Benefits of a Body Pillow
There is nothing worse than waking up feeling stiff, sore, and exhausted from restless nights. And unfortunately, your sleeping position and posture probably have something to do with it.
If this is you, you may want to think about trying out a body pillow. Body pillows can save the day (or night) and offer you the most peaceful night’s rest yet.
How so? Read on to find out!
What is a Body Pillow?
Body pillows are exactly that—a pillow for your whole body. They’re long pillows that can be placed between your legs, hugged, or however you need comfort.
Benefits of Body Pillows
Body pillows have been long touted for their benefits as pregnancy pillows (more on that later), but today they have attracted all sorts of sleepers due to their various sleep benefits.
Let’s dive into a few…
Full Body Support & Alignment
Most adults are side sleepers[1], and can highly benefit from having full body support at night. Body pillows are a must-have for side sleepers, as they offer the most comfortable support possible.
However, staying asleep on your side isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
Body pillows benefit sleepers of any type—side, back, or stomach—by conforming to the body and helping align the head, neck, and spine. Proper alignment and a healthy curve to the spine during the night are key to painless, supportive, and comfortable sleep.
Relieves Muscle & Joint Pressure
We spend nearly one-third of our lives in bed. Why wake up with aches and pains in the morning? A body pillow can actually help relieve those aches.
Once your body is fully supported and properly aligned, pressure on your shoulders, hips, and spine is reduced.
When your muscles and joints are allowed to fully relax, you can experience deep relaxation and restful sleep.
Improved Weight Distribution & Blood Circulation
If you’re a side sleeper, you may know the possible discomfort that comes along with it—possible hip and shoulder pain. This is because all of your weight is held there while you sleep. By adding a body pillow to your sleep routine, your weight can be easily and evenly distributed, and gives you relief.
By putting a body pillow between your legs, you’re also allowing for added elevation, which in turn, encourages blood flow.
Reduced Snoring
Research shows that 45 percent of adults occasionally snore, while 25 percent regularly snore on daily basis.[3]
If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, a body pillow can help reduce these issues. Most people who snore are back and/or stomach sleepers. This type of sleeping is often associated with snoring because of obstructive airways caused by the tongue and the soft palate can collapse.[4]
With a body pillow, stomach and/or back sleepers can help train their body to sleep on its side, allowing for airways to remain open and clear all while providing comfort while you sleep.[4]
Additional Benefits
Pregnancy Support: The benefits of using a body pillow during pregnancy mirror the benefits of side sleepers—and growing mamas definitely appreciate the added comfort and support.
Additionally, it is encouraged for pregnant women to sleep on their side, especially during the third trimester. While results may be mixed, one study found that reducing the amount of time sleeping on your back in the third trimester may have health benefits for you and your growing baby.[2]
Sleep Aid for Injury Recovery: It goes without saying that recovering from a leg, hip, or back injury can be extremely uncomfortable. A body pillow provides pressure relief, and added elevation, and helps reduce tossing and turning. That way you can rest and recover as comfortably as possible.
Better Digestion: Did you know that sleeping on your left side can help improve digestion? This is because of where your internal organs are. Sleeping on your left side helps keep stomach acid from roaming back up into your esophagus when you lie down.[5,6]
The Best Benefit of All - Improved Sleep Quality
All of the benefits mentioned above lead to the best benefit of all—overall improved sleep quality.
There are enough stressors to deal with during the day, and your quality of sleep shouldn’t be one of them. By getting the support and relief you need, you can regain the sleep you didn’t even know you were missing out on.
Ready to take the leap and get a body pillow, but not sure where to start?
The Best Body Pillow for Every Body
Meet the Luxury Body Pillow.
The generous size of our body pillow helps side sleepers align their head, neck, and spine, while also relieving pressure on the muscles and joints. That way, you can experience peaceful and relaxing sleep each and every night.
What makes our Body Pillow even better is its casing. It's encased in a soft, hypoallergenic bamboo viscose blend case, which offers multiple benefits of its own. This blend keeps you cool all night and naturally stays fresher for longer (which means it's also gentle on your skin!).
And not to mention, it is incredibly soft and comfortable while also being supportive.
Click here to get your Luxury Body Pillow and start getting the best sleep of your life!
We've gone ahead & enclosed a 10% off coupon below for you to use if you'd like to take the plunge and try out our sheets for yourself! To shop our collection & get 10% OFF Use the code 'BLOG10' at checkout.
Resources:
- Skarpsno ES, Mork PJ, Nilsen TIL, Holtermann A. Sleep positions and nocturnal body movements based on free-living accelerometer recordings: association with demographics, lifestyle, and insomnia symptoms. Nat Sci Sleep. 2017 Nov 1;9:267-275. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S145777. PMID: 29138608; PMCID: PMC5677378.
- Warland J, Dorrian J, Kember AJ, Phillips C, Borazjani A, Morrison JL, O'Brien LM. Modifying Maternal Sleep Position in Late Pregnancy Through Positional Therapy: A Feasibility Study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2018 Aug 15;14(8):1387-1397. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.7280. PMID: 30092890; PMCID: PMC6086963.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021, August 8). Why do people snore? answers for Better Health. Why Do People Snore? Answers for Better Health. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/why-do-people-snore-answers-for-better-health
- Rosalind D. Cartwright, Stephen Lloyd, Jamie Lilie, Howard Kravitz, Sleep Position Training as Treatment for Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Preliminary Study, Sleep, Volume 8, Issue 2, September 1985, Pages 87–94, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/8.2.87
- van Herwaarden, M A1; Katzka, D A2; Smout, A J.P.M1; Samsom, M1; Gideon, M2; Castell, D O2. Effect of Different Recumbent Positions on Postprandial Gastroesophageal Reflux in Normal Subjects. American Journal of Gastroenterology: October 2000 - Volume 95 - Issue 10 - p 2731-2736 doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2000.03180.x
- Kaltenbach T, Crockett S, Gerson LB. Are Lifestyle Measures Effective in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease? An Evidence-Based Approach. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(9):965–971. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.9.965
