Are you suffering from neck problems from pillow? Do you wake up with a stiff or sore neck because of your sleeping position or your pillow?
Sleeping on your side is generally considered to be the best sleeping position. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still sleep incorrectly and suffer from neck pain.
If you’re a side sleeper, you should keep the following tips in mind:
- The best position for sleeping on your side is the fetal position. You should pull your knees close to your torso like you’re about to hug it. This position opens up the spaces between your vertebrae, thus minimizing the risk of slip discs.
- Sleeping on your side is also suitable for those who keep their legs straight. However, in that case, you should place a contour memory foam pillow between your knees to take the pressure off your knees and hips.
- You should generally use a high loft pillow because they cover the distance between your mattress and your neck, thus offering neck support.
- Use a cervical pillow that conforms to the shape of your body and offers optimal neck support and pressure relief.
Now, you might wonder what’s a cervical pillow or how it can help resolve your neck problems from pillow. In this article, we discuss do contour pillows help neck pain and we review the best cervical pillow for side sleepers.
Do Contour Pillows Help Neck Pain?
A cervical pillow, also known as a contour pillow, is the best type of pillow for neck pain. This is an ergonomically designed pillow in with contours that conform to the natural curvature of your spine. The exact shape of a contour pillow differs for different pillows, but all of them have the same purpose — offering optimal comfort and support. They certainly do help with neck pain because they maintain your neck in a neutral position in relation to your spine.
Reviews of the Best Cervical Pillow for Side Sleepers
Elite Rest Contour Sleeper — Best Memory Foam Contour Pillow Side Sleeper
Elite Rest Contour Sleeper is the best contour memory foam pillow on the market for side sleepers. This memory foam pillow has a gentle ergonomic design that provides neck support. On the higher contour, it has a loft height of 4 inches. On the lower contour, this pillow has a loft height of 2.75 inches. As such, you can rest your neck on the elevated contour so it covers the distance between the mattress and your neck, providing optimal neck support. Since it’s made of memory foam, it also conforms to the shape of your neck and shoulders, thus making it an extremely comfortable pillow. However, memory foam has a tendency to trap heat so this contour memory foam pillow comes with breathable 100% cotton cover that facilitates air circulation to keep it cool.
Core Products Tri-Core — Best Cervical Pillow
Core Products Tri-Core is the best cervical pillow on the market. While this pillow offers the best neck support possible, it’s not the most comfortable pillow and is largely used for therapeutic purposes only. This pillow has ergonomically rounded contours on all sides so you have to rest your neck on the in-built neck roll and cradle your head in the concave center. There are several different zones on this pillow — large neck support, small neck support, and side sleeping neck rolls. You can choose how you want to sleep for maximum comfort. However, you shouldn’t overuse this cervical pillow either. It’s made of 100% virgin polyester fiberfill and comes with a cotton/polyester cover.
Sleep Innovations Contour Pillow — Best Pillow for Side Sleepers
Sleep Innovations Contour Pillow is a contour memory foam pillow, much like the aforementioned Elite Rest pillow. This is the best pillow for side sleepers for several reasons. It offers neck and shoulder support and has therapeutic value. The memory foam easily conforms to the shape of your neck and shoulders to offer neck support. The higher contour has a loft height of 4.8 inches, which is perfect for side sleepers. You can rest your neck on the in-built neck roll and support your head in the concave center. This memory foam contour pillow also comes with a 5-year warranty so you can return it for a full refund if it doesn’t work correctly.
ViscoSoft Cooling Arctic Gel Contour Pillow — Best Neck Support Pillow
ViscoSoft Cooling Arctic Gel Contour Pillow is the best neck support pillow for hot sleepers and side sleepers. As mentioned previously, memory foam is extremely comfortable but it has a tendency to trap body heat, which means it can get hot and possibly lead to night sweats. Most memory foam contour pillows counter that by providing a breathable cotton or bamboo cover. However, this contour memory foam pillow is infused with cooling gel — and not just any cooling gel but a 30% cooler Arctic Gel — that keeps the surface extremely cool so you don’t suffer from night sweats. This pillow consists of three layers — the memory foam core, the cooling gel, and the breathable soft cover. Furthermore, it has a contoured design as well so it offers optimal neck support.
EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow — Best Pillow for Neck Pain
EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow is the best pillow for stomach and back sleepers in addition to side sleepers. As such, it’s one of the most versatile cervical pillows on the market. This contour memory foam pillow has a loft height of 3.9 inches, which is suitable for back sleepers and side sleepers. However, it comes with a little concave depression in the middle where you can rest your head or neck. The memory foam pillow conforms to the shape of your body and it is covered in a proprietary blend hypoallergenic rayon/polyester pillowcase that facilitates air circulation to keep you cool.
