Stomach sleeping is a rare sleep position — most people are either back sleepers and side sleepers. There’s also the persistent belief that stomach sleeping is the worst sleep position. For these reasons, it’s hard to find pillows made specifically for this sleep position.
In this article, we will rectify that by discussing the qualities of a good pillow for stomach sleepers and reviewing the best stomach sleeping pillow in 2019.
Factors to Consider when Buying a Sleep Pillow for Stomach Sleepers
There are several key factors you need to consider when buying a sleep pillow for stomach sleepers. Some of the factors relate directly to stomach sleeping pillows while some are general factors related to all pillows.
Do you Need a Sleep Pillow for Stomach Sleeping?
Stomach sleeping is generally considered to be a bad sleep position because it doesn’t offer and neck and spine support. Furthermore, most pillows have a high loft so they crane your neck upwards and sideways — which can eventually lead to neck pain and stiff neck.
That’s why people often say stomach sleepers should go without pillows. Some people like to simply rest their foreheads on the pillow instead of their whole face. This is done to keep the neck in a neutral position and prevent the air passage from being blocked.
So it’s not necessary to get a sleep pillow for stomach sleeping — you can also sleep without pillows. But most people find that to be uncomfortable. So if you must use a sleep pillow for stomach sleeping, be sure to use the right one.
What are the Qualities to Look for in a Good Stomach Sleeping Pillow?
The following are some of the main qualities to look for.
- Thin Pillow: The best stomach sleeping pillows have a thin profile with a loft height of less than 3 inches. This is necessary to ensure neck and spine alignment so your neck doesn’t crane up.
- Memory Foam Pillow or Natural Latex Foam Pillow: Get a sleep pillow made of memory foam or natural latex — these are the best materials because they offer the right balance of comfort and support.
- Cool Pillow: The sleep pillow should have some cooling features, like a ventilated design or the presence of a cooling gel layer. Since your face will rest directly on the pillow all night, you need a sleep pillow that won’t make you sweat.
- Breathable Cover: The sleep pillow should come with a breathable and machine washable cover, ideally made of cotton or bamboo-derived rayon materials. These materials facilitate air circulation to keep you cool.
- Hypoallergenic: Finally, you need to make sure the sleep pillow is hypoallergenic and dust mites resistant so you don’t have an allergic reaction to it.
Do I Need Extra Support for Stomach Sleeping?
Try sleeping with pillow under stomach to further facilitate neck and spine alignment. Placing a thin pillow under your stomach will support your lower back and help align your neck and spine, which will reduce the possibility of neck pain or back pain. As such, you may want to consider getting two pillows — one for the stomach and one for your head.
Reviews of the Best Stomach Sleeping Pillow
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper — Best Thin Pillow
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper is the best thin pillow for stomach sleeping because it’s a firm pillow with a loft height of only 2.75 inches. This pillow is thin enough that you can rest your head on it while maintaining your neck and spine in a neutral position. This pillow is also made of natural latex foam — a material that’s quite firm so your head won’t sink below the level of spinal alignment. This natural latex foam pillow is also designed with pinhole construction, i.e., it has ventilated holes along the surface. This ensures ample air circulation through the body of the pillow so you remain cool.
Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper — Best Memory Foam Pillow
Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper is the best thin memory foam pillow for stomach sleepers because it has a loft height of only 2.5 inches. As such, this is one of the thinnest pillows and it facilitates neck and spine alignment by keeping your neck in a neutral position. This pillow is also designed in an ergonomic style with a rounded top and a flat bottom. The flat bottom ensures the pillow remains stable and the rounded top mimics the natural curvature of your neck, thus ensuring that your neck stays in the ideal position. The memory foam also conforms to the shape of your neck to offer extra support and it’s made in a ventilated design to facilitate air circulation and breathability.
Bluewave Bedding Ultra Slim Pillow — Best Gel Infused Sleep Pillow
Bluewave Bedding Ultra Slim Pillow is the best gel-infused memory foam pillow for stomach sleepers who generally run pretty hot. This is a memory foam pillow with an Arctic Gel cooling foam layer that absorbs all heat and regulates temperature to keep the pillow cool. This is also a thin pillow with a loft height of only 2.5 inches so it also keeps your neck and spine aligned. As such, you can rest your head on this pillow for optimal comfort and support and rest assured that you won’t wake up with night sweats. In addition to the cooling gel, this pillow also has an open cell construction with lots of ventilation holes and it comes with a breathable bamboo cover.
Perform Pillow — Best Contour Memory Foam Pillow
Perform Pillow is the best contour memory foam pillow for stomach sleepers. It has an ergonomically contoured design — the lower contour has a loft height of 2.25 inches and the higher contour has a loft height of 3.5 inches. As such, you can rest your neck on the elevated rounded contour when you’re sleeping on your back. And you can rest your head on the lower contour when you’re sleeping on your stomach. It also comes with a breathable bamboo cover for air circulation.
