Which is the Best Pillow for Back Sleepers? Find an Orthopedic Solution

People sleep in different positions. Some like to sleep sprawled like an eagle, some prefer to cower like a baby, while others sleep as steady as a timber. Either way, sleeping positions can be summed up into three: side sleeping, stomach sleeping and back sleeping. According to surveys, most people sleep on their sides. However, in any of these sleeping positions, there is one issue that often arises: back pain.

Back pain while sleeping may be a result of different back issues. For instance, the person may have had an injury before, or he must have remained seated for a very long period of time at school or at work. But whatever the reason is, back pain has always been a problem that many people complain about.

Of course, sleeping in a certain position can also lead to back ache, most especially if the spinal column is not supported in its natural curvature. If you look at yourself standing in front of the mirror, you would notice that your spine is not a straight line. It has a S-shape that must be maintained whenever one remains in a fixed position for a long time – may it be standing, sitting, or lying down. However, truth be told, maintaining this natural curvature is really difficult. As a person gets older, the pelvis and the shoulders tend to bend forward, which in turn exaggerates the curvature of the thoracic and lumbar regions.

Fortunately, there are ways to correct this and to prevent back pain while sleeping. Therapists advice us to sleep on our back (instead on our side or our stomach) in order to effectively protect our spinal column.

Yet, back sleeping has its issues as well. It can favor snoring, sinus clogging and even backache if a proper pillow is not used. That’s why the best pillow for back sleepers is the orthopedic pillow.

Back sleepers need a soft but firm pillow. It should provide support for their lower back, middle back and neck. Therapists usually advice back sleepers to use a wedge orthopedic pillow. This pillow usually takes the shape of a triangle to give the sleeper a diagonal slope while lying down. It may be used in either an upright or a downward position, depending on the preference of the user. To provide comfort to one’s legs and lower back, the user may opt to place it under his knees to elevate them and to allow better blood circulation. Aside from these, wedge orthopedic pillows are also used to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux (GERD) which often transpire during back sleeping.

Most cervical pillows are designed both for back and side sleepers. Their special shape keeps the head properly aligned with the spine if the user sleeps on his/her side; during back sleeping, these pillows provide an ergonomic support for the neck curvature, preventing neck pain and back discomfort.

If, on the other hand, the buyer doubts about the specific neck, back and head supports that he needs, he can, instead, choose a body orthopedic pillow. This type of pillow offers customized support that aligns the head, the neck and the spine of the user; thus, keeping the body in proper posture and reducing the instances of snoring, sinus clogging and back pain.

It is also important that buyers consider the material of the orthopedic pillow that they are purchasing. For superior back support and pain relief, a latex cushion or a memory foam pillow may be used. Today, some of the leading brands of back sleeping pillows that are earning good reviews are Cervitrac, Perfect Rest and Cuddledown.