, neck and spine. For example, back sleepers need a pillow with medium firmness, while side sleepers require a firm support pillow.
Choose a great travel pillow
The way you sleep while traveling matters very much as well. Jet lag is bad enough, don’t add poor sleep quality as an additional issue. It’s best to pick a travel pillow that can work for both adventures and inside the home. Purchase a buckwheat travel pillow if you are looking for something that provides the best support and comfort there is. It is also appropriate for all sleeping positions. You can get it here, where it also comes with an airy, hygienic bamboo pillowcase.
Replace the pillow regularly
If you’ve had your period for longer than you can remember, you should think about finding its replacement. As they age, pillows lose their shape because of regular wear and tear and therefore lose their ability to support your spine correctly. You should consider replacing it roughly every 18 months to make sure it retains all its properties.
Many aspects dictate how well or not you sleep. The pillow is just one of them, but an essential one, so make sure not to skip it.
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