If you are like most people, you have a house full of pillows; on your bed, in your closet, on the couch, around the house. Pillows that you thought would be great, but after a night or two trying them, they ended up on the guest room pillow pile or the forgotten pillow stack. Finding the correct pillow can be as frustrating as finding the right mattress. But here are some tips from the experts at Nest Bedding to help you in your search.

You just went out and bought a brand new memory foam mattress or natural organic mattress. But did you replace the pillows as well? Many people spend weeks researching and shopping for the right mattress, whether it is a foam or latex mattress, only to get it home and sleep on the same bad pillows as before.

Choosing the correct pillow is just as important as choosing the right mattress. The right pillow can make or break a great night's sleep. But what do you look for in a pillow? Here are some factors that come into play.

1. Are you a side, stomach or back sleeper?

The position you usually sleep in can dictate what type of pillow and the size of the pillow you sleep on. For example, if you are a man with wide shoulders and you sleep on your side, you are going to need a pillow with enough loft to support your head, while a petite woman with slight shoulders would not need anywhere near as much loft, while a stomach sleeper usually needs a very small to no pillow. The most popular and most recommended pillow for side and back sleepers are contour pillows. Contour pillows were created by chiropractors, and they are designed to support the curve of the neck. Many chiropractors will tell you that the curvature of the neck is one of the first curvatures to flatten out with age due to lack of proper posture and support. A good quality contour pillow allows the head to fall back when sleeping on your back and encourages proper breathing by opening air passages in the neck. I also cradles the head and gently supports the curvature of the neck. 

Some customer tell us that they have tried these pillows before and found them hard, or hot, or having a very strong chemical smell. To that we say, like mattresses, there are lots of them out there, but a wide variety of materials and qualities. The same goes for the contour pillows. The ones you find in Target, Bed Bath and Beyond or Costco are usually made in China and though shaped correctly, are manufactured with a very low density low quality memory foam. A proper contour pillow, like those at Nest Bedding in Albany Berkeley California, are made from breathable, non-toxic memory foam that is soft and supportive.

For those who sleep on their stomach, a nice wool or kapok pillow can take the place of a down and feather pillow, and last longer. Most down and feather products in the US use materials from eastern Europe or China, and there are no guarantees what the animals are exposed to, not to mention they can be subject to live plucking, where the animals have their feathers removed while still alive. This is an inhumane practice and one reason we have not carried down and feather. There are sources from Canada that gather the feathers from nesting beds, but the prices of those items are so high it would likely not sell in the store. Wool and kapok are excellent organic and natural replacements, and they are affordable. 

2. Allergies?

Since your face is right in a pillow, people who suffer from allergies need to take extra care when selecting a pillow. At Nest Bedding, we carry a very wide variety of pillows in different shapes and sizes for all types of customers. We also carry pillow encasements which prevent pillows from becoming harbingers of dust mites, which can further exacerbate allergies.

3. Size?

Other than the aesthetic purpose, a standard size pillow is all you should need. Some people like the look on their bed of longer, or queen and king size pillows, however, when you sleep and are comfortable, a standard size pillow should suffice. If you are rolling around, you may need to investigate why you are not sleeping well, what is causing you to move around. If you are in pain, out of proper spinal alignment or simply uncomfortable, because of a bad mattress or sleeping hot or cold, it could be time to replace some of your bedding or mattress. A good, supportive natural, organic and non-toxic memory foam mattress can work wonders for helping you get the proper sleep you need.

At Nest Bedding we carry non-toxic memory foam pillows, kapok pillows, wool pillows, buckwheat hull pillows. Millet hull pillows and latex pillows.