pillow talk
I used to sleep with two pillows. I slept great, but people who found out about my pillow situation had strong, disapproving opinions. “You’ll ruin your neck,” they said. “Your shoulders and back are going to be screwed,” they said.
I didn’t care. I slept great; I could breathe. But one day I finally got rid of the two pillows, replaced them with a new, giant, fluffy pillow and tried to sleep comfortably.
I couldn’t do it. My neck felt scrunched, my nose was constantly stuffed, and I was uncomfortable. So I made a compromise: I slept with one arm under the pillow. And it worked great.
For a while.
Lately, my neck and shoulders sound like they’re made out of bubble wrap, making firecracker sounds when I get up. And this morning, I pulled my arm from underneath the pillow to rub my forehead, and smacked myself cartoon-style with a numb, heavy, pins & needles-laden arm.
Obviously I can’t continue to sleep like this. So I ask you: How do you sleep if you sleep on your side? What do you do with your arms?
I don’t sleep on my side, so I can’t answer, but I find this post timely because I just started sleeping with one pillow instead of two. I think I need to return the pillow I bought, though, because it’s slightly too firm.
Comment by Jess — May 1, 2009 @ 11:33 am
I have this exact same problem and absolutely no solution. I used to sleep on a big fluffy pillow and a smushy pillow, but my neck started bugging me. Then I went down to just the smush pillow, but I kept waking up with pins and needles arm, like you. Now I’ve got two smushy pillows and it seems to be okay, though less than ideal. I need a professional sleep facilitator.
Comment by Flibberty — May 1, 2009 @ 11:38 am
I’m a side sleeper too. I also sleep with two pillows except one is below my head and the other on top. I KNOW it’s strange. The bottom one is a new one that’s supposedly ultra-firm for side sleepers but I’m not loving it (note to self: spend more than $9.99 on a pillow next time.) The other one is a BIG THICK down pillow that I use as more of an ear muff / sound barrier than anything else. It’s a habit I started in college to try to block out dorm noise. Now I’m addicted. As far as what to do with my arms I have them both in front of me hugging my blankie. Oh my god yes I’m nearly 35 and still sleep with a blankie. Good lord I will never find a husband now. Maybe the hugging something helps keep from the arm going to sleep thing. Not sure. Now I shall go before I embarrass myself any further.
Comment by Emily — May 1, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
I use two pillows. The top one is firm the bottom one is fluffy. If I don’t have two pillows I wake up with a headache. My arms are usually out to the side hugging the covers or dangling off the side of the bed.
Comment by Sara — May 1, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
i sleep with my arms crunched up by my face…at least until they go numb then i have to roll over and repeat the process…basically not all that comfortable…
Comment by fritz — May 1, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Um…if I were you…I’d just buy a second pillow haha. It sounds like it was much BETTER for your back and everyone else was just wrong! However, I sleep on my side/belly at the same time. So my arms are kind of hugging the pillow (one on each side…like I’m making the touchdown symbol) and my head is in the middle and I’m laying on my side. Sort of awkward yes…but super comfortable for me. But I’m weird like that.
Comment by Sarah — May 1, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
The pillow issue is a hard one. We’ve been through our share of different configurations, been through one pillow, two pillows, contoured, tempurpedic, etc. I’ve found that the soft contoured pillows we found in a two pack at costco have been the best for us, while tempurpedic pillows are only good as…ahem, tools, if you know what I’m saying.
When I lay on my side, I put one arm under the pillow, but it’s off to the side enough that I don’t make it fall asleep with my head. I have no where else to put it when I’m spooning Hubs. When I sleep on the side that faces out, I usually put both arms straight out and off the bed, in a catlike fashion. When I used to be able to sleep on my tummy, I’d do the both arms under thing. Having arms under it makes it important to not only have the contour but the softness too, otherwise my head would be too high and it would feel like crap. I feel it’s important to give the contour pillow a shot even if it makes you feel funny, because that’s the best relief I’ve ever had…once I got used to it.
I don’t envy your quest to find a good pillow, we have about 14 different kinds you can try if you’d like to sleep test them.
Comment by Parkingathome — May 1, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
OMG, I’ve been meaning to ask what people do with their arms while they sleep. I think I read somewhere that it’s bad for your shoulder (rotator cuff?) to sleep with your arm under your pillow but as a side sleeper, that seems to be my only option.
I just got a contour pillow this weekend but have only used it once. I’m more of a 2 pillow girl, but also heard it’s bad for your neck. I’m undecided about the contour pillow. Or just really set in my ways.
Comment by Shelly — May 1, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
Go back to using two pillows. If it works for you, ignore the other people. I use two, my son uses two, my husband doesn’t use any. Guess who doesn’t sleep very well?
Comment by jean — May 2, 2009 @ 10:56 am
I’ve always been a side sleeper. Lately though I have to sleep with a pillow behind me and/or in front of me while I’m on my side in order to tilt me back just a little without falling backwards. And then I don’t pinch my arm numb by laying on it. In fact sometimes it works out to wrap my arms around the pillow in front of me. But “lately” means since I’ve been pregnant, which kinda changes a lot of things and means there are other issues at play obviously… Still, I haven’t gotten numb arms while I’m sleeping this way, and I used to get them kind of a lot. So it’s a thought.
Comment by Gretchen — May 2, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
Go back to two pillows. Why change something that was working great?
Comment by Grace — May 2, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
What? That’s just plain SILLY about how two pillows will screw up your neck. If your neck doesn’t HURT then you’re not screwing it up.
I’m a side sleeper. I sleep with two pillows under my head and one that I hug like a giant stuffed bear all night.
Comment by erin — May 4, 2009 @ 7:00 am
I sleep with three pillows – can’t do with one. I even bring my pillows on car trips, so I have extra pillows when we stay at a hotel.
And I have to have a flannel pillowcase.
I want to try one of those giant body pillows – have you ever tried one of those?
Comment by Grimmie — May 4, 2009 @ 8:08 am
haha, i have no idea. i sleep with 2 pillows AND wake up with a sore shoulder / asleep arm from having it under the pillows half the time as well. at least my NECK seems fine throughout all this, though?
Comment by Alice — May 4, 2009 @ 11:11 am
Argh.
I sleep with one tempurpedic pillow because I have herniated disc in my neck. So my neck is a bigger issue than my arms.
I ususally sleep on my side and curl up in the fetal position with my hands tucked between my knees. Ridiculous.
Comment by Artemisia — May 4, 2009 @ 11:50 am