There are a lot of different sleep positions and most people can’t help tossing and turning into different positions during a single night. But it’s important to determine which sleep position you prefer if you want to identify the best pillow for yourself.
Are you a back sleeper, i.e., do you sleep facing up? If so, you need a pillow that offers firm support and perhaps a contour pillow to support your neck.
Even if you understand the type of pillow you need, it’s hard to find the right pillow because of the options available on the market. In this article, however, we discuss how to sleep with upper back pain, how to deal with neck pain, and we review the best back sleeper pillow on the market.
How to Sleep with Upper Back Pain?
If you suffer from back pain, you may be using the wrong sleep position. You should consider the following tips if you’re a back sleeper:
- Stuff a pillow either between or below your legs.
- Roll up a towel or get a small lumbar support and stuff it under your lower back.
- If you’re a stomach sleeper, then cuddle up with a body pillow so it prevents you from rolling on your stomach.
Do Contour Pillows Help Neck Pain?
Contour pillows, also known as cervical pillows, do help neck pain. These are pillows with ergonomically rounded sides — the pillow may be rounded on one or two sides or it may be rounded on all sides. You can rest your neck on the elevated corner of the pillow and allow your head to settle down on the lower contour. This offers optimal support to your neck and supports spine alignment, thereby alleviating neck pain.
Qualities of the Best Pillow for Back Sleepers
The following are some of the qualities to consider when looking for the best pillow for back sleepers:
- High or medium loft, depending on the natural elevation of your neck from your shoulders. You need to find a pillow with a loft size that keeps your neck neutral.
- Firm pillow that keeps your head stable and doesn’t let it sink, thus throwing your spine out of alignment.
- Cervical pillow with contoured and elevated sides to support your neck.
- Materials like memory foam or natural latex, i.e., pillows that offer firm support and contour to the shape of your neck.
Top 5 Best Pillows for Back Sleepers in 2021
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest — Best Cervical Pillow
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest is the best cervical or contour pillow, which also makes it the best pillow for side sleepers and back sleepers. This pillow is curved — the higher contour is 4 inches and the lower contour is only 2.75 inches. As such, the elevation is perfect for you to rest your neck on the elevated contour while letting your head rest on the valley. This ensures spinal support and the memory foam conforms to your shape, thus alleviating stress from your pressure points. As such, this pillow also offers great neck support and alleviates neck pain.
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper — Best Pillow for Stomach Sleepers and Back Sleepers
It’s possible that your neck has a lower natural elevation or that you can’t help tossing and turning in your sleep till you’re on your stomach. Elite Rest Slim Sleeper is the best pillow for stomach sleepers and back sleepers because it’s a low-loft 2.75” pillow with ergonomically rounded sides. This pillow is also made of natural latex foam, so it’s firm enough that your head won’t sink no matter how heavy you are. This ensures that your pillow is perfectly comfortable and firm.
Coop Home Goods Premium — Best Adjustable Loft Memory Foam Pillow
Coop Home Goods Premium is the best adjustable loft memory foam pillow because it’s filled with shredded memory foam. You can add or remove the memory foam filling to adjust the height according to your sleeping position. This allows you to adjust the pillow to anyone’s sleeping preference and it also allows you to modify it to meet your neck’s elevation. Furthermore, the shredded memory foam is housed within narrow cross-stitched patches so it doesn’t spread around, minimizing the need for constant re-fluffing.
Mediflow Fiber — Best Pillow for Neck Pain
Mediflow Fiber is the best pillow for neck pain because it’s a water pillow, which is widely considered the best type of pillow for neck pain and other therapeutic purposes. Since water doesn’t compress, you can rest assured that this pillow will offer firm support and not let your head sink. You can also adjust the loft height of the pillow by simply adding or removing water, making it perfect for all types of sleeping positions. This pillow is covered with a resilient Dacron Hollofil fiber layer and a 100% cotton shell so it’s hypoallergenic and extremely breathable.
TEMPUR-All Purpose Pillow — Best Neck Support Pillow
TEMPUR-All Purpose Pillow isn’t a regular pillow — this is a neck support or lumbar support pillow. This is a highly-portable peanut-shaped pillow with a Tempur-Pedic material that’s been formulated by NASA. The material is ideal for pressure-relief and it helps support your neck if your current pillow isn’t enough. You can also stuff this pillow under your lower back as lumbar support — this helps maintain your spine’s original shape, thereby relieving back pain. While you can’t necessarily use this pillow in isolation, this is the best back support and neck support pillow to use in addition to an existing pillow.
