Sleeping Without a Pillow

You have probably been told many times that pillows will help support your neck and spine. The propaganda will persuade you that pillows provide orthopedics benefits for the neck. Pillow companies, alikewith foot orthotic retailers, try to convince you that your body is not resilient and needs constant external support; however, this might be simply a myth. Just like your feet don't need orthotics, your head and neck don't need a pillow.But don't remove your pillow right away – be sure to follow some specific steps we've listed to have the best transition to a pillow-free night's sleep.

Is Sleeping Without a Pillow a Good Choice?

Yes, it is. Not only will sleeping with no pillow save your money, but it will also lead to less neck, back, and shoulder pain, higher quality sleep, and even less wrinkles! When you were a child, you could fall asleep anywhere without a pillow. The body is resilient and adaptable when we're young. Even as we age, our body, including heads and necks, is able to rest comfortably without the support of a pillow.

We constantly hear about the body aches and pains in modern society and a lack of resting support is often to blame, but today we have access to the most supportive bedding ever. We've been conditioned to think that we need a pillow in order to get a sound sleep at night, so when we still wake up sore, we head to the store to buy a more expensive pillow. However, research by Michael Tetley on natural sleeping postures found that nomadic people and forest dwellers sleeping with natural postures suffer from less muscular and skeletal problems compared to people in modern societies.

Health Benefits of Sleeping Without a Pillow

1. Good for Spinal Health

Sleeping without a pillow allows the back to rest in its natural position, whereas sleeping on a thick pillow displaces a portion of the spine and results in back pain. Let the back rest in the natural curves of the body can be the best choice for helping the spinal health. Experiencing frequent back aches? Get rid of your pillow!

2. Help With Better Facial Features

Nestling your face in a pillow can actually attribute to wrinkle formation and other skin issues. Sleeping without a pillow largely reduces the squish of the face, which helps to prevent wrinkles and other unwanted facial features from forming.

3. Improve Sleep Quality

Often, people sleeping on not suitable pillows will end up waking up frequently and getting poor quality sleep. By getting rid of the pillow and letting the body rest naturally, sleep quality typically improves.

4. Prevent Neck Pain

While the most common treatments of neck and shoulder pain are stretches and heating pads, sleeping without a pillow is the best way to prevent pain in neck and shoulder from occurring.

How to Sleep Without a Pillow Step by Step

Are you convinced to get rid of your pillow? If you would like to give a try, just be careful not to make the switch too quickly. The transition to sleeping without a pillow should be more like a marathon than a sprint. Your body is very resilient, but it will need some time to adapt to no longer using a pillow. Here are some effective steps helping to ditch your pillow:

  1. Use a folded towel as a pillow for the first few weeks. Start with the towel at the same height of your current pillow. Gradually reduce the height of the towel by unfolding it.
  2. Continue to reduce the towel height until you are able to lie flat.
  3. Make sure to keep your neck aligned as you reduce your pillow. If you are lying on your back, make sure that your chin is not pointing up towards the ceiling. For some people, it may be helpful to keep a small hand towel folded in half as a pillow to ensure proper alignment. Feel free to experiment to find out what works best for you.
  4. Do some physical stretches. As you decrease the towel height, be sure to work on neck and shoulder stretches – this will work wonders for you!
 
 
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