The good news is that you can have the perfect pillow for you. We’ve found that there are four critical factors
involved in choosing the perfect pillow. They are:
The way you sleep. Your weight. Your body shape. Your bed.
The Way You Sleep
Are you a side sleeper, or do you sleep on your back? The way you sleep is critical for developing a sound sleeping pattern.
A pillow should fit the way you sleep, not the other way round.
Your Weight
Your weight has a big influence on the amount of support your pillow needs to have to allow your shoulder and neck muscles
to relax. Gains or losses of 10 kilos or more can affect the support your pillow gives you.
Your Build
Your shoulder width should determine the actual height of your pillow in relation to your bed. If your pillow is too low
your neck will get no support, while if too high, your neck will be forced to tilt upwards. Both positions lead to neck
and shoulder muscle strain which cause you to toss and turn, thereby interrupting your sleep.
Your Bed
The type of bed you sleep on will also change the height and support you need from your pillow. The firmer the bed, the
higher you sleep thus the need for more neck support. Conversely, on a soft bed you tend to sink down and so your required
pillow height is reduced. There’s no point in having a very expensive bed if your pillow isn’t doing its job - you’ll blame
the bed, when you should be looking at the pillow.
The Neck Compression Index (NCi)
The Neck Compression Index rating (NCi) was developed by Osteopath and Chiropractor Andrew Macfarlane as a means of finding
a person’s ideal pillow based on their own unique neck and shoulder measurements, weight, body shape and bed.
The NCi is the amount of pressure and weight you apply to your pillow. If your pillow can not support that pressure due to
its height and shape, it will force your neck and shoulder muscles to over-contract, causing you to toss and turn in discomfort
as they try to relieve the pressure. As a result, your sleeping pattern, so crucial to how you feel, is disrupted.
The Neck Compression Index is calculated using the four factors mentioned above. For example if your NCi rating is 4/150
it means you need a pillow support of 4 for your weight with a shoulder width of 150mm.
With this information, we can create your perfect pillow tailored with just the right amount of neck support.