Sleeping on the side is the most popular sleeping position but what are the best pillows for side sleepers in 2024? Let’s see what you need to look for when shopping for a perfect pillow, what are the benefits as well as disadvantages of sleeping on the side, how to avoid getting neck, back and hip pain from it and much more.
In a hurry? Coop Home Goods Adjustable Loft is the top-rated pillow for side sleepers in 2024. It offers the freedom to adjust loft and prides itself as the best-shredded memory foam pillow. Second on our list is Mediflow Water Pillow. It is clinically proven to reduce neck pain and includes neck support for side sleepers. Say goodbye to that annoying sleep-depriving neck pain as you get a sound sleep with this pillow. It features an adjustable water level so as you allow you to customize it to your liking. EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow‘s design gives perfect alignment to your neck, shoulders, and back, allowing you to fall asleep easier. It is made of memory foam material and is the best pillow in that category.
Top 7 Best Side Sleeper Pillows: Comparison Table
TOP RATED  |
Coop Home Goods (Adjustable)
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BEST FOR NECK PAIN  |
Mediflow Fiber
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SIDE SLEEPER'S CONTOUR PILLOW  |
EPABO Contour (Memory Foam)
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LATEX PILLOW FOR SIDE SLEEPERS  |
Sleep Artisan Latex Pillow
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TOP DOWN SIDE SLEEPER PILLOW  |
Puredown Natural Down Feather
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CHEAP SIDE SLEEPING PILLOW  |
Beckham Hotel Collection Gel
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BEST KNEE PILLOW   |
Comfilife Orthopedic Knee Pillow
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How to Sleep On Your Side: The Right Way
Side sleeping is a great position to fall asleep in. It is the most common sleep position but can be easy to mess up. That can lead to complications and severe pains.
So, are you doing it right? Read on to find out.
Keep your spine in a straight line
You should try as much as possible to maintain a straight spine. This takes away the tension and pressure on your spine and muscles and saves you from pain.
The angle of your neck should be in a straight line with the rest of your body
This is to prevent strain on your neck muscles and spine when placed in a bad posture for long. You can achieve this with a pillow of the appropriate loft.
Ideally, your pillow should be thicker than that of the stomach and back sleepers. Making use of a pillow with an adjustable loft allows you to choose the thickness that is most comfortable for you.
Try to give support to your entire neck
Making use of contoured pillows allows your neck to be placed at the correct angle with good support.
Regular pillows will allow a portion of your neck hanging and bearing all the weight and pressure, but a contoured pillow accommodates your shoulders and allows your whole neck to be supported.
Position your hips perpendicular to the mattress
The position of your hips to a great extent affects the orientation of your spine. Since you want your spine to be in a straight line, you should as much as possible place your hips perpendicular to the mattress.
That is to say, the hip touching the mattress should be directly opposite the other hip facing up. This ensures your spine isn’t twisted or under any tension.
Avoid fetal position
It is common to want to look down at your body and also pull your legs towards your chest as you sleep on your side.
This position is wrong in many ways as it prevents you from achieving a straight spine, causing pressure on your muscles and ultimately leads to pain.
Make use of the best pillows for side sleepers
What you need as a side sleeper is a pillow that gives you a good balance between comfort and support. Such pillows enable you to fall asleep faster and deeper.
Make use of a knee pillow
Knee pillows are required for added comfort and support. They help you maintain a good side sleeping position so that the pressure on your hips and spine are taken off.
This goes a long way to give you relief from pains in your hips caused by bad posture and prevent the occurrence of future pain.
Make use of medium-firm memory mattress
This takes away the discomfort a firm mattress will have on your hips and prevents the sinking you’ll get from a soft mattress. Be sure to get a high-quality product with real customer reviews. You can check the best selling memory foam mattresses on Amazon here.
Try sleeping on your left side
Sleeping on your left side reduces the chances of having acid reflux and heartburns. It is also a great position for pregnant women, so try to get comfortable in this position as it is more beneficial to you.
Best Pillows for Side Sleepers in 2024: Reviews
#1 Coop Home Goods Adjustable Loft Pillow
Top Rated
It makes use of shredded memory foam, blended with microfiber to ensure that you get the perfect balance between comfort and balance.
Giving you control over your pillow loft, you get to choose what works best for you as you can easily reach into the fill and take out, or add as is required for your comfort.
It has medium firmness so it isn’t too hard on your head, or too soft that you sink in without any support.
You can shape it to what suits you best as it has good moldability, being made with stretchy fabric.
The pillowcase is made from the finest materials; a blend of viscose rayon and polyester, so that you can easily breathe as you lay here, and get comfy as it provides you with softness.
It is also hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant so once you hit snooze, it’s a deep and good sleep all the way.
It’s free from harmful chemicals so you are safe to use it.
Pros
- Made with a blend of shredded memory foam and microfiber
- Adjustable loft
- Washable, hypoallergenic and dust mite repellent cover
- Medium firmness
- Highly moldable
- Free from toxic chemicals
Cons
- Over time it may require constant fluffing to separate the clumps
#2 Mediflow Fiber Water Pillow
Best Pillow for Side Sleepers with Neck Pain
It is clinically proven to reduce neck pain.
The water fill moves with your head no matter the sleep position you assume, making it the best pillow for both side and back sleepers. No need for fluffing or having to adjust this pillow.
One interesting fact about this water-based pillow is the kind of control it gives you. You can adjust the firmness to your liking, from a soft, medium, medium-firm and even firm. You can achieve this by adjusting the water level.
This adjustment makes it most suitable as it offers the best firmness for side sleepers. All you have to do is adjust. The water in it also makes it a top choice as the best cooling pillow.
Now you may be wondering how a water pillow will give your head adequate support. The water is enclosed in a pouch that has a Dacron hollofil fiber layer at the top, and all encased in a cotton shell.
This is to ensure that the feeling you get as you lay your head is nothing short of absolute comfort. Easy to wash and dry so you can take good care of this and maintain it properly.
All these features make it one of the best-rated pillows for side sleepers.
Pros
- Clinically proven to reduce neck pain
- Ideal for all sleeping positions
- No need to fluff and adjust before use
- Firmness can be customized to your needs
- Made with quality materials to ensure you get great comfort
Cons
- A bit heavy
#3 EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow
Best Memory Foam Pillow for Side Sleepers
It has a contoured design that perfectly aligns your neck, shoulder, and back so that you sleep the right way and wake up feeling refreshed.
There is a removable piece of memory foam at the bottom and it lets you adjust your pillow loft according to what makes you comfortable.
This adjustable loft makes EPABO great for both back and side sleepers.
The memory foam used is breathable and allows for good air circulation so that you do not get hot as you use it.
For ease of care, the pillowcase is easily washable and has hypoallergenic and dust mite resistance properties all to ensure you get a comfortable sleep. And yes, it is chemical-free.
Pros
- Contour design for neck support
- Breathable memory foam ensuring you are cool as you sleep
- Chemical-free
- Hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant pillowcase
- Adjustable loft
- Great for side and back sleepers
Cons
- May need some time to get used to
#4 Sleep Artisan Luxury Side Sleeper Pillow
Best Latex Pillow for Side Sleepers
The latex material used is hypoallergenic so you can use it without having to worry about allergies, bed bugs, dust mites, and other microorganisms.
They can’t survive here and so when you make use of it, you are sure of peace and comfort which are essential for a good night’s rest.
The latex loft can be removed in case it doesn’t suit you. This makes Sleep Artisan Pillow highly versatile and fit for different sizes of users.
What’s more is it provides your neck and head and neck with proper alignment necessary for a night of healthy sleep, and reduction in neck pain or its occurrence.
With great moldability and soft contours, it is perfect for side sleepers as it gives proper support to your shoulders, and allow you to shape your pillow as you desire.
Pros
- Made with latex fill
- Adjustable loft
- Contour design for support to side sleepers
- Bed bugs, dust mites, and microorganisms resistant
- Hypoallergenic
Cons
- Quite expensive
#5 Puredown Natural Goose Down Feather Pillow
Best Down Side Sleeping Pillow in 2024
Just as the name goes, it is made with a high-quality filling of goose feathers and down to give you good enough fluffiness and adequate firmness for head support.
It is disinfected so you do not have to worry about microbes.
The fabric that covers the filling is thick so that the feathers do not poke you as you lay on it, once again giving you comfort.
Keeping your pillow and covers clean is easy, as you can easily remove and wash the cover, and then air the pillow.
Pros
- Made with goose feather and down
- Moldable and gives good support for your head and neck
- Thick cotton fabric to avoid poking of feathers
- Easy to wash pillow covers
- Adequate firmness for good support
Cons
- Could do with a little bit more fill
#6 Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow
Cheap Side Sleeping Pillow
It was made with the primary aim of granting support to you for a night of better and sound sleep.
The filling doesn’t move but retains its position giving you great support and comfort.
Free from chemicals, you are safe as you make use of it.
If you have allergies or other respiratory issues, there is no better choice for you as it is hypoallergenic. Also, Beckham Hotel Pillows are dust mite, mold and mildew resistant.
Maintain a shiny and new looking pillow as it is fade and stain-resistant.
It is washable and you can easily care for your pillow as you get the best value for your money.
Pros
- No shift of the filling materials, providing great support for your head
- Hypoallergenic, dust mite, mildew and mold resistant
- Fade and stain resistant
- Easy to wash
Cons
- Can get flat
#7 Comfilife Orthopedic Knee Pillow
Best Knee Pillow for Side Sleepers
This is because it is very easy to assume a bad side sleeping position and one way to ensure you sleep right and pain-free is with a knee pillow.
Made with memory foam filling, it is durable and provides you great comfort as you use it.
Its design is contoured and ideal to properly align your hips, legs, and spine so that you can get relief from pain in those areas as a result of bad sleeping posture, and prevent its occurrence in the future.
Its bed cover is to prevent the heat up of memory foam as you use it, keeping you cool and very easy to wash also.
Pros
- For relief and prevention of pain in the back and hips
- Made with memory foam filling
- Contour design for perfectly align your legs, hips, and spine
- Easy to clean cover which is breathable and keeps you cool
Cons
- Could get flat over time
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sleeping On Your Side
Pros
- Side sleeping with the perfect side sleeping pillow gives you good spinal alignment as you sleep on your side
- Sleeping in other positions can increase the risk of heartburns or acid reflux, but that is not the case with sleeping on your side, especially the left side.
- Snoring is reduced with side sleeping and is heightened when sleeping in another position like on your back.
- This is the most comfortable position for pregnant women and is safe both for them and the fetus.
Cons
- Sleeping on the left side comes with added pressure on the organs, and on the right increases the risk of having acid reflux and heartburn.
- Side sleepers are prone to assume the fetal position and are more susceptible to having increased arthritic symptoms and breathing problems.
FAQ
What pillow firmness is best for side sleepers?
Side sleepers require the use of firm pillows to medium-firm pillows. This is because their heads need support and retained height throughout the night, they will wake up with severe neck pains.
Are down pillows good for side sleepers?
Down pillows are good for side sleepers as it is soft and comfortable, but may not provide enough support.
Is memory foam best for side sleepers?
Memory foam has all the requirement for side sleeping the right way, which makes it best for side sleepers.
Can you sleep on your side with a wedge pillow?
Yes. Side sleeping with a wedge pillow is not only possible but also has a lot of health benefits attached to it.
How high should a pillow be for side sleepers?
For side sleepers, the pillow should be about 4 to 5 inches high so as to provide adequate support for your head and neck.
Conclusion
Side sleeping doesn’t have to come with pain and discomfort, as it is the most comfortable sleeping position if done right.
Sleeping on your side with the best side sleeper pillow will help you achieve the comfort and good support that is necessary for you to sleep on your side.
Pillows like the Coop Home Goods Adjustable Loft Pillow, Mediflow Water Pillow, and EPABO Contour Memory Foam Pillow are the top-rated bed pillows for side sleepers in 2024. Give them a try and see for yourself.
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