Benefits of Body Pillows That Will Transform Your Sleep

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

#1 Improved Sleep Posture

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. 

#2 Reduced Snoring

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.

#3 Better Digestion 

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. 

Hug Body Pillow

Our most huggable pillow for full-body relief

Different Body Pillows for Different Sleep Needs

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: 

• The U – The longest and heaviest of all the body pillow types, the U shaped pillow is tightly curved so that it supports the user from the front and the back simultaneously. Tucked between the legs and running along the user’s front-side and back-side, this particular U shaped pillow maximizes stability while promoting spinal alignment. 

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.

• The C – This body pillow supports the user from between the legs to beneath the neck. It’s usually smaller than the U, but able to support the user’s whole torso such that their spine curves naturally and is gently braced. One of the main benefits of the C-shaped pillow is for shoulder pain sufferers. The particular shape of the pillow allows the shoulders to remain in a natural line, rather than slumping forward or being crushed.

• The J – Smaller than both the C and the U-shaped body pillows, the J is meant to be clasped between the user’s knees while in a curled, fetal position, with the hook of the J going up and around the user’s lower shoulder. The benefit of this style of a body pillow is that it can be braced against the user from either the back or the front, depending on what feels most comfortable and supportive.

• Rectangular – Technically, the rectangular body pillow is merely a long regular pillow, lacking any sort of curved area to tuck between the legs or beneath the body. However, the length of the rectangular pillow makes it supportive while still being easy to store. This pillow is ideal for a user who needs a little support but doesn’t have a lot of bed space to spare.

• The Hug Body Pillow – Huggable and handy, the Casper body pillow is contoured to support your body in all of the right places. Its ergonomic twist design helps to improve your alignment and relieve pressure in your joints as you sleep.

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 

Find Pillows for Every Position at Casper

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: 

1. University of Rochester Medical Center. Good Sleeping Posture Helps Your Back. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4460
2. Nature and Science of Sleep. Sleep positions and nocturnal body movements based on free-living accelerometer recordings https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5677378/