Is sleeping flat without a pillow a good idea? Many people ask this question, especially those who suffer from cervical spondylosis or insomnia. But be careful, this is not always beneficial. Discover the situations in which doing without your pillow could improve the quality of your sleep!
What are the benefits of sleeping without a pillow?
Health professionals may recommend that some people sleep without a pillow, provided they have a very good quality mattress. In this article, we have brought together the main benefits that you can get from it!
Improve sleep quality
You should know that the spine is not straight, it has certain curvatures which are adapted to its functions. Sleeping in the wrong positions can cause tension, causing discomfort, nighttime awakenings and muscle pain.
With a cushion, the body adopts a posture modulated by the height and firmness of the latter. Without a pillow, he tends to choose a suitable position himself so that the muscles remain perfectly relaxed, which improves comfort and quality of sleep.
But be careful, there are still situations where it is imperative to keep your cushion.
Relieve certain spinal pain
Lying down for hours means continuous pressure on certain areas of the body, including the neck and back. Depending on the body shape of the individual and the type of bedding, this can lead to pain when waking up, or even during the night.
Is sleeping without a pillow good for your neck? This can reduce these pressures and help get rid of morning neck pain. However, it is absolutely not recommended in cases of cervical spondylosis, as the pain may be exacerbated.
Improve blood circulation in the brain
Do you often wake up with headaches? Sleeping without a pillow from time to time could help you overcome these pains.
During the night, blood circulation is optimal when the head is not resting on a cushion. As a result, the brain is better ventilated and there is less carbon dioxide which is responsible for the dilation of blood vessels, the cause of morning headaches in many people.
Reduce skin problems
Keeping your pillow on for too long is not good for the skin. This promotes repeated contact with fatty substances, leading to the formation of pimples and blackheads.
Thus, sleeping without a pillow allows the skin to breathe better, while helping to reduce acne. In addition, this also helps reduce wrinkles, because there will no longer be any contact between the face and the cushion.
Other advantages
By doing without your pillow you will avoid any risk of allergy to its components, particularly if you use feather cushions which accumulate dust. Additionally, having an unsuitable pillow can be stressful. In this case, it is better to take the time to replace it.
Furthermore, infants under two years old should never sleep with a pillow. Otherwise, their skull bones may become deformed because they are not yet strong enough. Worse yet, they might even suffocate.
What about the downsides?
Anyone complaining of headaches or trouble sleeping should not systematically think about sleeping without a pillow. Indeed, there can also be disadvantages, including for children.
If you sleep on your back, this may cause snoring. So think about your partner before deciding to do without your cushion.
If you tend to sleep on your side, never separate yourself from your pillow. Otherwise, you risk waking up with excruciating neck pain. The position on the side is also a contraindication to abandoning the pillow.
What is the best position to sleep?
Most people sleep on their side. This position, however, requires a good pillow to keep the head and neck aligned. Otherwise, there is a risk of shoulder and neck pain. You must therefore choose a thick cushion that fills the space between the head and the mattress.
If you are more used to sleeping on your stomach, you will not have this constraint. On the other hand, this position is the worst according to health professionals. Indeed, a certain pressure is exerted on the neck when you sleep flat on your stomach, particularly with a cushion. Sleeping without a pillow could then be the solution to these tensions.
On the back, the pressure exerted by the mattress on the neck is minimal, because they are separated by a small space. You can choose a medium-sized pillow to fill it and improve your comfort. Back sleepers are also the least likely to develop wrinkles early on.
Are there any alternatives?
Sleeping without a cushion may seem interesting in some cases. However, health professionals contraindicate the abandonment of the pillow for people with certain diseases, such as esophageal reflux, sleep apnea syndrome, glaucoma and cervical spondylosis.
In the latter case, memory foam pillows are particularly recommended, because their foam envelops the neck and keeps the upper spine straight.
If your neck is not relieved by this type of cushion, opting for a cervical pillow remains a good solution to adopt.
You can also relieve your lower back pain by placing a small cushion under your lower back. In case of allergies, simply opt for 100% natural pillows . Our last little tip to avoid skin problems is, obviously, to wash your bedding regularly!!
Sleeping without a pillow can therefore have advantages and disadvantages for certain people depending on their sleeping position and their anatomy. It's up to you to find the position that suits you best and allows you to sleep comfortably and pain-free :)
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