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What is hidden under your pillow: you don’t even suspect how much depends on it
18.02.2025 21:45
Are you sleeping 8 hours a night but still waking up feeling groggy? Your pillow could be to blame.
Conventional fillers such as feathers or synthetic padding accumulate dust mites, which cause allergies and asthma.
Pillow and your health
Over the course of a year, up to 10% of your pillow's weight accumulates in the form of dead skin cells and parasites. But that's not all.
A pillow that is too high puts pressure on the cervical vertebrae, disrupting the blood supply to the brain.
How to check
Check: if your chin touches your chest when lying on your side, it’s time to change your sleeping accessory.
What about the filler?
The secret of the perfect pillow is buckwheat husk. It takes the shape of the head, does not collect dust and improves sleep due to the massage effect.
And if you don’t have money for a new one, dry the old one in the sun once a month – ultraviolet light kills ticks.
But it's not just the filling that's dangerous. Memory foam pillows that are advertised as "orthopedic" can release toxic volatile compounds.
If you smell a chemical smell after purchasing it, air it out on the balcony for a week.
Also, change your pillow every 2-3 years, even if it seems “like new.” Over time, any material deforms, losing neck support.
Bamboo pillows are ideal for allergy sufferers: they are hypoallergenic and have antibacterial properties.
About sleeping position
Sleeping on your stomach is a spine killer. The neck turns 90 degrees, squeezing the arteries.
When sleeping on your back, choose a thin pillow so that your head does not fall back.
It is also believed that sleeping without a pillow causes swelling of the face due to the rush of blood to the head.
And finally: pregnancy pillows are not marketing
Special U-shaped models relieve pressure from the lower back and prevent numbness in the legs. And if you snore, try a pillow with an elevation under the neck - it opens the airways.