Pillows should be replaced every year!  Here’s what the Better Sleep Council-the mattress industry’s consumer education program-says about the importance of the pillow:  “Just as your bed should provide good support for your body, your pillow should give you the right cushioning to position your head and neck properly.  It should hold your head in the same relation to your shoulders and spine as if you were standing with correct upright posture.  If you sleep on your side, you may want a fairly firm pillow to give your head and neck extra support.  If you sleep on your back, try a medium-firm pillow to cradle your head with more ‘give’.  And if you sleep on your stomach (although some physicians caution against this position), choose a soft pillow to lessen the strain on your neck.

Generally, pillows should be replaced every year, but keep in mind that some wear faster than others.  To determine if you should replace your pillow, fold it in half (into thirds for larger pillows) squeezing out the air.  When you release the pillow it should spring back into shape and into its original fullness-if not, it may be time for a new pillow.   Additional signs you may need a new pillow include:

• The pillow doesn’t feel like it did when first purchased.
• The pillow show signs of visible dirt.
• The pillow is lumpy and bumpy.

Research has revealed that pillows in nightly use quickly become populated by allergens such as fungal spores and dust mite droppings.  So, not only can sleeping on an old pillow negatively affect postural alignment and quality of sleep, it can also cause or aggravate allergies or asthma and compromise the immune system, say the National Sleep Foundation.

This helpful information provided by Sleep Savvy Magazine.

Did You Know that We Sell Pillows?

• Big Sleep Memory Foam Pillows
• Nature’s Rest Latex Pillows
• Simmon’s Foam and Latex Foam Pillows
• Tempur-Pedic Pillows

Most of the pillows above are dust mite resistant.  We also sell Guardsman Premium pillow protectors.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 9:59 am and is filed under Bedding and Sleep Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.