If an 8-hour sleep is to be considered the ideal rest amount, then you are to spend one-third of the day sleeping! While that’s great news for many, however, did you have any idea that incorrect sleeping postures as well as the wrong choice of sleep accessories can dilute your relaxation! This is one of the reasons for feeling tired after sleeping for 8 full hours!

Even while you're traveling (via long road or flight journeys) you need to relax completely while you doze off. If not, you wake up with an irksome neck pain that keeps troubling you for days and even weeks. All of us certainly want to avoid this and choosing the right cushion or pillow is therefore very crucial for all and sundry out there.

When do you need an orthopedic pillow?

Your pillow being too soft is not the ideal solution for every problem concerned with back stress. Orthopedic pillows are much firmer. But they ascertain two things –

Lending the right support to the body

Aids in putting the right pressure on the right points, which in turn increases blood circulation to give you a fruitful sleep at night.

The correct amount of pressure at the exact pressure points eases you of pain and other discomforts if any!

Some orthopedic pillow types...

Pillows made of memory foam – You must have tried adjusting with your pillow before dozing off to sleep on some nights! What the memory foam pillow does is – it adjusts to the body contours, absorbs the body heat, and lends the perfect amount of support for a comfortable sleep.

Pillows to offer cervical support – The contours of a cervical pillow are uniquely carved out to fit in the natural curves of your body. More precisely, cervical pillows exhibit a hollow in the center, purposed to cradle the head. The sides, on the other hand, are raised to give some extra support to the neck area.

Rolls to support your neck – Neck rolls, as they are commonly known as are the ones that come in a cylindrical shape and are complementarily used with the normal pillow. They are to be placed in front of the normal pillow (inside the pillow cover). It not only supports the neck but also your upper spine!

Supports for your back - These are popularly known as lumbar supports and lets your back and specifically the lumbar region to relax especially when you require to be in a seated position for long hours! Lumbar rolls are, therefore, most in-demand for office-use purposes. 

Why take a neck pillow while traveling?

To perceive the popularity of neck pillows, a bit of knowledge on the physiology of your neck stands crucial. The seven bones of the neck together build up the cervical spine. They are cushioned with spongy cervical discs within. The natural curve of this is technically known as the 'Iordotic cervical curve’. Any position that causes a loss of the lordotic curvature for long causes spinal stress and neck pain.

Flight travels and long road journeys are usually overnight affairs that do not allow you to doze off in the comforts of your bedroom. So, even if you are using an orthopedic pillow back home, you cannot access them while traveling. Neck pillows come to the rescue in these instances.

So, you always need to be extra careful with your neck. Be it every night at bedtime, your overnight road trips, or the long-distance flight, resting your neck in the right position is crucial. Neck pain can perilously radiate out to your shoulders and down into the arms! Besides a stiff neck, it might make you feel nauseated at times.

Hence, you need to take precautions with the right pillow in hand.