Have you ever woken from what should have been a restful night of sleep only to find your body sore and stiff? Or perhaps you fell asleep dutifully on your side but awoke in a cramped, knotted heap on your stomach. Unintentional movement of your body during the night can lead to back, hip, or neck pain, and lost sleep. Luckily, body pillows are here to save the day.
Or, better yet, save the night.
So what is a body pillow? The pillow is long cherished by expectant mothers for their versatile and supportive comfort and pressure relief. However, body pillows have shed their maternity-only reputation to attract sleepers of all sorts.
Enjoy our most huggable pillow packed with benefits. The unique ergonomic design and pressure-relieving comfort will be your new favorite sleeping companion.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of body pillows for your bedtime routine
Good spinal posture during the day is important, but what about good spinal posture at night? With nearly a third of our lives spent in bed, maintaining a healthful bend and curve of the spine during sleep is a key ingredient to long, body pain-free living.1
Most adults are naturally side-sleepers2, but maintaining one sleeping position throughout the night is not always easy. Body pillows benefit the human form by allowing the user to align their head, neck, and back no matter what sleeping position they’re in, while reducing pressure on their shoulders and hips to prevent aches and body pain in the morning.
Plus, once a neutral sleep position is found, the muscles of the body are able to fully relax, leading to a deep and restful night of sleep.
Aside from helping sleepers maintain good posture, a body pillow further benefits those who suffer from snoring and sleep apnea. Back and stomach sleeping is associated with these conditions because the tongue and soft-palate are able to collapse, thereby obstructing the airway.
By side-positioning against or on a body pillow, the sleeper’s airway remains open and clear.
Side-sleeping on a body pillow on your left side, in particular, can also improve digestion. Because of the placement of our internal organs, this sleep position helps to keep stomach acid from traveling back up into the esophagus when we lie down on the mattress.
So, if you suffer from acid reflux or indigestion, try sleeping on your left side with a cushy body pillow.
In addition to improving alignment, snoring, and digestion, body pillows can offer unique advantages based on their shape and pillow size. Start molding a more restful night’s sleep by tapping into the bedtime benefits found in each of these body pillow categories:
Once properly aligned on a U shaped body pillow, the user is able to reduce stress on their hip and shoulder pressure points. If used for left-side sleeping, pressure is also reduced on the digestive and vascular systems.
Not everyone is a side-sleeper. But for those who are, the benefits of a body pillow are diverse and crucial for good health. Finding the right shaped body pillow might take a few tries, but the end result of a deep, healthful sleep will be worthwhile. Check out our guide
Whether you sleep on your side, stomach, or back, the pillows at Casper are perfect for just about any position. Here you’ll find everything from body and backrest pillows to foam and down pillows, all designed with optimal comfort in mind.
It’s time to start getting your most supportive sleep yet. Choose a pillow with Casper today.
Sources: