Feeling revitalized, waking up invigorated and without back discomfort is a vital part of trying to live a stress free and healthy life. Your sleeping pattern is critical in allowing your body time to revitalize so that you can wake up invigorated for a new day.

The relationship between you and your pillow and your bed is critical in establishing a comfortable sleeping pattern, but just as critical is your sleeping position.

No matter what type of bed or pillow you have, if you are using them incorrectly you will not get the full benefit of their design or support. See our Pillow Information page that compares the different types of pillows available

SLEEPING POSITIONS

Sleeping soundly is a combination of several factors. Having a bed and pillow that suits you and learning how to sleep correctly and the position that you sleep in is critical to allowing your body to relax and re-energize itself. Sleeping correctly is something that you need to teach yourself as most poor sleeping habit are just that, bad habits.

Babies

All babies should follow the SIDS guidelines as to their safe sleeping position, safe bedding and setting up a safe place to sleep day and night. Please go to Sids and Kids for detail information in relation to Sleeping Hints for your baby.

Do not use pillows until the child moves from a cot into a normal bed, usually between the ages of two and three. As a guideline for toddlers. Pillows only become necessary once the child's shoulders have become wider than their heads usually around three to five years of age. For more detail information about the use of pillows and your children please go to www.wch.sa.gov.au or www.ocba.sa.gov.au/consumersafety/babysafe/.

Children

Children over the age of five need to be taught how not to develop bad Sleeping habit. It is essential that in a child's growing years that they are taught to sleep correctly to help reduce the risk of developing spinal problems in later life.

Pillows and mattresses will need to be changed as your child grows. Children's pillows should be changed every year as they grow or if they have a major growth greater than 80 to 100 mm in any one period or increase in weight by 10 Kilograms.

Growth will change their Neck Compression Index Rating and can contribute to the development of poor sleeping habits that will start to affect their sleeping patterns and development. Sleeping soundly allows the body and mind to grow rested and energized.

Children have the opportunity to grow into poor sleeping habit or you can teach them to sleep correctly so they can grow out of the habits and the problems it will cause them as they grow.

Adults

Fatigue, waking up tired and with some type of muscular pain or discomfort is such a common place now days; we talk about it as normal.

Sleeping habits are critical to changing this pattern. No one teaches us how to sleep correctly. A pillow needs to be changed regularly, as no matter what material they are made of they will compress over time. Your bed ideally should not be older than 10 -15 years.

And there are only two correct ways to sleep to allow your body to rest, either on your side or your back. At Pillows Made to Measure you pillow is made to suit your preferred sleeping position. If you spend more than 60 to 70% of your time sleeping on your side its better to build the pillow to suit that position.

You will find that your Pillow Made to Measure will reduce your tendency to toss and turn as your shoulder and neck muscles are more supported.

INCORRECT SLEEPING POSITIONS

Stomach Sleeping

Sleeping on your stomach with your hands up or hands down or with a small pillow or no pillow or all of these positions will still cause you problems. Sleeping on your stomach or twisted partially onto your stomach causes approx 1/3 of all ongoing back problems. Sleeping on your stomach, no matter how you try to cushion yourself will cause you problems, as your muscles are twisted and are unable to relax, your joints will start to feel the tension created and become restricted, causing you to roll around the bed causing you discomfort and loosing you sleep and energy.

Back sleeping

Sleeping on your back with your elbows higher than your shoulders will tense your neck and shoulder muscles. This position causes the large muscles in your neck and between your shoulders to over contract and fixates, waking you up stiff sore and unrested.

Side sleeping

Sleeping on your side with your top leg bent up and twisted over also creates huge stress on your lower back joints and neck muscles leaving you with lower back and neck discomfort in the morning.

CORRECT SLEEPING POSITIONS

Its best to decide how you sleep, On your side or On your back and build a sleeping pattern around that one position it also allow for better support with your pillow for your neck and shoulders.

Side sleeping

To help relive pressure on your neck back and shoulders it is better to learn to sleep on your side either side with the leg that is on the bed bent up and the top leg straight or both legs bent up, your top arm/hand should touch your thigh that’s bent up and your arm on the bed should touch the top arm between your elbow and shoulder or hug a small pillow on your chest with your arm.

This position stops you twisting forward in your lower back and neck balanced with a pillow that supports you neck, is the optimum position to allow your body to relax and revitalize. It's not that hard try it and wake up and feel the difference.

Back sleeping

Sleeping on your back is the next best option as long as the pillow dos not pressure your neck forward and you keep you arms down by your side or across your chest. Sleeping with your hands above your head is not going to allow your large neck muscle to relax.

But it is best to decide which way you want to sleep and learn that pattern so that it becomes regular and allows a sound sleeping pattern to develop. The correct sleeping positions allows your body to relax and turn off from all the stress and tension of the day allowing your to wake up feeling the results of re-energising sleep. Our Neck Compression Index Pillow is the first easy step to saving you energy, time and much needed sleep.