Did you know that in Marriott’s executive suite, you are given 30 choices of pillows to choose from when you check-in?
So, why don’t they choose to have one awesome pillow; Perhaps one of those pillow brands that claim themselves as the most superior of them all; Because!
That is just not possible.
If anyone says they are a one-size-fits-all pillow brand, then they are lying out of their…. You know what we mean. Our pillows for example only suit certain people and we are absolutely honest about it. More about that later…
So, how do you choose the right pillow for yourself?
The Sleeping ‘Goal’
This decision starts with one universal goal that anyone has to achieve when they sleep.
It is, to have your head and neck aligned so that when you’re lying down, your neck isn’t tilting in any direction regardless of your sleeping position.
Voila! You got yourself the perfect sleeping posture.
What are the factors that affect this Goal!
1. Your Body Type
People with a larger frame need to use a higher pillow while those who are smaller need to use a lower.
Don’t worry; you will get this logic clearer once you meet our big guy below.
2. Sleeping Position
The “Back Sleepers”
To help you understand this logic, imagine you are a serious bodybuilder. Your back muscles are huge and bulky. Imagine also, that you have a tinnie winnie head. Based on this imagination, if you were to lie down on a bed without a pillow, what happens? Your neck has to be bent all the way back to touch the bed, to make up for your huge back.
Therefore, to reach the sleep goal, you need to get yourself the right pillow that will lift your head up enough to get your neck aligned with the rest of your body. You need a pillow that will support the natural curve of your upper spine, supporting your head, neck, and shoulders. This logic applies to all other positions as well.
Most of the time, an average body build person needs a medium-density pillow to achieve this goal.
Additionally, to help align your spine completely sleeping on your back, having a pillow underneath your knees would be recommended.
The “Fetus” Sleepers (aka “Side Sleepers”)
Again, relive the tinnie head, big muscles analogy. You need one huge axx pillow to get the sleeping goal achieved as you need to make up for the space between the ear and shoulders.
Most people are side sleepers. If you are most people then you’ll normally want to look for a High-density pillow so that your spine maintains a straight and horizontal line.
The “Tummy Sleeper”
Analogy time. Even the bodybuilder has a way bigger back than chest. It’s rarely or never the other way around. The average person especially needs a very thin or rather an almost flat pillow being a “tummy” sleeper. A low-density pillow would be the obvious choice here.
Consider adding a pillow under your stomach to align your lower back in this position.
3. Type of mattress
Analogies are just awesome. They make understanding clearer, and a blog much shorter. So, we are back at it.
Our character; we should all be familiar with him or her now, is now lying on a water bed. A flimsy one. When lying down, the body sinks into the mattress depressing it really deep. In such a scenario, you do not need a dense pillow as the mattress does the job of aligning the body to the neck; A low-density pillow would do the trick.
This doesn’t mean a really soft mattress makes the most sense for sleep. That really boils down to personal preference and how much you move etc. That’s a whole new blog on how to choose a mattress.
Therefore, if you own a soft mattress than, you would be buying a less dense pillow and vice versa!
Ps: I just read another blog written by a sleep doctor with regards to the same topic that says the complete opposite; that your head would be lying on a softer surface therefore the choice would be to buy a firmer pillow. The logic is flawed as it completely does not take into account; the body weight compared to head weight.
Analogy people! Analogy!
4. Washing requirements
Keeping your pillows hygienic is extremely important especially with the gross amount of skin we shed daily, not to forget sweat, hair, and skin oil.
Just got grossed out typing this; Totally sending my bedding for a wash after this paragraph.
So, washing Instructions can vary. Some materials are machine washable; some are dry clean only. Other pillows have removable covers that make washing easy with some only allowing spot-treating. Either way, maintenance is important.
Can you live with another complex maintenance is the question when it comes to the choice of the right pillows for you.
5. Special requirements and personal preference
There is no one size fits all rationale for the choice of the right pillow. Some have overly sensitive skin and therefore require pillows with hypoallergenic properties. Some are combination sleepers and just want a consistent change; they might want height-adjustable pillows. Others could just easily get hot flushes and thereby need pillows with cooling properties that use gel to mediate temperatures.
It is for this reason that you need to understand different materials, their characteristics, and how they affect densities.
6. Materials
A. Down
As individualistic as this perspective could be; let us get the worst one out of the way. If you choose to have a heartless sleep, then hey, the down pillow fits the bill. The down is considered a very luxurious and comfortable material.
The highest grade of down used to make the comfiest and costly bedding, involves a practice called live-plucking. That’s when feathers and the undercoating of geese and ducks are pulled off their skin while the waterfowl are still alive.
The pulling of the feathers and undercoating off their skin leaves open and often bloody wounds in the process. Live-plucked geese are typically kept alive longer so they can be plucked several times, which allows their down clusters to get larger and thus have a higher fill power, meaning better insulation and less weight.
If this comfort puts you to sleep, then; we at Cottoncrumbs are good to stay away from such consumerism.
B. Down Alternative
The down alternative is a synthetic alternative to the Down material. It can be made from fibers such as polyester. People can also be allergic to down making the down alternative a viable product to those used to the material as it can be as warm and plush as down and also hypoallergenic.
Compared to the down, it is also less expensive and also easier to maintain as the original down has some finer nuances when it comes to maintenance of the material.
Down Alternative tends to compress a lot when laid on. It’s a bit pointless to have a really dense down pillow as it defeats the purpose of the material. Therefore the down Alternative is best for stomach sleepers.
It however makes the best complimentary pillow for hugging or a support pillow to elevate other parts of the body. It is also widely used in hotels due to how plush and luxurious it can feel and that is usually what we feel when we lay down in hotels when our head just sinks into a pillow being cradled by it.
It however isn’t as conforming, durable or evil as down.
C. Memory Foam
This is a synthetic material called a polymer. But you don’t need to know that. What you need to know is that it is able to recover its shape. It uses your heat and body pressure to form to your exact shape and return to its original shape when you are off it.
This makes it a great product to support the alignment of your neck to your mattress.
However, the traditional memory foam retains your body heat and makes it a bad option for those who are easily woken up by temperature changes. To mitigate this issue, there are open-cell and gel-infused versions of this that try to regulate temperature.
While both types of foam do a great job of initially keeping you cool, they will still begin to equalize and warm up at some point.
It’s also rather heavy; so for people who are very shifty and move their pillows about during sleep, it can get rather frustrating. It doesn’t work well in humid climates either as it is not waterproof, making its lifespan rather short in such climates.
It is great for winter and cool dry climates but our recommendation for those living in Singapore or equivalent climates is to well, find other alternatives.
D. Latex
Latex is extracted from rubber trees. Full latex pillows are made with non-toxic, eco-friendly natural latex. They are free of harmful chemicals or harmful substances. This results in a pillow product that comes highly recommended even for people with allergies or sensitive skin.
There are, however, many manufacturers out there who add chemicals and other by-products to latex making these properties absent. Therefore, be sure to only look at 100% latex.
It has similar benefits as memory foam without the disadvantages of temperature issues and moisture absorbency. Its however much heavier, much more expensive, and has a smell that tends to lurk over a long period of time.
Overall Memory Foam and Latex can come in different densities but make the most sense for back and side sleepers as its molding advantages fulfill the ‘Goal’ rather well.
The only issue is that these materials just don’t scream pillow you know? Without the fluff and the softness.
E. Cotton
For those who just want a pillow that is affordable, gives you a decent head lift, is soft, and has varying densities to fulfill your sleeping requirements, this is an option. It doesn’t contour to your head and neck well and loses its firmness really fast needing to be regularly changed.
Many who buy cotton pillows are prone to neck and back issues as they just don’t change it often enough and don’t fluff it up often to prolong its lifespan.
F. Buckwheat
Buckwheat is a plant-based fill and gaining popularity in Asian countries.
These pillows are similar to microbead pillows (Another type of pillow; like Styrofoam beads) in feel and texture, but they biodegrade quicker making them safer for the environment and are more durable.
Buckwheat is soft and conforming to your head. However, the pillow is noisy since the hulls rub and crunch against each other.
There are other pillow types like Wool, Gel, Beads or Innerspring which don’t make a lot of sense when it comes to maintenance, cost, environmental friendliness, and durability. Some others start getting ridiculous like a water-based pillow which comes with a warning for ‘motion sickness’.
Like, why go through such additional trouble when the basic list to choose the right pillow is long enough.
Regardless, there is not one material that is perfect in every way possible. They all have their pros and cons and it ultimately boils down to what you need and prefer.
Cottoncrumbs pillows are Down alternatives and come in 3 different densities and sizes.
Densities
Low Density – Our low-density pillows are great for stomach sleepers. Its super comfortable, plush and sinks you into the position for a perfect slumber.
Medium Density & High Density – These pillows are the pillows you see in a hotel setting.
You know that sigh of comfort that you purr out when you fall onto the pillows in a luxury hotel; well, these are it!
They are super plush and when you drop onto them, you take a controlled fall into the soft warm fuzz of the material. They are even more so perfect if you do not use a bolster but need a body pillow to hug to sleep. Its ridiculously soft and comfortable to hug.
If you have 4 pillows, then these would be the perfect complementary pillows that you use together with your chosen head pillow.
They do however require you to fluff them up regularly to maintain their shape. Softness for pillows comes at a cost. These are not made specifically for side and back sleepers but for those who want a ridiculously soft pillow that makes your bedding look like one in a posh boutique suite.
Sizes – Standard & King
Possibly, the plushest king-size pillows in Singapore. We believe king Beds should have at least 2 king pillows. The bed ends up looking rather orphaned without these.
The size and the plush just complete your bedroom setting.
So, ultimately, if your pillows are Cottoncrumbs, do not step into your room, unless you are ready to sleep.
Click here to shop: https://cottoncrumbs.com/product/sleeping-pillow-core/