Sleeping without a pillow: Is it good for you?
Most people can’t sleep without a pillow. For some, it’s that big fluffy cloud that you look forward to every night when you hit the hay. But for others, pillows can cause more issues than they’re worth. Perhaps that soft and cuddly cushion is the culprit behind your sleeping issues, but you just can’t crack why.
Is it better to sleep without a pillow?
Sleeping with a pillow is quite a subjective thing. Whether you should use a pillow or not will depend on the positions you sleep in, if you have any sleep-related disorders, and if you have any issue with your posture or joints.
For the most part, sleeping without a pillow is better for stomach sleepers, but can be more harmful to back or side sleepers. This all comes down to spinal alignment and ensuring you’re putting less stress on your neck. Prolonged periods of stress on your spine can lead to issues with your posture, neck and back, which can get more painful with time if you don’t change your sleeping habits.
Your quality of sleep depends highly on your sleeping position. Making sure that you're aware of the effects of different sleeping positions and pillows, is very important for your wellbeing and mental health.
So, there isn’t exactly a yes or no answer to whether it's better to sleep without a pillow. However, based on the type of sleeper you are, there are pros and cons to choosing a pillowless life.
Effects of sleeping without a pillow
Posture
If you’re a stomach sleeper, it’s possible that ditching the pillow might be your best idea yet. Stomach sleepers already put their neck under stress by turning it to the side each night - a pillow only intensifies the stress of the angle. Going pillowless will mean your spine is in a more neutral position and will improve your overall posture in the long term.
However, while sleeping without a pillow may help improve your posture if you’re a stomach sleeper, this doesn’t apply to the back or side sleepers. In fact, it could do more harm than good due to your body’s alignment in these positions. A pillow helps keep your spine neutral when lying on your back or side.
Neck and back pain
Sleeping without a pillow can alleviate neck and back pain. But only if you’re a stomach sleeper.
The mattress itself has enough support for spinal alignment when lying face down. And without a pillow, our bodies will naturally adapt to an optimal position for rest. In contrast, if you’re using a pillow that doesn’t provide the proper support, your body might compensate by putting more stress on the neck and back.
On the other hand, if you’re a side or back sleeper, sleeping without a pillow could bring on neck or back pain. This is because going pillowless causes your neck to overextend, causing stiffness and potentially headaches. Sleeping with too many pillows can also be detrimental for back and side sleepers. The more pillows stacked on top of each other, the sharper the angle of your neck, potentially leading to neck and back pain, and headaches, in the short- and long term.
Pillows for sleeping
If you’re a back or side sleeper who still suffers neck and back pain from sleeping with a pillow, it could be the pillow you’re using. Did you know that there are specific pillows designed for whichever position you sleep in, or even target neck pain?
The varying pillow densities are designed to support spinal alignment while you’re sleeping and reduce neck pain, so always keep your go-to position in mind when shopping for a new one!
Back sleepers: Medium-to-firm pillow
Side sleepers: Firm-to-extra-firm pillow
Stomach sleepers: Either a soft, flat pillow or go pillowless!
Combination sleepers: Soft to medium
The bottom line
Everyone has a preferred sleeping position that works for them. Sleeping without a pillow can be beneficial for posture and neck and back pain, but typically only if you’re a stomach sleeper. It’s recommended that back and side sleepers don’t ditch the pillow, as this can instead initiate problems.
It all comes down to spinal alignment. Whether you sleep with a pillow or not, the key is to keep your spine in a neutral position to avoid waking up with a stiff neck in the morning.
IF YOU’RE EXPERIENCING PERSISTENT DISRUPTIONS TO YOUR SLEEP, CONSULT WITH A PHARMACIST OR TRUSTED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.
Any advice provided in this content is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, health or needs. The information in this post is not intended to substitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be exclusively relied on to diagnose or manage a medical condition. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice we give you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on our advice or purchasing any over-the-counter sleep product.