Would you buy a king size pillow because you sleep on a king size bed? Well, perhaps to show off your bed, but hopefully not to sleep in. Sleeping on a pillow that is too large for you can cause neck stiffness, pain and headaches. It is not recommended. If you are over 6’0, perhaps built like a football or basket ball player, then by all means buy a larger pillow. There are large pillows in many cervical support pillows. For example the popular Cervical linear traction neck pillow comes in a large size, and so does the linear gravity neck pillow. The dimensions of these pillows are 21”x 33”. Now that is a big pillow.
How about the opposite? Say you are 4’9 and you weigh 105 lbs. You should seriously consider a smaller sized pillow. A smaller pillow is going to give you a better fit while you are sleeping. Your head and neck won’t be pushed up and you won’t wake up with a stiff neck in the morning. Forward head posture can be the cause of a lot of neck pain. Are there smaller pillows available on the market today? Well yes there is:
- Linear Gravity pillow small (dimensions are 23”x17”)
- Petite Core Pillow by TriCore Family of Pillows (dimensions are 19”x 12”).
Consider one of these pillows for children or teens as well. They also need to have good neck posture while sleeping. A cervical support will provide them that at night.
How about a pillow that is smaller than the regular standard size, but bigger than the small petite pillows. Well, there is a pillow called the mid core pillow that is right in between: The Mid core pillow is 22”x 15”. Again, great for smaller individuals, teens and kids.
Finally, one point I do want to make. If you are a petite individual and you sleep very comfortably with a standard size pillow, then keep doing that. Just make sure your head is not being pushed forward while you are sleeping. If you are used to using a medium standard size pillow (usually dimensions are 24”x16” or 20”x 26”), then look for a standard cervical support pillow.
Lots of choices with neck pillows. Make the right one and avoid neck pain when you sleep.
Additional Reading Resources
- Neck Pain Relief with the right pillow
- Neck Posture
- How to Choose the right neck pillow
- How to Get Restful Sleep When You Are Suffering with Neck Pain
- Waking up with a Terrible Neck ache
- Top 10 Ways to Improve Neck Posture and Get Rid of Neck Pain
