Best Pillow For Shoulder Pain Side Sleeper

Choose The Right Loft

According to Josh Tal of Josh Tal & Associates Sleep and Health Psychotherapists, people who sleep on their sides need to look for a pillow that provides support for the shoulder, neck and head, and allows for a neutral, supportive position. Because of this, Tal says, side sleepers usually prefer a pillow with more loft to cradle the head, paired with an indentation to comfort the shoulder and a potentially an elevated bump in the bottom of the pillow to support the neck.

Also, keep in mind that everyones neck is different, so the type of contour or density of fill that achieves this will vary from individual to individual. If youre smaller-framed, you may need a lower loft pillow if youre bigger, you may need a higher loft pillow to keep the neck aligned with the spine.

What Makes The Layla Kapok Pillow Stand Out

• Its one of the best cooling pillows. Designed with cooling in mind, the pillowcase is made with breathable polyester fabric and has copper fibers sewn in. Copper not only has antimicrobial properties, but it also helps pull heat away from the body.
• It boasts a plush feel. For additional comfort, Layla includes shredded pieces of open-celled memory foam. If its fluffiness youre after, you cant go wrong with the Layla Kapok.
• This pillow is made with high-quality materials. The filling comes from Kapok tree fibers, so it feels similar to down feathers.

What Is The Best Pillow Height For Side Sleepers

Since people have different neck sizes, the best height would be the exact size of your neck, and you should always measure your neck size before you purchase a contoured pillow. Some pillows height is adjustable , and some are firm and maintain the same height.

The incredible variety of side sleeping pillows can make your head spin, but now that youve seen the most important features of a high-quality side sleeper pillow, the choice is much easier.

The ideal pillows would be fully adjustable, made from hypoallergenic materials, guaranteed to not flatten, and breathable. Our top pick for 2022 is the Coop Home Goods pillow, which excels in all of these parameters.

We hope this side sleeper neck pillow guide and the reviews for the best-rated side sleeper pillows were helpful and wish you a calm and restful sleep every night.

Whats your experience with side sleeping pillows? do you have a pillow that you would recommend? wed like to know! Share your thoughts in the comments below.

To your health and happiness,

The Back Pain Relief Products Team

Our team draws sources only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

Studies

Gordon SJ, Grimmer-Somers KA, Trott PH. Pillow use: the behavior of cervical stiffness, headache and scapular/arm pain. J Pain Res. 2010 3:137-145. Published 2010 Aug 11. doi:10.2147/jpr.s10880

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Zoey Side Sleeper Pillow

This pillow is another perfect option for side sleepers, featuring a memory foam fill distributed evenly to offer excellent support. The Zoey Side Sleeper Pillow is a 100% adjustable and supportive loft for a comfortable sleeping experience.

This design effectively relieves neck and shoulder pain, making this one of the best pillows for side sleepers. Its an Amazons Choice product, and this pillow is certified OEKO Tex and CertiPur-US.

Therefore, this pillow is toxin-free and safe for a relaxing side-sleeping experience. And the unique curved design on this pillow encourages proper body alignment for you to achieve that deserved experience.

Why We Love The Brooklyn Bedding Latex Pillow

• This pillow comes with a machine-washable cover.
• Eco-friendly shoppers should love this pillow, which contains sustainably sourced and hypoallergenic materials.
• Talalay latex foam is naturally breathable, making it a nice choice for hot sleepers, too.

Price: $89$99, with a three-year warranty and 30-night trial.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Pillows For Shoulder Pain

Can the wrong pillow make shoulder pain worse?

Absolutely. If a pillow does not provide enough support for the head and neck, then youre more likely to feel new or worsening shoulder pain. A less durable pillow that flattens or loses shape over time can mean more pain, as well. The best pillow for shoulder pain should properly support the head and neck, promote spinal alignment, and stabilize the affected shoulder.

What is the most important consideration when choosing a pillow for shoulder pain?

The most important factors when choosing a pillow for shoulder pain include loft , firmness, shape, and fill material. Since everyone has different pillow preferences, we suggest trying different models to see which ones alleviate pain. As youre starting out, consider pillows that offer sleep trials with free or mostly free returns. Youll be able to test out these models without financially committing to them at first.

What is the worst pillow type for shoulder pain? Down, down alternative, and feather pillows are generally considered the worst pillows for shoulder pain because they provide the least support and tend to flatten during the night.

Can a mattress topper help with shoulder pain?

What Size Pillows Are Available

The most popular pillow sizes are standard, queen, and king. However, some manufacturers offer additional sizes to accommodate sleepers with different preferences. The following table lists facts and figures for the five most common pillow sizes. For the dimensions column, please note these are average measurements that will differ from brand to brand.

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The Best Memory Foam Pillow For Side Sleepers

Coop Home Goods PREMIUM Memory Foam Pillowview

The Coop Home Goods Shredded Memory Foam Pillow is possibly the best memory foam pillow for side sleepers, and heres why:

1. Though this pillow is made with memory foam, it is shredded so you can fully adjust the height of your pillow, just like with a Buckwheat pillow. It feels like a lumpy flour bag but is not too firm.

2. Contoured memory foam pillows tend to act as heat traps. This pillow allows for greater ventilation and can be custom shaped for all sleeping positions.

4. Made with CertiPur-US Certified visco-elastic Memory Foam.

6. It is hypoallergenic and anti-microbial

7. Guaranteed to not flatten with 5 years warranty

9. It is machine washable.

10. It is made in the US

Our Coop Home Goods adjustable pillow

Simply put, this shredded memory foam pillow provides the shapeability and breathability of a down pillow, with the support of Memory Foam.

A Sustainable Down Pillow With Three Firmness Options

Brooklinen

Fill: Down and feathers | Trial period: 365-day return policy | Adjustable: No

Soft but still firm enough, the Brooklinen down pillow is constructed of sustainably sourced Canadian down clusters and feathers, which provide the cushion side sleepers need. Brooklinen lets you choose between plush, mid-plush and firm options, but recommends that side sleepers opt for firm for that extra support and spine alignment.

What the reviews say: The overall comfy feel seems to do the trick for most reviewers. I haven’t had a down pillow in years, but I thought I would give this a try because I haven’t been able to find a pillow that works for me. I really like the pillow and am happy I bought it. I am getting a good night’s sleep and wake up without a neck ache, writes one newly pain-free sleeper.

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Who Is It For

There are two height options, 5 or 6, and what you get will depend on how tall you are. Its made from a single piece of thick memory foam, which gives it a slow-moving feel. Youll sink in a little bit, but because this pillow is so tall, your head and neck will stay in a neutral alignment while you sleep.

Why Its The Best Down Pillow

Despite the cloud-like fluff comforts of down, side sleepers may be concerned about receiving inadequate or flimsy neck support from feather pillows. Fortunately, the Parachute Down pillow offers side sleepers three firmness levels. Available in a soft, medium and firm balance of authentic feathers to down clusters, the Parachute offers all sleepers a chance to experience the customizable and proper support they need for their necks while enjoying the ultra-plush comfort of down. The Parachute calculates each level of firmness by changing the ratio of feathers to down clusters, increasing the feather count with each level of heightened firmness.

Furthermore, if you are a fan of down yet concerned about how the feathers are sourced, Parachute uses exclusively Responsible Down Standard certified down for their pillows. Meaning that all their down is sourced from ethically regulated farms in Europe. Beyond the down interior, the Parachute also uses a cotton sateen cover that greets the sleeper with a silky, breathable pillow exterior. Parachutes ethically sourced, customizable and soft yet supportive construction makes this the perfect choice for side sleepers seeking the best down pillow experience in their home.

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What Causes Shoulder Pain While You Sleep

Shoulder pain felt while you sleep or after you sleep, is usually caused by a lack of support or improper spinal alignment. Improper spinal alignment can be caused by factors such as a sagging, old mattress or poor sleep position.

Can pillows make your shoulder hurt? Yes, particularly if youre using neck pillows that arent appropriate for your sleeping position. Using the right pillow is one of the easiest ways to relieve neck and shoulder pain.

How should you sleep if your shoulder hurts? While no one sleep position can totally eliminate shoulder pain, sleeping on your back or stomach relieves shoulder pressure, resulting in less pain. Is there hope for someone who likes sleeping on his or her side? Certainly. Using a pillow with the right level of support significantly reduces neck and shoulder pain.

The 7 Best Orthopedic Pillows For Side Sleepers

Is your pillow really that important when you sleep on your side?

What kind of orthopedic pillow do side sleepers with neck/shoulder pain need?

Youll find all the answers you need right now.

This post contains affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

Some people may feel a bit ridiculous paying an above-average price on a pillow.

However:

Whether you are sleeping on your back, your side, or your stomach the wrong pillow can aggravate or even lead to extreme neck and shoulder pain, headaches, arm numbness, and even sneezing and wheezing.

Plus, your pillow impacts the quality of your sleep and how healthfully youll rest and recharge.

Top Pick

Our top pick for 2022 is the Coop Home Goods memory foam pillow, which contains hypo-allergenic shredded memory foam, that has the shapeability and breathability of a down pillow, with the support of memory foam. Here are more reasons:

• You can fully adjust the height of the pillow, which makes it fit all neck sizes
• It is hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial
• Made in the USA and has a 5-year warranty for not flattening

The runner-up is the Therapeutica cervical pillow, which is a contoured pillow that keeps the spine aligned even if you toss and turn, and gently stretches your neck while you sleep for posture correction.

Overview

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Buckwheat Pillows Best For Combo Sleepers

ComfySleep Buckwheat pillow

The Buckwheat pillows most important benefit is adjustability.

Good buckwheat pillows have a zipper, which allows adding or reducing the amount of fill in the pillow.

We all have different gaps between our neck and shoulders and this allows you to perfectly adjust the height of your pillow whether you sleep on your side, your back, or your stomach.

The Buckwheat pillow is made of all-natural ingredients, which is important for natural living enthusiasts.

The curved shape of buckwheat hulls creates airspace within your pillow providing air circulation and breathability. This results in a cool, dry pillow all night long.

1. Generally supportive and contouring2. High potential for neck pain relief.3. Adjustable height by adding/removing hulls4. Good airflow

2. Too small for some people3. Too firm for some people, not very cuddly4. A bit heavy5. Need experimenting to determine fill quantity.

The BEST Buckwheat Pillow

ComfySleep Buckwheat Pillow

Through our research, weve found the ComfySleep Buckwheat Pillow to be a good choice for a buckwheat side sleeping pillow.

Heres why:

1. The Husks inside this pillow conform to your head and neck and give you just the right amount of support.

2. It has 4 different sizes and comes with 1 lb extra buckwheat to customize.

3. Its filled with clean buckwheat, grown in the USA, and is handmade.

4. Made with organic cotton twill, with an invisible zipper.

5. Good customer service.

8. Good shoulder support

Our Neck Pain Pillow Testing Methodology

We put each of the pillows in this guide through several tests, including sleeping on each for at least three nights. When shopping for a pillow, the most important factors to consider are comfort, return policy, and adjustability.

Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:

Comfort: I tested each of the pillows for at least three nights. For reference, I’m 6 feet tall and 215 pounds. I mainly sleep on my side but can find comfort in any position. Each morning, I would record how comfortable I felt on the pillow, if I experienced any neck pain, and how well I slept. Since several factors play into pillow comfort, including your body type and sleeping style, the firmness of your bed, personal preferences and more, I also enlisted the help of six neck-pain sufferers on the Insider Reviews team to help me test.

Return policy: The only way to find out if a pillow is truly right for you is to sleep on it for several nights. We gave preference to pillows that had a trial period of at least 60 days and a return policy free of loopholes, like requiring the customer pay return shipping.

Cleaning: I cleaned all of the pillows according to the manufacturers’ directions. Many had removable machine-washable covers. A few, including the MyPillow pillows, were entirely machine-washable. However, it was hard to gauge when they were completely dry. I rated each pillow on how easy it was to clean and how cleaning impacted the feel.

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How We Chose These Products

Everyone needs a pillow, but not all of them target shoulder pain. We relied on physical therapy experts like Scantalides to share their short list of tried-and-tested brands that accommodate those with sleep-deprived joint and muscle issues. We took the most popular and highly reviewed pillows for a test-spin to check them out in person and see how they impacted our sleep, while also keeping characteristics like fabric quality and eco-conscious efforts in mind.

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Best Pillow For Neck And Back Pain

The Coop Home Goods Original Pillow offers thoughtful features like adjustable fill, a washable pillow cover, and an impressive 100-night trial, making it an excellent choice for individuals with neck and back pain.

• Best for: All sleeping styles
• Available sizes: Queen and king
• Fill: CertiPUR-US certified shredded memory foam and microfiber
• Hypoallergenic: Yes
• Care instructions: Remove foam fill before washing in cold water, delicate cycle. Do not use fabric softener or bleach. Tumble dry low until the inner casing is completely dry before use.
• Trial period: 100 nights
• Warranty: 5 years

Pros: 5-year warranty, machine-washable encasement, removable fill that lets you customize the feel, 100-night home trial, hypoallergenic, comes with extra fill for extra loft

Cons: Has as an initial odor firmer, sinking feel of memory foam may not appeal to some sleepers

The Coop Home Goods Original Pillow has much in common with our top pick, the Layla Kapok. Both are on the firmer side and have adjustable shredded memory foam fill, so you can get a customized feel to match your sleeping style.

The Coop pillow is usually about $40 cheaper, but the Kapok has a little longer trial period. Both come with a five-year warranty.

A few mornings, I awoke with neck pain after sleeping on the Coop pillow, even after adjusting the loft. However, I didn’t experience back pain while testing it, a rarity.

We tested 17 pillows for this guide. These are the ones that didn’t make the cut.

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The Material Of Your Pillow

Medical professionals often recommend foam pillows to provide firm support and have a good loft.

Many people find memory foam pillows the most comfortable as they contour to your head and neck, providing support in all the right places.

Some side sleepers also prefer down or feather pillows as they are soft and moldable, but these may not be the best option if you have neck pain as they do not provide enough support for your neck.

Also, down and feather pillows are best used during summer as they can lose their shape once they get wet.

What Pillow Materials Are Best For Side Sleepers

Based on our hands-on tests, weve noticed that the best pillow fill materials for side sleepers include memory foam, latex, buckwheat hulls, and other components that offer sufficient support without feeling too firm. However, the amount of comfort a pillow offers side sleepers depends on a few other factors. The most common pillow materials are outlined below.

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How To Clean Your Pillow

Before cleaning your pillow, we recommend checking the products tag, consulting the manufacturer, or looking on the company website. Different companies use different materials, so theres no one-size-fits-all cleaning process.

Its best to wash your whole pillow biannually or quarterly. Before machine-washing, we recommend dusting or vacuuming your pillow to remove any dust or larger dirt particles. Using mild detergent, you should be able to wash your pillow with a machine. Some pillows are machine-wash safe and others are not . Pillows that arent machine-wash safe can be spot-cleaned with a towel and mild detergent.

Most pillows can go in the dryer for an hour on moderate heat. Down, feather, and down alternative pillows can be dried with a air dry or air fluff cycle. Pro tip: to help your pillows get extra fluff, throw a few tennis balls in the dryer.