Being a aspect sleeper may be difficult. You need to continually flip and flop for the best place and sometimes use a number of pillows to help your physique’s stress factors. Physique pillows are the obvious answer, lengthy sufficient to cuddle totally whereas nonetheless supporting your limbs.
I selected physique pillows in a variety of shapes and types, from conventional, lengthy, rectangular physique pillows to being pregnant pillows in a spread shapes to see which fashion labored finest for a strict side-only sleeper like me. I examined every of the pillows for per week whereas sleeping and lounging to see how the fill modified and moved over time and which pillow labored finest for a aspect sleeper’s distinctive wants. There are tons of selections—together with totally different fill, firmness, and form—however these are our picks.
Try our many different sleep-related guides, together with the Best Mattresses, Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers, Best Organic Mattresses, and Favorite Pillows.
Up to date October 2024: We have added the Bedgear Physique Pillow, Arctic Sleep Medium Consolation Cool Gel Reminiscence Foam Physique Pillow, Alwyn House Polyester Medium Pillow, White Noise Reminiscence Foam Physique Pillow, Butcher Fiber Plush Pillow, Eli & Elm Aspect Sleeper, and Eli & Elm Reminiscence Foam Physique Pillow.
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What to Look For
As a aspect sleeper, you’ll need a pillow that’s lengthy sufficient to offer help between your arms and stress factors like between the knees. Whereas firmness and softness are a matter of non-public choice, you usually need a physique pillow that strikes the best stability, to offer help with out being too heavy or agency for the limbs that relaxation beneath the pillow. In case you’re simply searching for a pillow to hug whilst you sleep, one thing lighter and softer is finest. However when you have joint or spinal ache, one thing a bit extra agency with extra help is finest. You’ll additionally need to take into consideration which pillow form will help which a part of your physique finest, relying in your wants. I’m a strict aspect sleeper, however I toss and switch between either side, so pillows with help on both aspect have been examined too. I additionally have a tendency to curve right into a extra fetal place, so I wished one thing that had sufficient width to totally wrap my legs and arms round.
Whereas many head pillows and mattresses favor reminiscence foam, relying on the froth’s denseness, it will possibly really feel too heavy for a aspect sleeper whose limbs go beneath the pillow. Polyester or different artificial filling is usually essentially the most plush and malleable however could not present sufficient help. Many have a combination of each or shredded reminiscence foam, which may present construction whereas nonetheless being smooth sufficient to sink into. This depends upon private choice and wish, however fill sort is one thing to concentrate on when searching for the proper side-sleeper physique pillow.
A regular physique pillow that is lengthy sufficient to offer full-length help for the physique is good, giving sufficient room to stretch out or cuddle in numerous positions. Physique pillows in U or C shapes can present extra general help and are perfect for pregnant folks or these with again or leg points, however can usually make the sleeper run scorching due to all the surrounding materials. However in the end, the popular form is basically depending on what components of the physique you need most supported within the side-sleeping place.