Sleeping well is a challenge for many of us. A perfect pillow is one of the answers to waking up feeling refreshed, no neck strain or shoulder kinks. Once a year I write about pillows because it’s an important topic. To find the perfect pillow, you need to think about how you sleep. Back, front, side, all over the place? Allergies or sensitivities to feathers or dust? What do you do with your arms while you sleep? These are important questions to answer in your quest.
Back sleepers require a small amount of support (just enough to cradle the neck) so a soft, flat pillow works well. Front sleepers are similar as the head just needs to lift enough to keep the spine aligned. A soft, flat pillow can be cradled into the neck, which also helps support your shoulders. Side sleepers need more support as the head is heavy and gravity pulls it to the mattress, causing neck strain. The right pillow keeps your head and neck even with your spine. Flippers and floppers can have the hardest time finding a pillow as they move from side to back or front all night. What’s interesting to me, is that once you find the perfect pillow, you tend to move less because you are comfortable. The best pillow cradles your head, supports your neck while helping to keep your spine aligned.
What are the options? It starts with the pillow filling. Natural fillings are always the best option for breath-ability. Down, a combination of down and feathers, or wool are natural fillings. Man-made down or fibre fill are synthetic choices.
Revolution Wool makes batts from the wool gathered from sheep on their big Canadian farm. Unbleached, fully breathable, and very comfortable, the batts can be adjusted for your sleeping preference by pulling part of the batt out of the pillow.
Twin Ducks Inc. is a Canadian company with several choices of down and/or feather pillows. A fully down-filled pillow works well for the front or back sleeper, and is available as soft or medium fill. Their down-feather Soft Touch combination is built in layers; down, then a feather core, then down again. Each layer is sealed so it stays in place. This combination is very good for side sleepers as it is gives great neck support.
Cuddle Down is another Canadian company offering both pillows with down, feather and synthetic down options. Their Niagra is a firm down pillow and can work for some side sleepers. Summit is a down-feather combination similar to Soft Touch. Where Cuddle Down really shines is with Suprelle filling. It’s a man-made down from France, and it looks and feels almost like the real thing. Available in Soft, Regular and Firm, Suprelle has something for every sleeping style. Suprelle has short, thin fibres so it doesn’t bunch up or get lumpy like fibre fill.
Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Fortunately, there are fabulous Canadian manufacturers who know this truth and make some really great pillows.
Did you know? Dolphins and whales fall ‘half’ asleep. In order to not drown, the two sides of their brain take turns staying awake so they will regularly come up to the ocean surface for air.