A healthy sleep at night is the basis for good health throughout the day. If you often do not get enough sleep, then you may have a headache, neck muscles, spine, decrease your ability to work. And the cause of all these troubles can be covered in an improperly equipped sleeping place - a bad pillow and a mattress.
As you know, the mattress should be firm, but at the same time not too hard. As for the pillow, its height should match the size of your head and neck. Let's talk about orthopedic pillows - what they are and how to choose the right pillow that is right for you.
The orthopedic pillow for sleep consists of two rollers of different height and length. It can be rectangular, with a recess under the shoulder (for comfortable sleep on the side) or anatomical shape. A large cushion pillow during sleep is placed under the neck, so that the spine does not curl, all the cervical vertebrae are on the same level, and the muscles do not become numb. The height of the roller should be selected strictly for each member of the family. This is done as follows: measure the length of your shoulder from the base of the neck and to the edge of the shoulder, add 1-2 cm and get a figure within 8-12 cm, which will mean the height of the cushion pillow, which is necessary for you.
How to choose a pillow filler?
Fillers of orthopedic pillows can be:
- natural (down, feather, buckwheat husk): they are quite expensive, require specific care and, in addition, can cause allergies;
- synthetic (foamed latex, polyurethane and mixtures thereof): they are suitable even for allergy sufferers, they are easily erased and have special properties. Such properties include, for example, the "memory effect", which orthopedic pillows of viscoelastic foam possess. When pressure is removed from the surface of the cushion, it retains the form of the head and neck for some time (3-5 seconds) due to its structure.
Latex and polyurethane orthopedic pillows remarkably relieve the symptoms of osteochondrosis, radiculitis, help to get rid of headaches. But keep in mind that by buying such a pillow for prevention, at first you can feel uncomfortable on the contrary. This is due to the fact that the muscles get used to an unusual position. Literally in a few days, this feeling will pass, and you will fully enjoy a healthy sleep.
Not long ago, children's orthopedic pillows appeared on the market. They are recommended to children from 2 years for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the spine. It is very important to choose both a pediatric orthopedic pillow and a mattress suitable for your child in size and shape. The selection criteria are the same as for adults.
Orthopedic pillows appeared relatively recently, with the development of high technologies for the production of synthetic materials. And their quality continues to improve. Pillows, as well as mattresses and other orthopedic products, it is best to buy in special certified stores in order to avoid buying a counterfeit or simply a poor-quality product. Well-proven brands such as Veneto, Bauer, Tempur - the best, according to customers, orthopedic pillows.
How to choose a massage pillow?
Often people confuse orthopedic and massage pillows. It's not the same thing! If the orthopedic pillow is just a pillow for sleeping, then under the massage pillow is meant a device in the form of a pillow, the use of which will replace your trip to the masseur. Massage cushions come with a vibrating effect (massage with vibration) and with a roller effect (when moving in different directions the balls massage your skin), as well as with magnetic and thermal effects. Such therapy has many contraindications (oncology, heart and skin diseases, pregnancy and others), so before using the massage pillow, you should always consult a doctor.