Proper Pillow Placement for Any Sleeping Position
By Maddie Ruud
Sleep is one of the most elemental of human needs. Good sleep refreshes and rejuvanates the body and soul; bad sleep can make for a miserable day, week, month, or even year!*
Getting enough sleep can be difficult, and it certainly doesn't help if you can't seem to find a comfortable position. When you wake up in the morning with a cramp, what are the first words out of your mouth? "I must have slept wrong." Avoid tossing and turning (and prevent cricks in the neck!) by using proper pillow placement to align the spine and muscles for optimal relaxation.
*Trivia: There is a family in Italy for whom insomnia runs in the genetics. Upon reaching adulthood, carriers of the gene gradually get less and less rest, in spite of all attempts at treatment, until they eventually pass away from sleep deprivation.
Pillow Placement for Good Sleep
Did your parents ever tell you to "stand up straight?" As it turns out, they were giving you bad advice. The spine, when in proper alignment, possesses a natural S-curve, which pillows should support during sleep, so that your muscles don't have to. Misalignment causes your muscles to seize up, causing the cramps that wake you up in the middle of the night or the sore shoulder that bothers you for days after a bad sleep.
Proper pillow placement varies for different sleeping positions, but the principles are the same. Your body is probably used to sleeping one way, but you may want to try all the positions anyway, as pillow placement can make quite a change. It may feel unnatural at first, but when your body adjusts, it will end up thanking you.
Pillow Placement for Stomach Sleepers
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You've heard that stomach sleepers shouldn't use a pillow, or worse, that you should never sleep on your stomach at all. The fact is, sleeping face down is a natural human instinct, and with proper pillow placement, there is nothing wrong with it at all.
Place a pillow under the hips to take stress off of your lower back and neck. If you have a hard mattress, or otherwise find it too uncomfortable not to have cushioning for your face, try shifting the other pillow from your hips to under your ankles.
Pillow Placement for Side Sleepers
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Sleeping on your side comes highly recommended by chiropractors, and, if you snore, your spouse as well. Also called the fetal position, this is the position God or Nature chose for us for the duration of our 9-month stay in the womb.
Place one or two pillows under the head and neck, depending on their thickness, to ensure that your cervical spine (see first illustration) is straight and elongated. An extra pillow between the knees opens your hips and prevents knees from knocking together or legs from chafing.
Another option is to buy a body pillow, which provides a "partner" to throw your limbs over... and best of all, it doesn't move just when you're getting comfortable.
Pillow Placement for Back Sleepers
Sleeping on your back opens the lungs... and, unfortunately, can sometimes result in the worst snoring, for those prone to it. If you're not one of those (or if you sleep alone), put a pillow under the head, and another under the knees to relieve pressure on the lower back.
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Comments
owe Nie information ! It's helpful for me.
Maddie I have been sleeping with a pillow under my knees for years and even in my sleep now as I turn to the side position my pillow just seems to move with me between my knees. I also have a problem which has surfaced in the past 6 months with a dull aching in the top of my ankle when my toes point so I have been sleeping with a pillow at the bottom of the bed to keep my feet/ankles in a natural standing position. Strange one but it helps.
Nice one,i am a stomach sleeper n ma back really hurts.i use one pillow gettin another one now.c u in the mornin..chao
Hi Rajiv,
That doesn't sound like a problem of sleeping position. Try doing something calming before bed, and doing some meditations as you fall asleep to try to stay relaxed.
I am having trouble sleeping properly. I have used several types of beds, pillows etc. I start with sleeping on my back and then toss from side to side troughout the nights. Most morining I get up more tired than ever. Any suggestions how to improve my sleep?
Awesome hub page. I sleep on my tummy and I've suffered with back pain for many years. I will try these tips. Thanks for the great advice.
I sleep on my stomach, too.
My doctor told me to put a body pillow under me to see if it tricks my body into thinking im on my stomach.
It seems to work, but once I fall asleep I move around and when I wake up the pillow is on the floor, Im on my stomach and my back hurts again :/
great advise!
what if i sleep without a pillow???
Thank You, I'm a stomach sleeper and I always thought it was something wrong with me. Now I know the proper way to use my pillow. I've been tossing and turning recently so hopefully this will help.
Thanks Again Maddie.
I sleep on my back and tried putting a pillow under my knees as suggested for extra support. At first it was hard getting use to, but I have found that it really helps. Thanks!
Great hub! I have sleep disorders and am constantly looking for the perfect pillow. I am a side sleeper so it can't be too soft or too firm. Your hub provides great information. :-)
thanks for this article. but my real problem now is my sleeping position, i don't even know if i'm a stomach sleeper or a side sleeper. im having trouble sleeping lately.
I'm 6'4" I have a big frame and I find sleeping on my stomach the only way I can fall asleep. I find in the morning that my lower back seems to hurt when I wake up. I have tried the pillow under the hips but find it very hard to get used to...
Would you recommend a body pillow over simply putting a pillow between your knees for side sleepers?
I know that my pains came from my stomach sleeping habit, but it was to hard to break. So I bought a body pillow and it keeps me on my side.
wow!!! now i can sleep on my stomach more comfortably....
Very informative stuff. I am a back sleeper that has sleep apnea, so it is fascinating, reading about the proper pillow placement. Thank you muchly!
Still could not found right position of pillow. :(
I like the simple pictures on pillow placement, the stomach sleeper setup, would have not thought of that one.
interesting my toddler pulls her knees up under her when she sleeps on her stomach.... similar to the pillow position. I find watching what she naturally does provides excellent examples of proper posture.
Great advice, I will try this very soon.
I'm a stomach sleeper. Thanks for the tips. This hub is really informative.
Thank you for the tips. I never sleep right through. Now I can try some of your tips
I have found that it depends on your own body; I sleep the best on my stomach with my left arm straight and below my stomach / body which supports the idea of a pillow below to support your body. This is the only way it seems for me to sleep well and not wake up with a neck ache. So, I just think it depends on your body type. So glad to hear it is okay to sleep on one's stomach, thank you.
Nice informative hub.
Great hub. I think i need to try all the sleep positions.
I don't really like to sleep I just want to lay my head on the bed.
Great hub. I need to sleep better and also be more ergonomic on the computer. I have sleep apnea so really need help with sleep position. I guess I am a sloucher. I will follow your hubs and follow you.
Great hub. Chiropracters seem to agree with your conclusions as well.
I sleep on my side, and no matter what kind of pillow I use under head, or between legs...I ALWAYS wake up with neck pain. any suggestions? ( I have had 4 back surgeries in the past few years,have sleep apnea, so never get a good nights sleep.)
I could not agree more with you on this post. Having a good night sleep can really spell the difference to make or break your day or even worst your week.
Good info on pillow placement. I've never knew such position can affect sleeping. I have a tealeaf pillow which release smell that makes people relax and feeling sleepy.
Hello Maddie, how timely to read your hub, I sleep on my side and back and I just started using a 2nd pillow to sleep because my hips and back were giving me so much pain. The pillow has made a world of difference.
Awesome hub! I wish more people were aware of proper sleeping positions. It would save a lot of pain. I usually recomment that people sleep in the side laying position exactly as layed out above. But some people are unable (arthritic hip, uncomfortable, habit, etc.) so it's good that alternatives are laid out.
Thanks again!
My problem is with my upper limbs. I don't know the comfortable position for my arms. I sleep either sideways or facing up. When sleeping facing up, I tend to stretch my hands behind my head and soon find that uncomfortable. No matter how I place my hands, I find it uncomfortable after sometime. I wish I could remove my hands when I go to bed, and put them back on when I am up.
Is there a 101 ways of sleeping positions? I can't even know how my sleeping positions after I fall on sleep and snoring. Well, have to show to my wife and ask her to monitor my sleeping posture from now onwards.
Interesting hub. A chiropractor suggested to me once to place a pillow between my knees to eliminate my back pain from sleeping. I hadn't seen the use of a pillow under the tummy for stomach sleepers. Interesting.
This is a truly informative and well-written article. Thank you for the great information!
Good hub. Sleeping position is very important.
Nice hub.. very usefull
Any sleeping position seems to work for me, but I always seem to sleep better when I have my Teddy Bear to hold on to or at least a big, fluffy pillow.
That's really interesting. I'm a dyed in the wool stomach sleeper, but always wake up on my side! I'm going to give some of these tips a try!!
Oh, by sleeping these ways, it will help you gain a proper standing postion right or they called ("striaght back")? not really straight but looks you are standing straight.
Good hub and informative hub! I just joined hubpages and this is my first comment
Thank you for the tips.
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..thats very nice.... thank you...
I'd be adjusting my pillows all night!!!! I can't sleep in any one position for more than a few minutes. Of course, maybe if I just had the pillow right.......
I'll have to try it out.
Haha I only snore when I'm visiting a friend or my in-laws are over.
Very informative Hub! I am more of a back sleeper. And for ages i have been using one pillow under my head and one beneath my knees without even knowing that is the correct way of sleeping.
Very good article and let's not forget the material in the pillow can also affect your sleep as well.
Thanks for creating this info. I'm always looking for tips on pillows and how to get the best sleep. This was very useful.
Christine Blowes
I don't know there alot of positions using pillows....
thanks
I am a restless sleeper. I think it's time to invest in a few good pillows. Thanks for the illustrations for various positions.
Amber, the problem with tempurpedic pillows is they mould to where you put your head - so if you lie down in a bad position, you're more likely to stay there. I have an old neck injury and found a tempurpedic pillow, even though it was specially moulded, made it worse. I now use an ordinary latex pillow and find it great.
does the material of the pillow affect how well you are properly aligned, for instance in the head and neck area? I have used tempurpedic pillows, but they don't keep there shape. But cheap regular pillows, don't seem to do it for my head neck area either....... I would ne a fetal position sleeper, with an occasional back sleep. maybe it is the 3 year old hogging my bed and pushing me off the edge, that prevents a comfortable nights sleep.
This is the sort of information that is becoming more important as I grow older. It seems that I am becoming more attached to one pillow, and things like sleeping in a hotel room are torture without the old standby.
I didn't realize that you would use a pillow if you were sleeping on your stomach, but I will have to try it out.
Is there any magic place to place a pillow to stop snoring?
Hmmmmmm, I am already sleepy
great post- I really liked the diagrams and the different types of sleepers, thank you for this hub
Now all I need to know is how to sleep on my back (bliss!) and NOT snore. Unless everybody else is away, I always try to stay on my side.
WHAT USEFUL INFO! I'm gonna try your suggestions and I'll get back to you.
Thanks Maddie, I will mention this hub to clients who have difficulty sleeping,
Maddie, great hub on sleeping/pillow positions. Being 6'4" I've always struggled to keep my back in good shape and sleeping incorrectly in the past has really lessened that effort. This hub will help me sleep in a more constructive manner.
I am so glad to know that sleeping on my stomach is ok. I always sleep on my stomach and my brother in law, who is a chiropractor says that only snakes sleep on their stomachs.... oh well.... guess what I am....I think it is time to go to bed....zzzzzz
Hi Maddie, great info on this hub. I am putting this link in my hub about getting a good nights sleep. :-) Thanks so much.
Although I don't have back problems myself I still think it's good to prevent pain in the first place. My Dad has had to suffer from back pain for years so trying out these techniques sounds like solid advice. I tend to sleep in my front so will try sleeping with a pillow as indicated in the diagram.
Thanks for the hub, I have a memory foam myself, but I'm not sure if its doing me good, bad, or the same. I guess that makes it no better than the others.
i have been sleeping in a uncomfortable bed,,,,. i always wake up in the middle of the night,..,.,
Great news and most of it new to me. will be trying it.
I enjoy fours of sleep per night
Thank you
Haven't dared to sleep on my stomach for years (lower back pain results). I'll try the pillow technique--thanks!
cdosrun:
I'm not sure what you mean. Pillow placement under the hips/lower stomach is designed to align your spine, and therefore increase circulation and facilitate uninhibited communication between your brain and different parts of the body. Sleep is, after all, primarily for restoration, neurally, physically, and psychologically.
wouldnt placing a pillow in that area (for stomach sleepers) have effects on parts of the body?
Thanks for the lovely blog, very informative, useful. I am going to bookmark it. Thanks a lot.
I LOVE my buckwheat pillow. You just squish it around until it's in the perfect position and it stays like that. Great neck support for back or side sleeping.
interesting ... i did not know that stomach sleepers had a special pillow position. i thought it was just bad for your back to sleep on your stomach. i guess that pillow fixes that.
Natalie Dalton 13 days ago
I never thought about perfect position when sleeping. I just bought a new buckwheat pillow that is supposed to help me sleep better. I am sure hoping so. (http://www.buckwheatandbamboo.com/buckwheat-pillow