Neck pain

Which pillows help against neck pain?

Neck pain pillow

Finding the optimally fitting pillow is not always as easy as some people imagine. Much depends on your personal needs and how you prefer to lie. The selection ranges from very fluffy and thus cozy pillows, firmer and thus more solid models to orthopedic ones. The guide from Mister Sandman explains everything about neck pain and how to find the right pillow.

Neck pillows for special relief of the cervical spine

With prolonged incorrect positioning of the head and the sensitive cervical spine on the pillow, discomfort can occur in a physically healthy person due to lying too hard, too soft, too high, or too flat. A pillow that provides too much support, as well as pillows that are not coordinated with the rest of the bedding, such as mattress and slatted frame, can cause an additional worsening of the symptoms described above. However, relaxation during sleep is primarily facilitated by correct lying and sleeping positions. The fine adjustment creates the right pillow. A pillow must be tailored precisely to the needs of the sleeper. The pillow must be designed so that the spine is naturally positioned in many sleeping positions and is not overly bent. No one is immune to misplacing themselves in sleep, as the sleeper naturally changes their lying positions several times during the night and moves – certainly also at an unfavorable angle for the spine.

Reasons for neck pain

Neck pain is not all the same, but occurs in different forms. The types of pain are distinguished according to their origin. The following types of pain are differentiated:

  • mechanically induced pain
  • non-mechanically induced pain
  • Referred pain
  • psychologically induced pain

Mechanically induced neck pain

The mechanically induced pains include common neck tension, as well as wear-related neck pain. However, accidents and injuries can also lead to mechanically induced neck pain. A typical example is whiplash, which often occurs in a car accident. This results in a strong force acting on the cervical spine.

Non-mechanical neck pain

Non-mechanically induced neck pain is usually caused by diseases such as rheumatism. Inflammation (e.g. muscle inflammation) can also lead to neck pain.

Referred pain 

Referred pain is the most common cause of chronic neck pain. Neck pain is considered chronic if it lasts longer than 3 to 6 months. In referred pain, trigger points in tense muscles contribute to the spread of pain. Diseases in organs can also play a role in referred pain. Psychological causes can also be present for neck pain. For example, if persistent stress manifests as neck tension, it is referred to as psychologically induced pain.

Neck pain pillow

    Depending on whether you tend to sleep on your stomach, back, or side, you should choose different neck pillows. A stomach sleeper needs a relatively flat neck pillow. For back sleepers, it is important that the spine maintains its typical S-shape while sleeping. If you primarily sleep on your side, the area between the neck, shoulder, and mattress should be filled by the neck pillow. In general, your neck pillow should quickly adapt to new sleeping positions. Whether you prefer visco fillings or other filling materials is best determined by trying them out. If you sleep on a soft mattress and sink in a bit deeper, the neck pillow should be a bit lower. Conversely, this is the case with relatively hard mattresses. Here, a higher pillow is recommended. Some high-quality products can also be adjusted in height by removable elements, so you can find the right height for you. In general, you should try lying down, take enough time, and choose the pillow according to your preferred mattress.

    Neck pain pillow types: back sleeper pillow

      A healthy cervical spine is not stiff and straight. It has a slight forward curve, which is referred to as lordosis ("curvature"). For back sleepers, this curvature should be supported by the neck support pillow. A back sleeper generally requires a thinner neck pillow.

        Side sleeper – pillow

          Particularly side sleepers tend to lay their heads "unhealthily" on the pillow. Special side sleeper pillows help here by sensibly filling the gap between the head, neck, and shoulders. This supports the cervical spine and ensures that the head is always optimally positioned. A side sleeper generally requires a higher neck pillow.

            Stomach sleeper pillow

              Stomach sleepers have the natural advantage of almost "automatically" adopting the natural cervical lordosis on the pillow. However, a stomach sleeper pillow must handle moisture better than other neck pillows. In principle, you should try it out, take enough time, and choose the pillow to match your preferred mattress.

              Neck pain pillow and tension

              Neck pain can occur due to tension. Here, the doctor must investigate the causes. Tension can have various causes.

              What are tensions?

              Tensions can have various causes. Anxiety, stress, or simply the wrong pillow. They block and cause pain: muscle tensions. In a tension, individual muscle strands or muscle areas are hardened and shortened. Due to the tension, blood flow to the muscle tissue is restricted. As a result, the muscle cells are not sufficiently supplied; the body reacts with pain. Tensions are a consequence of increased muscle tension. To this, a look at the muscle system: muscles enable movements, and they also ensure an upright posture. Many muscles can be consciously controlled (skeletal muscles). This includes the muscles of the arms, legs, face, and torso. The musculature of the organs (visceral musculature) is independent of will. Certain structural proteins are responsible for the function of the muscle cells.

              Suitable neck pillow for neck pain

              Neck pain, headaches, or even back pain can in some cases be avoided with a suitable neck pillow. Neck pillows are often also called neck support pillows, as they support the neck and spine through their shape specifically adapted to the body and head. The support prevents, for example, the head from bending in the side position, which can lead to neck pain. When choosing the right neck pillow, sleep position, body structure, and pillow size play a crucial role. In addition, there are health pillows that are designed to support various body parts and prevent pressure points. When you go out to buy a pillow, take all the information about your mattress that you can find. Here, the mattress height, material, type of shoulder zone, and firmness are particularly important.

              Finding the right pillow height for neck pain

              The sinking depth of the body into the mattress is crucial for the head-pillow height. If the head-pillow is too high, you overstretch the cervical vertebrae. If the pillow is too low, the head is not adequately supported, which increases tension. However, poor sleep, neck tension, and numb arms rarely come solely from the head pillow. Neck tension, for example, is caused 95% of the time by a poor shoulder zone of the mattress. A good neck pillow should neither stretch nor compress, but should support the skeleton and relieve the involved muscles through its special shape adapted to human anatomy, so that the neck muscles can at least relax at night.

              What tips should beginners keep in mind?

              For beginners, it is very important that the new neck pillow is adjustable in height. New customers may not yet know what personal requirements need to be met by the pillow. A neck pillow that consists of several insert plates inside is ideal for newcomers. This allows one to adjust the pillow height themselves and simply try out which configuration is best for them. The high side of the head pillow must be under the neck. If the chin is free, the tip of the nose points to the ceiling, and we have a straight line when lying down, as if we were standing, then we have the perfect ergonomic position.

              Adjust neck pillow correctly

              The pillow should support your head in such a way that the cervical spine forms a straight line in extension of the thoracic spine. Whether this is achieved largely depends on the sinking behavior of the mattress. As the illustration shows, the pillow must compensate for the missing height of the mattress and optimally fill the space between the head, shoulder, and mattress. Depending on the mattress and sinking behavior, especially in the shoulder area, this gap is larger or smaller. Neck pain typically occurs when side sleepers lie on too firm mattresses. The shoulder sinks too little on a hard mattress and is pushed forward by body weight. To relieve this pressure point, the sleeper intuitively "stuff" more pillow material into the created gap between the head, shoulder, and mattress or even places the arm under the head. This, in turn, leads to overstretching and thus painful strain on the neck. Many neck pains can be avoided if one becomes aware of this "precarious position" and finally optimally adjusts the mattress and pillow to each other.

              Types of neck pillows: Memory Foam & Visco

              Memory Foam Kissen passen sich der Kopf- und Nackenform an. Nach dem Gebrauch formt sich das Material wieder zum Normalzustand zurück. Die Druckpunkte werden auf diesem Gesundheitskissen entlastet. Es ist weich und überzeugt mit einem besonders hohen Komfort. Das Nacken-Viscokissen ist höchst punktelastisch, wodurch eine optimale Anpassung an die Konturen des Kopfes und des Nackens geboten werden. Es erfolgt eine anatomisch korrekte und druckentlastende Lagerung der Wirbelsäule. Dadurch können die Nacken- und Schultermuskulatur gut entspannen. Dies sorgt für einen optimalen Komfort und einen erholsamen Schlaf.

              Types of neck pillows: water pillows & gel head pillows

              With water pillows, it is a very special form of neck support pillow. The core is filled with water, allowing the pillow to adapt particularly well to the cervical spine. The firmness and height of the health pillow can be determined by filling the water bag with less or more water. Neck water pillows are well suited for people with restless sleep, as they hardly slip and support the cervical spine well in every position. The neck gel head pillow is, as the name suggests, filled with gel, making it a very special health pillow that counteracts tension and neck pain. The neck gel pillow is very adaptable, so it optimally supports the cervical spine. The pillow also has good air circulation and provides an ideal distribution of weight, ensuring balanced pressure on the various vital points of the shoulders, back, and hips. Note from me: The pillow is a bit firmer, but adapts perfectly to the head.

              Who are neck pillows suitable for?

              A neck pillow is good for sleepers who have problems with their neck. A neck pillow is always recommended when the neck hurts after waking up. There are many different types of neck pillows, neck pillows that are ergonomically shaped or neck pillows that are of different heights. Neck pillows also come with various filling types, each of these filling types can support the neck and prevent pain in the neck.

              Neck pain pillow the right mattress: About Mister Sandman Mattress finder

              The mattress finder helps you find the suitable mattress. It is an online tool developed by us that asks for the following information:

              1. Back pain?
              2. How light are you?
              3. preferred sleeping position
              4. How tall are you?
              5. preferred sleeping feel (firmness level)
              6. existing back pain

              For a neck pain pillow, the mattress finder finds the right mattress

              The online mattress finder helps you find the right mattress. Based on the various details you provide in the mattress finder, our mattress advisor determines the perfect mattress for you. There are three different mattresses to choose from, each with a different composition:

              Neck pain pillow right mattress Delivery and shipping the Mister Sandman item

              After ordering, the shipping is done as a rolled mattress. This has the advantage that the mattress arrives as a package at your place. The delivery is made directly to your front door or to the front door of the specified delivery address. We provide a 10-year warranty on all mattresses you order from us.

              Neck pain pillow right mattress: Free shipping and return shipping

              We offer free return shipping within the first 30 days. If you are not 100% satisfied with an item, contact our customer service via email or chat. For mattresses, a pickup appointment will then be arranged with DPD at your home. You will then receive a full refund of the purchase price.

              Neck pain pillow right mattress: 30 days trial sleep

              With us, you have the opportunity to test the mattress for 30 days. This way, you can be sure that the mattress really fits your needs.