It may seem a relatively smart part of your bedroom, but your pillow actually means so much more. From comfort to spine alignment to neck/shoulder support, allergy prevention and sleep quality, the right pillow for you can make a huge difference to your life. The experts at Sleep Country Canada can help you find the right pillow through a walk-in or online pillow fitting; we chatted with Jory Solomon, director of sales training, to learn more. —Vita Daily
Hi Jory! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.
I’ve been with Sleep Country for 16 years and originally began as a Sleep Expert so I’m well versed in all things sleep wellness.
In what ways can a pillow, either the wrong one or the right one, impact your sleep and, beyond that, your overall well-being?
Your pillow actually plays a critical role in your overall quality of sleep. Mattresses offer 80 per cent of the support for our back during sleep, and pillows are the other 20 per cent. Improperly fitted pillows can cause neck and back pain or even headaches, leading to poor sleep quality and waking up feeling tired.
What are the characteristics of a wrong pillow, and a right pillow? What are some dos/don’ts, as well as things to look for and features to avoid?
There’s not necessarily a right and wrong when finding a pillow, but rather finding the perfect pillow for your individual sleep needs. Most of the time, the pillow you’ve used may have been for comfort, but not for support – just something soft under your head that sinks through the night and over time.
Don’ts include stacking your pillows. Instead find the correct pillow with the right “loft” or height. Don’t sleep with your shoulder on the pillow. Let your shoulder rest on the mattress and use the pillow to support the space between your neck and the mattress.
Dos include testing the pillow lying down on a similar bed to your own, and taking into account any issues or allergens you may have, i.e., stiff neck, headaches, too hot, waking up unrested.
How can Sleep Country help us find exactly the right pillow for us? What does the in-store process look like, and who is it available to? How does one access a pillow fitting with a Sleep Country Sleep Expert?
Through our personalized Pillow Fitting offering, our Sleep Experts help customers get fitted to a pillow that meets their individual needs based on their body type, sleep position and mattress type to ensure they get the best optimal sleep. Each person has unique sleep needs and our Sleep Experts know how to assess the key factors to get you the right pillow including:
- How broad your shoulders are – this will impact the loft height of the pillow
- What type of sleeper position you are – back, stomach, side or all
- What mattress comfort you sleep on – we need to know how far you sink into your mattress so we can fine tune the right loft
The only way to ensure you get the pillow that’s just right for you, providing you with the support you need, is through a personalized pillow fitting with a Sleep Expert. We start by assessing your issues and gauging your physical needs, then we fine tune for your comfort. Sleep Country Sleep Experts are trained to provide a pillow fitting in person at all of our store locations and on our website through our Sleep Expert chat feature.
What are some of Sleep Country’s top recommendations for great pillows?
A pillow is a personalized decision, so we encourage everyone to get properly fitted by speaking to one of our Sleep Experts. There are two main types of support when it comes to pillows, passive support and active support. Passive support feels like memory foam, which makes a mold of your actual shape and is able to support you in your natural position. These supports create very different comforts and often a person will enjoy one, but not the other. Active support feels like latex foam, which is able to absorb the weight of your head and pushes back enough to hold that weight so your muscles don’t have to.
6. Final, personal question: what pillow is currently tops on your list?
Pillows are personal, and while some may be top for one person, it may not be top of the list for another!
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