I've been reading a lot about mattresses for heavier sleepers and finally picked one up. But now I'm wondering about pillows. Does body weight really affect what pillow you should use? I'm a side sleeper and my current pillow just feels too flat, but I don't know if that's a weight thing or just an old pillow thing.
Pillows
Does a heavier person need a different pillow too
I think it does matter.A heavier person sinks deeper into the mattress, so the pillow needs to fill that gap differently. I'm not huge but I noticed when I gained weight my old pillow stopped working for me.
Honestly I think pillow choice is more about sleep position and personal preference than weight. Unless you you're extremely heavy, maybe it's just time for a new pillow.
What silent_majority said. The heavier you are, the more your shoulder and hip sink in. For side sleeping you need a thicker pillow to keep your neck aligned. I'd look for something with adjustable loft, like a shredded foam pillow you can add or remove fill from.
I'm 280 and side sleeper. Went through like 5 pillows before I found one thick enough. The "one size fits all" pillows are a joke for bigger folks.
could also be that your pillow is just old and compressed. how long have you had it?
Maybe 3 years? It's a cheap polyester fill one. I didn't think about the shoulder sink aspect. That makes sense.
I weigh about 230 and use a contour memory foam pillow. It's firmer than average and holds its shape. Not sure if it's specifically for heavy people but it works. The cheap ones flattened within months.
Also depends on the mattress. If you got a mattress that's already supportive and you're not sinking in too much, a regular pillow might be fine. But if the mattress is soft and you sink, yeah you need more pillow height.
I stikl think people overcomplicate this. Try a few pillows, return the ones that don't work. Weight is just one variable.
coffee_and_rain that's fair but for heavier folks the trial and error gets expensive. Easier to start with something known to be firmer and higher loft.
I second the shredded foam adjustable pillow. Best purchase I made. You can literally tune it to your body.
3 years on a cheap pillow is a long time regardless of weight. That thing is probably done.
One more thing, if you're a side sleeper make sure the pi llow is thick enough that your neck isn't angled down. That's the main thing. Heavier people tend to need more thickness because the shoulder sinks more.
I'll look into the adjustable foam ones. I didn't realize they existed until this thread. Thanks for the input.
No problem. Report back if you find one that works.