If you are a stomach sleeper, you may need the flattest pillows in order to keep your body in healthy balance. Even though, sleeping on stomach is a common sleeping style but health experts don’t recommend it. It often creates health issues like back and neck pain, indigestion and other chronic and postural pains. Things can get worse if the pillow is not of a right fit.
Not using a pillow is also an option for stomach sleepers but a pillow can add to the comfort and softness that can help people sleep well during night. Unlike back or side sleepers, the options available for stomach sleepers are not much as height and loft provided by most pillow types make them incompatible for stomach sleepers. Use of inappropriate or high pillow can result in lower back pain for stomach sleepers.
In some cases, when people want to use thicker pillows, health experts recommend another pillow under stomach to keep spine, neck and head in balance. Use of firmer or thicker pillows can lift the head and neck out of balance with our spine resulting in uncomfortable sleep and neck or back pain. Thinner pillows keep the head down in a level with our spine providing recommended “neutral position”.
Top Pillow Options for Stomach Sleepers
Pillows like memory foam, latex and buckwheat pillows are considered misfit for stomach sleepers due to their thickness, high firmness and loft. Pillows that are thinner or flat enough for stomach sleepers are listed below.
Feather Pillows
Feather pillows are considered as the best fit for stomach sleepers as they tend to get flat under head weight. They look thick for stomach sleepers due to their good height and size, but soft feathers filling under the covering gets thin as soon as you put your head weight on it. This is why feather pillows are not good fit for back sleepers and offers below average pain relief potential. But for stomach sleepers, it is the best fit as it keeps the head, neck and spine in balance. Make sure to buy the one that easily gets flat under your head. This depends on the percentage of down mixed with feathers. The lower the amount of down, the better it is for stomach sleeper.
Water Pillows
You may want to reduce the quantity of water to the minimum level if you are a stomach sleeper. Water pillows are filled with 5 quart of water that can be removed to adjust with your sleeping style. With less water, the pillow gets into the right size and height for stomach sleepers.
Foam Pillows
Foam is also soft and can get thin under weight. It is moldable and can easily get into the shape you want it. The only drawback is that it can lose its shape with time and you may need to switch it with new one after regular interval of times.
Down Pillows
Down pillows are also softer and thinner option that can fit for the needs of stomach sleepers especially if mixed with feathers. Down pillows are mostly 75% down and 25% feathers making it a comfortable option for all sleeping styles.