Rest Easy With a Body Pillow

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We are all familiar with pillows. They have been around as far back as the Ancient Egyptians and at different times they rest our head at night as we sleep, comfort our backs when we are on the sofa and may even make long car journeys more comfortable. But what is a body pillow and who uses one? In this article we will take a look at the types of sleepers that may use such an item and offer some suggestions as to where to get the right one for you.

Body pillows are essentially extra long pillows, typically around 20 inches wide and 54 to 60 inches long. So they are usually almost as long as a typical adult body. The filling may be of polyester or a blend of polyester and down.

Originally designed to provide extra support for the head and neck or knees and legs they have started to reach a wider audience for a variety of reasons.

Of course the first group of people that benefit from one of these pillows is people suffering from back or hip pain. Lying down for 8 hours or more per day can put stresses on parts of our body and if we are already in some discomfort because of an injury or ailment then body pillows can minimize that. When the sleeper places the pillow between his or her legs the stresses on the hip or back are reduced. Other sleepers might want to use it to raise and support one leg, either for extra comfort or to help heal an injury.

More recently, manufacturers have realized that they can reach another category of buyer by designing a special pregnancy body pillow to ease the sleeping discomforts for pregnant women. The support that they provide, again when placed between the legs, often allows for a less interrupted night’s sleep at a crucial stage of the lady’s life when rest is so important. Ultimately good rest will help mother and baby maintain health during this period so body pillows for pregnant women are becoming more popular.

Thirdly these pillows are being bought by more and more widows. Imagine sleeping with the same person night after night for fifty years and, suddenly, having this “norm” taken away. It is certainly hard to adjust to. Body pillows can provide physical and emotional comfort for the widow, or widower, especially in the difficult period immediately after the loss of one’s partner when getting quality rest is difficult enough.

If you fall into any of the above categories of people then you will want to know your choices of pillow before you buy.

There are plenty of different manufacturers out there today, using different materials and different levels of workmanship. It’s important to do a little online reading so that you can get an idea of the different qualities and price ranges.

Let’s first consider the filling. The cheapest option is polyester – just as in a standard head pillow. Usually these will fall into the $25-50 price range. Most commonly these are bought for decorative purposes as their comfort level may not live up to expectations if used regularly by a sleeper. Next you have the polyester/feather mix and this will be more comfortable to sleep with at a small extra cost. The main negative of this type is that you may sometimes get feathers poking through, which can be a little annoying. Finally you have the ultimate 100% down pillows which are the priciest, but also offer a luxurious feel to the whole body. If your budget allows it then these are highly recommended, especially if they are being used regularly.

The size of pillow that you buy will probably depend on the body size of the person using it. Obviously a tall person will get more benefit from a larger model.

It is important to choose a pillow that is not packed too tightly. There should be a mold -ability to the pillow that bends with the contours of the body. The feather filling provides this feature most successfully, of course.

With regards to maintaining your body pillow, many of them nowadays can be machine washed according to the label directions, especially the higher grade ones. But it is recommended that you place a case over it to protect it, just as you would a normal pillow. In this way you can just wash the case. These cases can usually be purchased in the same place you buy the pillow, but take care to choose one that is the right size – that is, slightly larger than what it’s covering. Also, the actual pillow you buy may not use the silkiest fabric on the outside, but you can compensate for this by spending a little extra on a high thread count case.

It is worth noting that these cases now come in many different colors and designs to suit the décor of every bedroom. More often now we are seeing some imaginative designs, such as animal prints or full length pictures of your favorite movie stars, so if you shop around you may be able to sleep next to Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, if that’s your dream! A lot of Japanese body pillow web sites especially are offering this novel feature.

In summary, whether you are looking to ease the stress of an injury, cope with the rigors of a pregnancy or to take away a small part of the pain of losing your sleeping partner, or even if you just like the thought of snuggling up to something in bed when your ideal human is not available, then body pillows are worth considering. As ever, take care to research online first to get the best bargains and buy one that matches the quality you need. If you prefer the approach of touching and feeling what you buy, as is common with something like bedding, then, most bedding supply centers should now stock enough of them to provide you with a good choice.

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