A good restorative sleep is important for your health. Unfortunately, many medical conditions may hinder the quality of your sleep, such as muscular or skeletal illnesses. In such cases, it can be helpful to maintain a good sleeping posture in order to protect your comfort during the night.
Key takeaways
- Side sleepers: a thicker, curved pillow keeps the neck in line with the shoulders.
- Back sleepers: a thinner pillow with neck support keeps the head level.
- To breathe easier: a wedge cushion raises the upper body, without buying an electric bed.
- Positioning cushions keep legs, hips or knees in the recommended position.
- A comfort tool, not a cure: the right pillow is first the one that feels comfortable to you.
Getting on your good side
In which position do you sleep best ? Some pillows are designed for side-sleepers, while others a better for those sleeping on their back. The ideal sleeping position depends on your particular health condition, of course, but it is mainly a question of personal preference. After all, we aren’t in your pajamas, only you can know best how sleep comfortably.
Pillows for sleeping on the side are usually thicker, and have a curve designed to fill the empty space between the shoulder and neck. Such a design aligns your neck with your shoulders all the while maintaining the horizontal orientation of your head.
Pillows for sleeping on the back are thinner, and have a slight curve at the nape of the neck. This cushioning positions the head horizontally, preventing unwanted craning of the neck, either by pushing the head forward (with your chin towards your chest) or backwards (with your chin towards the ceiling).
Some pillows, such as the Ortho-Cerv, can fit both positions. You only have to orient the pillow the right way so the cushions support your head adequately. As with every pillow, you need to pick the right size, or else it won’t be able to support your head.
Lean back and sleep tight
If you have respiratory issues, sleeping with an incline of the back may provide you comfort. If your condition is temporary, as with a surgery recovery or a simple seasonal affliction, it is generally exaggerated to buy an electric bed for its articulated back. In such circumstances, a triangular body wedge cushion can provide you with the relief that you need. These wedge pillows will prop your back towards the front, which should ease your breathing when sleeping. The right size of the cushion, and as such the degree of the tilt it will provide, will depend on your personal measurements. The right cushion cover will depend on your particular comfort needs. Generally, the Orthex triangular cushions are comfortable options, as they have a soft coconut cover.
The right placement of the body
Regardless of your preferred sleeping position, it might become the case that your medical condition requires positioning aids during sleep. If you need to have your legs raised, or your hips aligned a specific way, or your knee held in a bent position, you can use a specialized cushion. All kinds of positioning pillows are available, for example, a body posture pillow is ideal to sleep on the side, with the knees supported in a way as to avoid the crossing of the hips.
To conclude, the right pillow could be what is missing for a comfortable and restorative sleep. Source of well-being, postural cushions will help you to limit pain caused by skeletal and muscular ailments. Do keep in mind that pillows and cushions are comfort tools, but are not by themselves a cure for pain. It is always possible that you find a theoretically perfect pillow to be uncomfortable, or the other way around. Your comfort is yours, but at Equipements Adaptés MCL, we can help you find it.
Here to find your Mobility, Comfort and Liberty!
