One advantage of being a sleep writer is learning all the things wrong with your sleep set-up. I'm a stomach sleeper, and admitting that to sleep experts is akin to confessing you snooze on the bedroom floor. So I'm trying to switch from stomach sleeping to side sleeping with the help of a side sleeping pillow.
Choosing the best mattress for your sleep style goes a long way to supporting your body, but for overall healthier sleep, lying on your back or side is a better option. I know this very well, but try telling my sleepy self not to roll onto my stomach — which is why I need a side sleeping pillow to act as a literal barrier.
I've spent three weeks using a side sleeper pillow and while it's helping me lie on my side, it's hard to get used to. Here's how this body pillow is helping to improve my sleep health and how it can work for you...
What is a side sleeping pillow?
Side sleeper pillows are long body pillows, designed to be hugged as you fall asleep. The pillow fits into your arms, curving along the body to sit tucked between the knees and calves. Holding the pillow to your body is intended to keep you in a healthy side sleeping position.
At its most basic, a side sleeping pillow is essentially an elongated bed pillow. However, there are more complex designs available, including ergonomic body pillows, U-shaped pillows, and cooling pillows.
I've been testing the Utopia Bedding Bolster Pillow — a simple and budget-friendly side sleeper pillow — for around three weeks now. I was excited to try it out, but it's certainly been more of an adjustment than I was expecting.
How can a side sleeper pillow improve your sleep posture?
Stomach sleeping is widely regarded as the worst position for sleeping in. Lying on your front with your head turned to one side twists the spine, putting pressure on the muscles in the lumbar region and leading to aches and pains.
The best mattresses for stomach sleepers can help make this a healthier sleep posture, as they provide a firmer base to keep your hips and spine aligned. Since switching to a firm memory foam mattress, I've found I'm a lot less likely to wake up with lower back pain.
However, side sleeping is generally considered the healthiest sleeping position (and significantly better than stomach sleeping). Side sleeping has numerous benefits, including less snoring, reduced joint pain and even improved digestion. The best mattresses for side sleepers cushion the shoulders while supporting the spine.
For side sleepers, a body pillow helps keep the spine straight and the legs stacked. It also helps reduce pressure on the joints, slotting between the legs to absorb weight where your knees press against each other. And for stomach sleepers, a body pillow adds some comfort as you adjust to a new sleep position, as well as preventing you from rolling onto your front.
My first impression testing the side sleeping pillow
I've been testing the side sleeping pillow for a little more than three weeks now so, yes, we're technically beyond "first impressions" — it only takes around three weeks for your body to adjust to most of the best mattresses in a box, so you can expect roughly the same for a pillow that alters your sleeping position. However, as I've pushed the pillow off the bed at least half of those nights, I'm still getting to know it. Here are my impressions so far...
1. The bulky design is hard to get used to
I normally sleep with a pillow under my knee, so I figured the body pillow wouldn't be much of an adjustment — I was wrong. Stretching from my ankles to my shoulders, a side sleeping pillow feels like adding another person to my bed,
The bulky design does force me into a side sleeping position, but I still find myself fighting with the pillow in the night. It takes up so much room that it's hard to make even small body adjustments, and as I'm not used to a side sleeping position, I naturally make adjustments quite regularly.
Also, while it shouldn't be possible for a pillow to hog the sheets, my side sleeping pillow manages to achieve it. I have to wrestle my duvet back more than once.
2. I spend more of the night in a side sleeping position
The bulk of the body pillow might be hard to adjust to, but this volume ensures I stay in a side sleeping position. It's a physical barrier, preventing me from rolling forward as I try to get comfortable.
Admittedly, I tend to move onto my stomach at some point during the night, even with the pillow in the way (I often end up clinging to the side of the bed.) But I knew this wouldn't be an easy switch, so I'm taking it gradually. The pillow helps me stay on my side at the start of the night, and when I inevitably get uncomfortable, I simply have to push it out of the way.
3. It sleeps warm
I'm not usually a hot sleeper, but the body pillow is adding unexpected warmth to my bed. Tucked against my body, hot air gets trapped between me and the pillow, causing my overall temperature to rise.
Cooling body pillows are available, I just didn't buy one — a choice I now regret. These often use the same materials you'll find in the best cooling mattresses, such as Phase Change Materials and GlacioTex covers.
4. I'm less likely to fidget
Tucked from my legs to my arms, it's hard to move around when I'm using the side sleeper pillow. This is good for cutting out restlessness, especially as my fidgeting tends to end up with me lying on my stomach.
Restless side sleepers can also benefit from a body pillow acting as a bulky barrier. If you find your tossing and turning is keeping you awake, snuggling up with a side sleeper pillow might keep you in place.
5. It's much, much harder to make the bed
Imagine trying to make the bed while your partner is still sleeping — that's what it's like with a body pillow. I've tried lying the pillow vertically, horizontally, under and on top of the sheets. I've even tried making half the bed (leaving the side sleeping pillow uncovered.) But which ever way I try, I either end up fighting with the pillow and sheets in the morning, or just before going to sleep.
This is a minor complaint and not enough for me to abandon my side sleeping experiment. Struggling to make the bed is an inconvenience; a better sleep position could benefit my spinal health.
Who can benefit from a side sleeper pillow
I've been using a side sleeping pillow to help me break my stomach sleeping habit. However, body pillows have a variety of uses for those looking to achieve healthier, more comfortable sleep.
- Stomach sleepers: Switching from a spine-twisting stomach sleeping position to lying on your side is easier said than done, but a body pillow helps keep you in place. Quite literally, creating an a wall to prevent you from lying on your stomach.
- Side sleepers with knee pain: Placed between the legs, a body pillow can reduce pressure on the knees. If a body pillow doesn't appeal to you, a knee pillow can provide a similar support.
- Restless side sleepers: Tired of tossing and turning? Hugging a body pillow helps you stay in one place all night long.
- Pregnant women: Side sleeping is widely considered the best sleep position when pregnant. A body pillow offers pressure relief, reducing aches and pains so you can sleep for longer.
