Do you find yourself tossing and turning in your sleep often? Do you prefer sleeping on your side and on your back?
If so, you need to find the best back and side pillow that can support both of your sleep positions.
It’s often challenging to find a pillow that works for both back and side sleeping positions. When you’re sleeping on your side, you need a pillow with an extremely high loft so it can cover the distance between your mattress and your head.
However, when you’re sleeping on your back, you need a generally lower loft size because the pillow needs to cover a lower distance to meet your neck.
In this article, we will show you how to choose the right pillow for combination sleepers and what is the best back and side pillow on the market.
How to Choose the Right Pillow for Combination Sleepers?
If you’re a combination sleeper sleeping on your side and your back, then you need to choose the right pillow for both of your sleep positions. The following are some of the primary factors and qualities to consider when you choose the right pillow.
Material
When you want to choose the right pillow, there are a lot of materials for you to consider. You can get pillows that are made of feathers, down, synthetic fibers, memory foam, water, natural latex foam, and many others.
However, memory foam is one of the best materials for all sleep positions. Memory foam has revolutionized the bedding industry because it closely adheres to the shape of your body, offering better support than any other material. It’s also extremely plush and feels luxurious.
Natural latex foam is yet another great material to consider. This is a completely natural and organic material derived from old rubber trees. It’s an extremely firm material, which is perfect for spinal alignment and neck pain because it doesn’t sink.
Water pillows are also great for back and side sleepers because it doesn’t compress and you can easily adjust the loft height according to your preference.
Adjustability
If you change your sleep position often, you may need to change your pillow’s loft height as well. Side sleepers generally require higher lofts than back sleepers. As such, you should go for adjustable pillows so you can modify the loft height and always have optimal support.
Shredded memory foam is one of the most adjustable materials because you can add or remove the shredded memory foam filling at will. Furthermore, you can also shift the filling within the pillow to modify the shape and loft height in the middle of the night.
Water pillows are also extremely adjustable — you can modify their loft height and firmness level based on how much water you fill in them.
Shape
Some back and side pillows come in different shapes rather than the regular rectangular shape. Cervical pillows generally come with varying loft heights — one side may be high while the other is low. There are several variations on this style.
You should look out for cervical pillows or contour pillows because they generally offer different loft heights. As such, you don’t have to adjust the filling or re-fluff it in the middle of the night. You can sleep on different sides of the pillow depending on your preference.
Temperature Regulation
If you sleep hot, you should also look for pillows that facilitate temperature regulation. Natural latex foam pillows should generally have pinhole designs. Memory foam pillows should be gel-infused to lower the temperature. And they should come with pillow covers made of bamboo, cotton, or other such breathable materials.
Best Pillows for Combination Sleepers in 2021
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest — Best Contour Pillow for Sleeping on your Side
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest is a contour pillow that has a 12-inch width and a loft height ranging from 2.75 inches at the lower contour to 4 inches at the higher contour. This pillow has a concave shape with 4” rounded sides and a 2.75” crater in between. As such, this pillow is great for sleeping on your side — you can rest your neck on the ergonomically rounded sides and let your head nestle in the valley. This pillow is made of memory foam, which is why it conforms to the shape of your body and offers optimal support no matter how much you toss and turn.
Coop Home Goods Premium — Best Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow with Bamboo Cover
Coop Home Goods Premium is the best adjustable memory foam pillow, which means it’s perfect for both side sleepers and back sleepers. You can add or remove the shredded memory foam filling to alter the loft height according to your preference. If you feel like sleeping on your side, you can add memory foam. If you feel like sleeping on your back, you can remove memory foam. This pillow also comes with a bamboo cover that’s extremely breathable and facilitates air circulation — as such this pillow is great if you sleep hot as well.
Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury — Best Adjustable Body Pillow
Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury is the best shredded memory foam body pillow on the market. This body pillow measures 20 x 54 inches, which means even tall people can easily cuddle with it. You can also add and remove the shredded memory foam filling to alter its loft height according to your sleep preference. Furthermore, this pillow also offers greater support. If you’re sleeping on your side, you can tuck it between your knees to relieve sciatica pain and enhance back support. If you’re sleeping on your back, you can also tuck this pillow under your lower back to enhance lumbar support. As such, this body pillow is extremely versatile, making it one of the best pillows for combination sleepers.
