pillows Archives

6 Points to Consider When Buying a New Pillow

Just how old is the pillow you sleep on every night? A new pillow is such a (relatively) inexpensive way to improve sleep and refresh your nights. If you aren’t convinced after reading this post, re-read point number 6, the drool factor! With hundreds of pillows to choose from, finding the one that suits your individual sleeping style and preferences can be a real challenge. When you discover that magical combination of composition, firmness, contour, thickness, and coolness, using a different-style pillow (when traveling, for example) can adversely affect your sleep and even cause neck or back pain in the morning. Before you embark on your search for a new pillow, consider these six factors: Your pillow’s age. The perfect pillow may be difficult to part with, but if you have used it for a year or two, it is time to say goodbye, say sleep experts. Lumpy or flattened pillows can put strain on your neck, shoulders, and back and old pillows harbor bacteria and dust mites from the accumulation of hair and body oils. Tip: To remember the date of purchase, jot it down on the new pillow’s tag with a permanent marker and toss it when [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2023-04-11T11:10:37-04:00April 11, 2023|

What’s Lurking in Your Pillow?

Have you ever struggled to get comfortable on a pillow that’s too hard, soft, full, flat, lumpy or well past its prime? As someone who’s very particular about my own pillow, I certainly have! A pillow can make the difference between a restful night’s sleep or tossing and turning and possibly waking up with neck and back pain. Back, side and stomach sleepers may have very different needs and preferences. The right pillow for you is a magic combination of variables—composition, firmness, contour, coolness, etc. Sleep experts recommend we replace our pillows every year or two, since flattened pillows can exert strain on your neck, shoulders and back—and because pillows harbor bacteria and dust mites from the accumulation of hair and body oils. Gross, right? When the CertiPUR-US® program was first established, we only certified what in the industry is called “slabstock”polyurethane foam—that is foam that is manufactured in huge (like the size of a football field) buns and then cut for shipping and later further cut or fabricated as needed. Many pillows use foam made this way, but many are made with “molded” foam, which is when foam is poured into pre-made molds that are shaped to fit [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2019-09-09T11:47:11-04:00August 29, 2019|

Pillowcase Halloween Costumes

Losing sleep over coming up with a creative idea for your kid’s Halloween costume? You might be tossing and turning on the solution. I just discovered Sherry Osborn’s oldie-but-goodie About Family Crafts blog post featuring 18 costumes you can make from a pillowcase. You’ll find photos and inspiration for pillowcase skeletons, pumpkins, candy corn, Star Wars’ R2D2 and ghosts, to name a few. Already have a costume picked out? Pillowcases make great door-to-door candy carriers for your trick-or-treaters. Now for something really scary: When you take that pillowcase off your pillow, what do you see? Don’t scream, but do read the Huffington Post “Healthy Living” column “The Gross Truth about How Often You Should Clean (and Replace) Your Pillow.” According to the article, written by health and fitness trainer Sarah Klein, there’s a “host of critters and debris that can be found in the pillow you lay your face on night after night,” including dust mites, which are in the spider family. Allergy experts recommend getting a protective pillow cover and washing it often. If these thoughts start haunting you, don’t wait until next Halloween to get a fresh, new pillow.

By Helen Sullivan|2022-01-17T14:01:52-05:00October 25, 2017|