Best Pillows for Neck Pain

Chronic neck pain can severely impact your quality of sleep, and as a result, your quality of life. Unfortunately, waking up sore and tired is a reality for too many people. In most cases, it’s their pillow that’s to blame. That’s why pillows for neck pain can be a really quick and efficient solution for chronic discomfort. These pillows offer optimal support for your neck (regardless of which sleeping position you prefer), make sure that your cervical spine is properly aligned, and give you the comfort you need for a good night’s rest.

When it comes to the shape and materials of pillows for neck pain, there are different designs that accommodate the unique needs of sleepers. To make sure you’ll be rid of neck pain once for all, it’s crucial to pick a pillow that fits your sleep preferences the best.

Best Pillows for Neck Pain

Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be caused by many reasons. Poor posture, poor neck support, injury, chronic inflammation, nerve compression, arthritic complications, damaged vertebrae and trauma could all be underlying causes of your discomfort. Whatever the cause, you need a supportive and comforting pillow that helps create proper spinal alignment through the night.

Why Head and Neck Alignment is Important

Your neck is the gateway between your brainstem and the rest of your body via the cervical spinal column. Sleep is essential to the healing process, and getting a proper night’s rest is crucial to help alleviate neck pain and improve blood flow. If your neck is poorly supported, or is in pain due to your pillow choice, you need to address the issue before it disrupts your sleep further. When you lose sleep due to discomfort, you won’t just be physically in pain, you may also begin to suffer mentally from sleep fatigue. Over time, this can negatively affect your blood pressure and immune system.

Sleep Position and Pillow Comfort

The type of mattress and pillow you choose should always be dependent upon your natural sleep position. Creating support for spinal alignment is highly dependent upon these products, so understanding the way your body supports itself throughout the night is important to understand. It’s also important to know which types of pillow shapes and materials will give you the best options.

— Back Sleeping Needs

Back sleepers don’t need a high profile pillow, but they do need a pillow that will support the head and neck to help keep the spine in alignment. Back sleepers who experience neck pain often do so because they have their head lifted too high, or have a surface that’s too firm and unsupportive.

— Stomach Sleeping Needs

Stomach sleepers already move their spine out of alignment due to having to turn their head to the side. Stomach sleepers should work to gradually adopt a more optimal sleep position, such as a side option using a body pillow to help hold the body in a better position.

— Side Sleeping Needs

Side sleepers need a high enough profile pillow to help cradle the head and support the neck. This is important to help avoid added stress on the neck and the rest of the body that creates muscle strain.

What to Look for in Pillows for Neck Pain

While pillows for neck pain can be a lifesaver, they do have an unusual shape and feel, and it will probably take some getting used to before your experience the benefits of contour or cervical pillows. However, if you choose incorrectly, that initial adjustment period won’t pass, and instead you’ll end up with a pillow that feels uncomfortable to sleep on and can actually worsen your neck issues. That’s why it’s important to consider all of the factors before you pick, and make sure your new pillow actually helps with neck pain and doesn’t aggravate it.

• Shape

The secret to success of pillows for neck pain is their shape, ideally tailored to elevate your neck and head into the perfect position and align your cervical spine. But depending on the position you sleep in, not all shapes of pillows for neck pain will be able to give you the same amount of comfort and support.

Back sleepers should look for pillows with an indentation for better alignment of the cervical spine, as their position requires their neck to be slightly elevated for proper spinal alignment, whereas the head lies flat.

If you prefer sleeping on the side, go for pillows with a higher loft than you’d normally choose. This will position your head and neck that makes them in line with your back, giving you pressure-relieving support that relaxes your muscles and ensures a healthy sleeping posture. Those that switch sleep positions during the night – for instance, from sleeping on their back to their side – can benefit from versatile cervical pillows that have indentations and grooves meant to support both sleeping positions.

Finally, those that sleep on their stomach often experience strain and pain in the neck and shoulder region, because their sleeping position doesn’t align with their natural spine curvature. As a result, they need pillows that could help maintain neutral spine alignment, such as thinner pillows that are less than 3 inches high.

• Loft

A pillow’s loft is actually its height, and loft plays an important role both in the experience of comfort and for orthopedic support. There are three loft levels: low, medium and high. Pillows considered to have low loft are less than 3 inches tall, and are particularly suited for stomach sleepers who prefer thinner pillows. Medium loft pillows are between 3 and 5 inches thick and can be good for both stomach and back sleepers, whereas high loft pillows (5 inches and higher) are thought to be best for side sleepers. However, a lot will depend on the firmness and the materials, too. You can get a high loft pillow filled with down that will sink to a lower loft as soon as you put your head on it, or get a medium loft pillow made from foam that feels too firm if you sleep on your stomach. When considering the loft, be sure to consider these other factors as well.

• Firmness and Materials

Where some sleepers love nothing more than a big, fluffy pillow to sink into as they fall asleep, others prefer their sleeping surface to be firmer and more supportive. In terms of neck pain sufferers, the firmness level recommended to alleviate discomfort and pain is medium. Medium-firm pillows should be firm enough to prop your neck and head up and give your support, but soft enough to gently cradle them to ensure pressure and tension are relieved from your neck and shoulder regions. This is why memory foam or latex are the preferred materials of pillows for neck pain. Their unique properties offer that perfect balance between comfort and support.

 

Things to Consider

When choosing a pillow for neck pain, you want to take into account the style and design being offered to help support your head and neck that allows your body to relax. You’ll also want to find a balance between comfort and support to help you find the best option for your needs.

What is your sleep position?

Based on the information explained above, be sure to choose a pillow that provides the support your body needs. Pillows with an adjustable loft are also often popular to help you find a more customized fit.

Does the rest of your body ache as well?

If you aren’t struggling with chronic pain, then you should address your spinal alignment. Support under the hips and knees can help with your pillow to provide you the overall body support you need. You may also want to consider the firmness of your mattress to make sure it’s supportive enough.

Do you snore or suffer from migraines or headaches?

These can each be indicative of poor blood flow or potential oxygen reduction. The best pillows also support an open airway to help alleviate snoring, and improve blood flow to reduce headache symptoms.

Conclusion

Pillows for neck pain are designed specifically to provide support for the cervical spine, ensuring proper spinal alignment and tension-free, pain-free sleep. There are numerous designs available that specialize in neck pain relief, from pillows made for side sleepers, to pillows that are ideal for hot sleepers and everything in between. It’s important to consider all of the features that your body may need, and pick a design tailored to your unique preferences.

Recent Updates

August 17, 2022: The Snuggle-Pedic Full Body Pillow has been added to this roundup due to popularity, along with original photography and links to our hands-on review.

February 25, 2022: Verified availability of all products. Additional Resources and FAQs have also been included to address common customer queries.

October 25, 2021: The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Ergo Neck Pillow and Dr. Loth’s SpineAlign Pillow have each been added to our list of recommendations due to increased consumer popularity.

Additional Resources

• Is it Possible to Ease Neck Pain From Sleeping?
• How to Sleep with a Stiff Neck