It's Sleep Week, so some people might be looking for ways to improve their shut-eye as it can have huge health benefits. One area of discussion which can divide opinion is around the number of pillows that you should use at night.
According to the experts, you only need one pillow beneath your head at night - but they add that it has to be the right pillow. The Sleep Foundation says that there are three sizes of pillow which range from one to five inches; low loft, medium loft and high loft.
The size that's right for you - as well as the firmness of your pillow - can depend on a multitude of factors, but the experts suggest that a good place to start is the way that you sleep. For example, side sleepers may be better off with a high-loft pillow while front sleepers should instead try a low loft option.
And while the 'correct' amount of pillows for your head is just one, Lauren Fountain, Senior Editor at The Sleep Foundation explains that extra pillows can be used in other ways.
"Side sleepers may find comfort and better sleep posture from an additional pillow placed between their knees," the expert explains. "Some pillow manufacturers make models specifically intended for this purpose, with ergonomic shapes designed to fit snugly between the knees. "
Side sleeping with a pillow between the knees may also help people with back pain according to the 40 wins expert. And Lauren also says that back sleepers may find relief from lower back pain by using a pillow underneath their knees.
"This is especially helpful when there is a gap between the small of the back and the mattress surface," she says. "By placing a pillow under the knees, it elevates the knees slightly, encouraging the lumbar region to sink deeper into the mattress and thus straightening the spine."
The pillow advice comes after an expert has spoken about the popular idea that going to bed with wet hair will give you a cold. Dr Natalia Bogatcheva, a GP at The London General Practice, told the PA News Agency that this is simply not the case, but there are other problems that could arise.
"Catching a cold this way seems to be the most commonly-spread myth among mums," the doctor said. "One of the issues that may arise is that you can get scalp infections if the skin is kept moist for long periods of time, and wet hair also breaks easily, so may lead to hair damage long-term."
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