SlumberBlog - Better Pillows

Not too long ago I was experiencing some mild, but uncomfortable back and neck pain. I thought that it was just because of my desk job, that sitting in front of a computer screen may have been setting off a back and neck problem that had already been there. So I changed my work chair, changed my desk chair at home, spent too much money on ergonomically designed products that I thought would work; for nothing. The money spent should have been donated to folks who truly needed it. My neck and back pain continued. In fact, I thought that it had gotten slightly worse, actually causing me to get up a few times a night, pace, stretch, and sometimes take aspirin or some other pain reliever.

One night while I was up, I thought that maybe the problem wasn’t taking place while I was awake, but rather at night, when I was asleep. Since I was already up, I did a quick research on spine-health.com. I found an article that really helped, written by John Schubbe, DC. In the article, Doctor Schubbe talks about how the shape of the spine needs to be supported while you are asleep. Something I had not thought of. The part of the article that really caught my eye, read:

The human neck curves slightly forward (to sustain the weight of the head when upright), and it’s important to maintain this curve when in a resting position. If the height of the pillow is too high when sleeping sideways or on the back, the neck is bent abnormally forward or to the side, causing muscle strain on the back of the neck and shoulders. This type of position may also cause narrowing of the air pipe, resulting in obstructed breathing, and sometimes snoring, which can hinder sleep. Conversely, if the height of the pillow is too low, the neck muscles can also be strained.

I took this to heart and decided to try a new pillows. I bought two new ones for my head, and one that goes between my legs. A much less expensive venture than “ergonomically designed” desk chairs. (I wish I would have tried this first. Hindsight is 20/20) I’m a side sleeper, or at least, I have to fall asleep that way, and the weight of my top leg, as it bent down to the mattress, was misaligning my spine, right along with my outdated pillow, and my crooked neck, as Doctor Schubbe explained. I was really excited to receive the pillows when they came, and couldn’t wait to use them.

I got both these pillows from Slumbermart.com. They arrived quickly and I started using them right away. I have noticed a difference in just a week. My neck and back don’t hurt nearly as much as they used to. It seems with every night of restful, correctly aligned sleep, the pain subsides more and more. So don’t forget to update your pillows and sleep better, starting tonight.

As always, Art.