Over my 20 plus years as a chiropractor, I have been asked many times about what type of pillow is best… that is a tough question to answer.

But here is what I know: Good quality sleep is essential to your overall health and well-being. During deep sleep your body undergoes numerous processes it simply does not have the time, energy or resources to do while you are awake and busy. With good quality sleep, your body completes digestion, detoxifies and does tissue repair. Without adequate rest these processes are not completed and that can contribute to you waking up and NOT feeling well-rested and refreshed.

Although many factors contribute to a good night of sleep, lets focus on your pillow.

A good quality pillow should comfortably accommodate your preferred sleep position, side or back or combination and it should hold your head in a neutral alignment with the rest of your spine. The amount of support required is different for everyone. For example, a pillow that is too soft will allow your head to roll back and leave you with a sore neck, whereas a pillow that is too hard will have tossing and turning trying to get comfortable and will result in waking up feeling stiff.

Over the years, I have tried cheap pillows, expensive pillows, foam and feather and buckwheat pillows, you get the idea! The one pillow I keep coming back to, however, is the water pillow. This pillow looks like an ordinary pillow, but the unique water bladder allows you to custom fit this pillow to your needs.  If you need light support, add less water; if you need more support, add more water. It provides great neck and head support and responds to your changing positions.

The water pillow has been studied scientifically and has been clinically shown to reduce neck pain and to improve quality of sleep.  It satisfies the criteria of correctly accommodating differing sleep postures, while maintaining a neutral alignment between your neck and the rest of your spine.
So, if your sleep habits need an overhaul, start with your pillow!

During the month of May, when you are in the office for a visit with any of our practitioners, please enter your name into a draw for a free Chiroflow Waterbase Pillow.

During the month of May, when you are in the office for a visit with any of our practitioners, please enter your name into a draw for a free Chiroflow Waterbase Pillow.

By: Dr. Enid Kennedy, DC