You’ve woken up in the last week with a stiff neck and a feeling of tightness, maybe even a headache. What could be could be causing this. Let’s break down one factor: your neck pillow. What is she or is she not doing for you? Is it the source of your neck pain?

What do you think about when buying a pillow? It is comfortable? That’s probably your number 1 concern. You may also be wondering: will I be able to get a good night’s sleep? Do you need a special pillow because you have a pinched nerve or numbness and tingling? Others might be thinking: well I have a king size mattress, I need to get bigger pillows. There are many things to think about when buying a pillow because it will have an effect on your sleep.

Here’s an important question to ask that not many people think of first: Does your pillow keep you aligned? This often comes into play with contoured neck pillows. You know those pillows with a “neck roll”. They can often keep you in good posture in all sleeping positions. The neck roll helps to enhance and maintain that natural curve of the neck. This is known as lordosis of the cervical spine. The middle of the back is the thoracic spine and the lower back is the lumbar spine.

What exactly does good posture or alignment look like? Imagine a person standing in front of you. From anteroposterior (front to back), the spine should be straight up and down. From the side view (from the side), it should have smooth, flowing curves. One “C” curve at the neck and one at the lower back. In reality, the lower back is more of an elliptical curve (a longer, wider “C”). With a neck pillow you can align your spine while enjoying a good night’s sleep. sleep!

One of the most common misalignments is the loss of the curve of the neck. So that “neck roll” built into a neck pillow is very important. Always remember that posture is a window to the spine. This means that if we have good posture our spine is aligned, and vice versa. And if the spine is in alignment, then the nerves are free of pressure and there is no pain.

Now the question is: will this keep me pain free? We know that if we keep the nerves free from pressure, we will keep pain and problems away. With a properly aligned spine, we have minimal pressure on the nerves. An aligned spine also keeps the discs in position. The disc is a “shock absorber” of spells and is located between all the bones or vertebrae. This translates to minimal pinching. That means you won’t have neck pain, shooting pains, numbness and tingling, or weakness in your upper extremity.

So are you sleeping on the wrong pillow? Ask yourself: is it too high? Too low? Is it too soft? etc. Too high means your head can be pushed forward if you’re on your back and if you’re on your side, tilted, or bent sideways. The reverse is essentially true for a pillow that is too low or too soft. This can also be the case with an old/worn out pillow that is too soft.

What if the pillow is too firm? The big problem here is that it can be very uncomfortable. You just can’t get used to it. It’s too much for the muscles of the head and neck. Comfort is actually a big deal. This is one of the most important qualities of a pillow: is it comfortable for side and back sleeping? Sleeping well is of the utmost importance and a pillow that is too hard can make it difficult to sleep. Worse yet, you wake up with pain, discomfort, or a headache.

So the next time you’re humming or wondering which pillow to buy, consider all the points above. The next time you wake up in pain, consider going pillow shopping. It will do your body and your sleep good. I guarantee it.