About Pillows and Mattresses

Why is this topic important to your wellbeing? Health is preserved when cells regenerate overnight. A good night sleep is essential to your health.It is true that some people may not use a pillow at all but unless there are compelling reasons otherwise, we need to sleep on just one pillow. Two or more pillows will cause the neck to lose its lordotic curve (lordosis: forward natural bending) so my advice is to lose the habit and select the one better pillow for you. That pillow would be soft enough to give place for the head to imprint while still giving the neck suitable support. Sometimes a contour or solid foam pillow will work but that’s only true when it is a perfect fit for your neck.

I ask my patients all the time when they mention buying a special pillow and find that sometimes it works wonders but mostly they are disappointed. The feather pillow is a superior choice as it permits proper molding of both the neck and the head and gets the best favorable report from most people. I use one and won’t ever travel without taking my feather pillow along; it’s the last thing I stuff in my suitcase, even on short trips.

About pillows:
1. Only use one pillow to sleep on
2. An additional pillow can be used under the knees when on the back
3. That second pillow can be placed between the knees or along your back when laying on your side
4. Feather pillows are the best but a custom foam pillow may also be the right one

Beds on the other hand are a much greater investment than a pillow but fortunately, the costlier ones last much longer, so the higher initial investment gives you two things: a better quality mattress and in the long run it costs you about the same. So what are you looking for when you buy a good mattress?

This is a good criteria to evaluate a good mattress:
1. A firm mattress is better (but not too firm)
2. A sponge or pillow top is needed to allow for the bony parts of the body to push down without undue pressure points
3. Individually wrapped coils within a solid frame by a reputable company
4. Any mattress endorsed by a Chiropractic Association will be a good choice
5. A futon with layers of multiple materials (cottons and foam of different densities) is what I use for my entire family

Remember to replace lumpy worn out mattresses after they expire. A cheap mattress only lasts 1-2 years, a mid-range lasts up to 5 years and a top of the line mattress can last 10+ years. By the way, the solid foam mattresses may be expensive but they have not delivered what they promised.

hint: if you still have the mattress you bought when you were first married it should be junked if it doesn’t fit the above criteria.

Yours in Wellness,
docMIKE