The right pillow for side sleepers
Side sleepers need a pillow that fills the gap between head and mattress exactly. This gap is determined mainly by the width of your shoulders. That is why side sleepers usually need a higher, firmer pillow than back sleepers, and people with broad shoulders need a higher one than people with narrow shoulders.
Why is side sleeping the most demanding position for a pillow?
When you sleep on your side, the pillow supports your head across the full width of your shoulder. When you lie on your back, the back of your head almost rests on the mattress, and the pillow mainly supports your neck. On your side, however, your head hangs in the air beside your shoulder if the pillow is too low. If it is too high, your head is pushed upwards. A few centimetres make a noticeable difference here.
How high should a pillow for side sleepers be?
There is no universal figure, and we don't think it makes sense to give one. Three things determine the right height:
| Factor | What it does |
|---|---|
| Shoulder width | The broader your shoulders, the greater the gap between your ear and the mattress, and the higher the pillow needs to be |
| Neck circumference and neck length | Determine how much support your neck itself needs |
| Mattress | On a soft mattress your shoulder sinks in, so the pillow can be lower; on a firm mattress it needs to be higher |
We explain step by step how to take these measurements in our guide Calculating pillow height.
How can side sleepers tell that their pillow doesn't fit?
- You put an arm under the pillow during the night or fold it in half: the pillow is usually too low.
- Your lower shoulder feels cramped or tingly in the morning.
- You wake up with a stiff neck, especially on one side.
- You roll onto your back because lying on your side becomes uncomfortable after a while.
If your shoulder often feels uncomfortable when you wake up, our article Pillow for Shoulder Pain: What Side Sleepers Should Look For explains which features of a pillow are worth paying attention to.
Which material suits side sleepers?
For side sleepers, what matters most is that the pillow keeps its height all night. A soft down or fibre pillow feels pleasant in the evening, but it flattens under the weight of your head. Memory foam moulds to your head and neck and keeps its height. That is why the Pillowise pillow has a memory foam core, made in our factory in the Netherlands.
To be honest: some people find memory foam too firm or unfamiliar at first. That is normal, and for most people it settles after a few nights. If you like to ‘sink’ into a soft pillow, it takes a little time to get used to the feeling of support.
And if you don't sleep only on your side?
Most people change position during the night. For Pillowise, you therefore state your preferred sleeping position, meaning the position in which you fall asleep and lie for longest. The size is matched to that. If you sleep about equally on your back and on your side, it is best to talk this through at a stockist, where you can try two sizes side by side.
How to find your Pillowise size
- Take your measurements. Shoulder width (include the curve of your back), neck circumference (all the way round) and neck length (underside of the ear to the tip of the shoulder).
- Determine your size. Enter your measurements, sleeping position and mattress on the Measuring page, or use PillowScan at scan.pillowise.com.
- Try it out. At a stockist near you, you can lie on your size and the size next to it to compare.
The Pillowise pillow comes in six sizes, each in its own colour, with a 5-year guarantee.
So: which pillow for side sleepers?
One that suits your shoulders and your mattress and keeps its height all night. If you sleep well on your side and wake up without a stiff neck, you may already have this pillow. If, on the other hand, you need an arm or a folded pillow to help you every night, it is worth taking your measurements.
Find your pillow size now or find a stockist near you.
Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise
