Sunningdale Osteopathic Clinic

A good pillow is a vital ingredient of a sound night’s sleep. This guide should help you track your way through all the issues to do with pillows, providing you with the information you need to choose the right pillow and use it in the right way.

What problems can the wrong pillow cause or worsen?

• Neck aches and pains
  Aches, pains, numbness or pins and needles in the arms or hands
  Headaches

But a poor pillow won’t in itself normally cause mid or low back problems.

How can you tell if the pillow you are using at the moment is causing a problem? After all, you might just have a poorly neck! Well, ask yourself the following questions;

• Do you wake up in the morning with more aches and pains than when you went to bed?
  Does your sleep get disturbed by neck aches and pains?
  Do you find yourself ‘propping up’ the pillow with one or both hands?
  Do aches and pains tend to go away during the mid morning?

If the answer to just two of these questions is yes, then it is definitely worth checking your pillow.