Do you experience neck pain or stiff neck while or after sleeping? If so, you’re either sleeping in the wrong position or using the wrong pillow for your sleeping position or both. According to research, your sleeping posture is one of the leading factors of stiff neck in the morning.
The best positions to avoid neck pain are back sleeping and side sleeping because they facilitate spinal alignment and lengthen the spine. Furthermore, you also need to use the best pillow for sleeping cervical care.
In this article, we discuss the qualities of the best pillow for neck and shoulder, and we discuss what is the best pillow for neck pain according to Amazon results.
Qualities of the Best Pillow for Neck and Shoulder
The best pillow for neck and shoulder support is one that supports your sleeping position. As such, in order to discuss the qualities of the best neck support pillows, we need to discuss the best pillows for different types of sleepers.
Side sleepers need to make sure that their pillow can cover the distance between the mattress and their neck, thus making sure that their neck remains aligned and neutral. As such, the best side sleeper pillows have a firm base and high loft to support their neck.
Back sleepers must also ensure that their pillow can prop their head in a neutral position. As such, the best pillows for back sleepers have a medium or high loft, depending on the size of your neck and shoulders. They should also be firm enough to prevent succumbing or sinking under your weight.
Stomach sleepers should ideally avoid pillows altogether. However, if you must use a pillow, go for a thin pillow with a low loft height of less than 3 inches. You must use a pillow that keeps your head neutral — using a heavy pillow will make your neck crane up and sideways, leading to a stiff neck.
In addition to the correct loft size, the best neck pain pillows should also have an orthopedic or ergonomic design. If you’re suffering from neck pain or stiff neck, you should ideally get pillows ergonomic cervical pillow, i.e., pillows that come with an inbuilt neck roll. Contour or cervical ergonomic pillows have elevated contours around the sides to support your neck and facilitate alignment.
Best Neck Support Pillows on Amazon
Elite Rest Contour Sleeper — Best Bed Pillow for Side Sleepers
Elite Rest Contour Sleeper is the best bed pillow for side sleepers because it’s a contour memory foam pillow with a loft height that measures 4 inches at the higher contour and only 2.75 inches in the lower contour. The ergonomically contoured sides serve as a neck roll to offer additional support to your neck while the memory foam conforms to the shape of your neck and shoulders. While sleeping on your side, you can rest your head on the 4” neck roll for optimal support.
This pillow has been very well received by Amazon customers, one of whom said: “Since purchasing and using this pillow, I have had an easier time relaxing my neck and getting a better night’s sleep. This pillow has offered tremendous support and is really quite comfortable. Quite recommended.”
Core Products Tri-Core Pillow — Best Sleeping Pillows Ergonomic Cervical
Core Products Tri-Core Pillow is one of the best pillows for sleeping cervical because it’s a cervical and orthopedic pillow with different widths of neck rolls on all sides. The upper part of the pillow features large neck support, the lower region features smaller neck support, and the sides are perfect for side sleeping. The cotton cover is highly breathable and ensures you don’t feel hot or sweaty, regardless of your sleeping position. You can rest your head on the neck rolls on the sides while allowing your head to cradle in the concave center. This is a firm orthopedic pillow, which is why it won’t offer as much comfort as a soft memory foam pillow, but it’s optimal for stiff neck recovery.
This pillow has helped a lot of people suffering from chronic neck pain. One of its Amazon customers said, “The concept of this pillow is genius. I’m a firm believer that even people with “healthy necks” would benefit greatly from using this to sleep because it keeps your head and neck in proper alignment while you’re asleep. The idea of having a support at the base of the neck allows the muscles of the side and front of the neck to relax in a natural position.”
UTTU Sandwich Pillow — Best Pillows for Sleeping Cervical
UTTU Sandwich Pillow is one of the best neck support pillows on Amazon. This is an adjustable memory foam pillow with several memory foam layers that you can add or remove to adjust the loft height. When all the memory foam layers are inserted, this pillow has a loft height ranging from 4.7 inches at the higher contour to 3.9 inches at the lower contour. Once you remove the middle layer, this pillow has a loft height of 3.5 inches at the higher contour and 2.8 inches at the lower contour. As such, this is also ideal for sleepers of back and stomach positions because you can choose the loft height most suitable for your sleeping preference.
Summary
People suffering from neck pain or stiff neck should be extremely cautious of the type of pillow they use. The most important thing to consider when looking for the best pillow for neck and shoulder is your sleeping position. Different sleeping positions need pillows with different loft heights. Once you’ve determined what’s the best pillow for your sleeping position, you must find an ergonomic or cervical sleeping pillow with neck rolls or contours for neck support. Elite Rest Contour Sleeper is one of the best bed pillows for side sleepers, while UTTU Sandwich Pillow is one of the best pillows for sleepers of back and stomach positions. You must find a pillow suitable for your sleeping position and neck pain.