Size

Size is a very important factor when it comes to the pillow that you rest your head on each night. If your pillow were a pair of shoes that you had to wear for 6-8 hours at a time you would want to be certain that they fit well. If they were too small you would be in pain; if they were too large you wouldn’t be comfortable either. Remember that our goal in sleeping position is to keep the spine in a neutral posture. A pillow that tilts your head up could cause pain as could the reverse.

Pillow height is something that can be seen from a couple of different perspectives. For example, you could have a pillow that is technically too high but because it is made of soft material (firmness is discussed here) the neck sinks further into the pillow and thus the neck is in a neutral position. Similarly, if you have a pillow that is height-adjustable (adjustability is discussed here) if the pillow is too high or too low, then you have the option of adding or removing filler or a piece of material.

Because pillow sizing has a number of variables here a few approaches and questions to assess if your current pillow is the appropriate height. If you are considering a new pillow, then use the ideas below to help you determine how your current pillow is serving you and determine if anything needs to change.

• The eyeball test: Lay on your current pillow the way that you normally do and have someone look at whether you head and neck are on a straight, even plane.
• The pillow comparison test: get a couple of other pillows of different heights and compare them to your current pillow. If you have two of the same size put a folded towel or something similar underneath.  Which one feels the best? Which one passes the eyeball test?
• If you are considering a new pillow then use the information from the tests above to determine the approximate height or your next pillow. If you are unsure, then purchase an adjustable pillow so that you can fine tune your pillow and again use the tests above.