# Do you sleep on your side with One extra firm pillow? Question for you... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379 "2005-07-07T00:38:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/1 "2005-07-07T00:38:29Z")
You sleep on your side. You only use **one** pillow under your head, extra firm. How often do you need to get a new one? I find myself with an excess of spent pillows, since they only retain their firmness for 3-6 months; after that they make my neck ache and I sleep badly, so it’s time for a new one. It was okay when the dog was alive, because I got rid of 3 of them making him a bed, but now they’re everywhere… Kidding aside, though, how often do you find yourself replacing pillows? And does anyone recommend a particular brand of pillow that has lasting firmness? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/2 "2005-07-07T00:42:25Z")
One pillow, folded in half, then folded at the corner to lift the head. Very comfortable. My pillow has two covers (regularly washed) and is made of foam with uniform holes in it. It seems to be quite high-tech. I haven’t replaced it in years. Washed it a few times though, and the covers many times. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/3 "2005-07-07T00:49:08Z")
I sleep on my side, and tuck a big, firm pillow between my knees. I go through them quite regularly, getting a new one every 3 or 4 months. I always get mine at a local bedding store in the mall. I get the brand called ‘Sealy Posturepedic Encompass Fiber and Foam Extra-Firm Support Standard Pillow’. I found you can get them here, for much cheaper than I’m always paying! > **[Amazon.com: Pacific Coast Feather Sealy Posturepedic Encompass Fiber and Foam...](https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Coast-Posturepedic-Encompass-Extra-Firm/dp/B0000CEVOP)** > > Product Description > > > > > > > > > Ideal for the back or side sleeper who needs extra firm support. Unique foam core wrapped in soft and silky fiber for extra firm support that won't go flat. Spot cleaning recommended for easy home... I give my ‘used’ pillows to my dogs and my cats, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/4 "2005-07-07T01:02:44Z")
Holy crap. 3-6 MONTHS? My current pillow is about 5 years old, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/5 "2005-07-07T01:55:55Z")
I use a contoured foam pillow, so it has a divet for my head, but comes up under my neck to provide support. It’s the kind that’s made of that egg-crate foam. I’ve had it for years, and it still looks and works fine. In addition, I like to fold my blankie\* just so and wedge it under my head to keep my face elevated. I hate it when I sink into a pillow so I can’t breathe. I got hubby a Tempur-Pedic pillow of the same shape - yuck. The thing smelled like hell, and was so hard it bruised your ear after a mere few minutes of side-lying. We returned it. \*I can give it up any time I want to! ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/6 "2005-07-07T02:05:03Z")
I have a Tempur-Pedic pillow that I think is comfortable (and though it was smelly at first, it improved before too long), but I guess it insulates enough that I always seem to wake up with a sweaty neck in the morning. I dunno if adding another layer or two of pillowcase would alleviate the issue. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/7 "2005-07-07T02:33:40Z")
I like solid latex foam pillows. They retain their shape for a long time and have perferations so they don’t get too hot. I only replace them maybe every ten years. ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/8 "2005-07-07T02:42:23Z")
Got to recommend latex pillows as well. They come in a variety of sizes and firmnesses (?) and last for ages. I just bought some “Dunlopillos” by Dunlop. They’re expensive, but far less expensive than 2-4 pillows a year! ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/9 "2005-07-07T03:33:24Z")
I was just recently lamenting the fact that pillows don’t seem to last very long anymore. When I was a kid, I think I used the same pillow for 20 years. Now, I need a new pillow every few months. I’m not too enthralled with the Tempurpedic ones. The density of the material seems to make my face and neck hot and the more covers you put on it, the less effective it is. I’ll try the latex pillow next. I just Googled Dunlopillos and can only find the mattress, though. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/10 "2005-07-07T03:39:30Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > I just Googled Dunlopillos and can only find the mattress, though. Yeah, I Googled it too and it looks like a Brit/Aussie company. My [pillows](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=103702&RN=34) are just from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/11 "2005-07-07T03:48:18Z")
My extra firm pillow for side sleepers lasted me three months before I figured out it was the cause of my back pain. Now I’m like **Lobsang** : one soft pillow, folded. I thought I slept on my side, but it turns out I actually sleep on my side, my stomach, and my back. Not, of course, simultaneously. The pillows that seem to work best for me are the really good down pillows. Yes, they’re expensive, but they have lasted me several years now with no appreciable change in firmness. ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/12 "2005-07-07T06:05:59Z")
I use two pillows: a regular one, and a small “sobakawa” pillow on top. That’s a pillow containing, I think, buckwheat hulls. It’s not soft, and it’s a bit noisy to move your head on, but it has two advantages from my POV: it molds to the contours you want it to, and it is much cooler against the head than a regular pillow, if you’re prone to perspiration. For a while you could buy these “sobakawa” for $20 or so from local Walgreens-type drugstores. Google sobakawa, and you’ll find links like [this one](http://wonderfulbuys.com/sobakawa1.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/13 "2005-07-07T06:25:18Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > I just Googled Dunlopillos and can only find the mattress, though. Presume they’re just Aussie, then. Never mind, have tried other brands of latex pillows and they’ve been pretty good - they’re definitely the way to go for durability. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/14 "2005-07-07T13:16:43Z")
Mine lasts about 6 months…I also have an excess of pillows. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/15 "2005-07-07T15:24:58Z")
A chiropractor told me to put towels in a pillow case until it’s the right height for your head. Then, get a squishy pillow and mold it to your neck. That’s what I did, and it works great. The towels are a lot firmer than any pillow I’ve used and they don’t shift, settle, or get too squishy. That’s what the squishy pillow is for, and I’ve had that pillow for, oh, about 30 years now, I’m guessing. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/16 "2005-08-26T05:00:18Z")
A couple weeks ago I decided to try one of the “memory” foam pillows. Well, I’ll give them this, they’re very firm. Like a board - flat, low and hard. Being too low bothered my shoulders more than being too firm. A few days ago I hit on a good solution, though: I took one of my flagged pillows and pulled out 1/2 of it’s stuffing, which came out in a nice sheet. That on top of the new pillow is now the right height and much much softer. So far so good. ::knocks on wood:: ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-on-your-side-with-one-extra-firm-pillow-question-for-you/311379/17 "2005-08-26T09:18:48Z")
Thanks for this thread – I need suggestions. I end up using two ordinary firm pillows, but they all too quickly lose the necessary support.