When was the last time you replaced your pillow?
If you’ve never thought about it, you’re probably not the only one. Many of us pay more attention to the mattress than to the pillow, and that’s understandable because the mattress is the biggest component of your bed! But if you often find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to adjust your pillow, or with a stiff neck and shoulder in the morning, it’s time for an update.
The pillow supports good sleeping posture by supporting our neck and maintaining body alignment: you should be able to draw a straight line from your head, neck, to your torso and to your knees. What happens when our resting posture is out of alignment is disrupted sleep, lots of movements during sleep to twist and stretch, and overall discomfort.
If all that sounds discomfortingly familiar to you, perhaps it’s time to check if your pillow is due for an upgrade. Generally, pillows should be changed every 2-3 years because that is when pillows lose its volume. That may sound like a high level of maintenance, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise when you spend a good 8 hours of sleep on your pillow every night!
Remove the pillowcase and check for stains and odours
1. Remove the pillowcase and check for stains and odours.
These are signs that bacteria and dead skin cells (and possibly other nasty stuff like dust mites) have been accumulating on your pillow, and it’s best to get a new one. If left alone, these could trigger allergies down the road and further disrupt your sleep.
Fold your pillow in half and check if it springs back to shape
2. Fold your pillow in half and check if it springs back to shape.
If it stays in its folded position, you know that your pillow has outlived its lifespan and is not providing you the support you need.
Pillow is lumpy or really flat
3. If your pillow is lumpy or really flat, it’s also a clear sign that the support is not evenly distributed to support a good sleeping posture, so it’s time for an upgrade.
So now that we are convinced we should replace our old pillows for better quality sleep, how do we pick out the pillows best suited for us? Stay connected with us, for that’s the next topic that we will cover on Pillow Talk!
P.S. We offer a range of pillows that will suit your needs. Check them out here!
