- Published
"I am one of those people," says Dr Chris McCarthy.
asserted
McCarthy → say → people
"I do take my pillow with me."
asserted
I → take → me
You may have seen those people at the airport - a pillow stuffed under an arm as they drag their suitcases to check-in.
uncertain
they → see → check
Or you might be one yourself - attached to a pillow that's soft enough to settle into but robust enough that it's not bunched into a ball by morning.
McCarthy insists he's not being fussy.
uncertain
he → attach → morning
He's a top physiotherapist and knows the wrong pillow can be a pain in the neck.
asserted
pillow → know → neck
He doesn't take his abroad, but as soon as he gets to his hotel he starts "faffing about" with the pillows - and he's got a tried and tested trick to make even the most lacklustre one fit for sleep.
asserted
one → take → sleep
Here's his guide to choosing the perfect pillow for you.
asserted
guide → choose → you
McCarthy, an associate professor at the Manchester School of Physiotherapy, says the right pillow will depend on what position you sleep in.
asserted
you → say → position
He tells the BBC's Sliced Bread podcast that most people fall into one of three categories of sleeper: side, back or front.
asserted
people → tell → sleeper
McCarthy discourages front sleeping as your neck is turned one way for a long period of time.
asserted
neck → discourage → time
"Inevitably a muscle or ligament gets stretched and a bit irritated," he says.
asserted
he → stretch → ?
When choosing a pillow, back sleepers should consider the flexion at the top of their spine, a curving that increases naturally in many people as they age.
asserted
they → choose → people
If you have a bigger bend "it means you need a slightly thicker pillow than someone who's got a very flat back," says McCarthy.
asserted
McCarthy → have → back
In general, the broader you are the thicker the pillow you will need.
asserted
you → need → pillow
But you also need to consider your mattress.
asserted
you → need → mattress
McCarthy says how much you sink into your mattress "makes a huge difference in the subsequent height you then need from the pillow".
asserted
you → say → pillow
"Broad shoulders need a thick pillow [if] you're on a very firm mattress," he explains.
"
asserted
he → need → mattress
If you're on a softer mattress, then you need a thinner pillow because your shoulder sinks into the mattress [more]."
asserted
shoulder → need → mattress
This is less of an issue for back sleepers as they don't sink into the mattress as much as side sleepers do.
asserted
sleepers → sink → mattress
If your pillow feels too flat, McCarthy suggests placing a folded towel underneath and changing the number of folds to adjust the height.
uncertain
McCarthy → feel → height
Then you can make a rough measurement to help you pick a new one.
asserted
you → make → one
Specialist pillows are often advertised as contoured, ergonomic or orthopaedic - but McCarthy says their effectiveness isn't completely proven.
asserted
effectiveness → advertise → ?
"There is a little bit of fairly scrappy evidence to suggest that having a little bit of a higher front of the pillow, which goes into the neck area... does help [side sleepers]."
To see if a higher front helps you sleep better, you can try McCarthy's towel trick by rolling it and placing it underneath your pillow.
asserted
you → be → pillow
He urges side sleepers to pick a position that keeps their back straight.
asserted
that → urge → back
For back sleepers, some manufacturers advertise a pillow with a dip in the middle that is raised at the sides.
asserted
that → advertise → sides
It does put people into a good sleeping position, says McCarthy, but some of his patients have found them "a bit claustrophobic".
asserted
them → put → patients
Someone who has a large and heavy head also needs a thicker and firmer pillow, he adds.
asserted
he → have → pillow
Feather and down can keep you cool on warm nights because they wick away heat from your head, says McCarthy.
asserted
McCarthy → keep → head
But they can change shape during the night, particularly if the sleeper moves around a lot and the pillow can end up bunched towards the headboard.
asserted
pillow → change → headboard
"What starts off as a nice, flat, supported surface becomes a wedge and so your neck is then kinked up.
asserted
neck → start → surface
"
Hollow fibre and microfibre fillings can hold shape better though they generally don't wick away heat as well, says McCarthy.
asserted
McCarthy → hold → heat
Some are made with a firmer material in the lower half of the pillow, which help retain the shape during the night.
asserted
which → make → night
This article contains content provided by Instagram.
asserted
article → contain → Instagram
We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies.
uncertain
they → ask → cookies
You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting.
uncertain
You → want → policy
McCarthy bought his foam pillow, which has tubular spaces for ventilation, five years ago for about £50.
asserted
which → buy → 50
As a side sleeper, he adjusts its height using a folded towel laid underneath it.
asserted
he → adjust → it
He says choosing the right pillow is very much "horses for courses" and encourages people to utilise the trial period some manufacturers offer customers.
asserted
manufacturers → say → customers
"There just isn't a one-off design that is perfect for everybody or every position, I'm afraid," he says.
asserted
he → say → everybody
"You really have to personalise it."
asserted
You → have → it
The Aporia
