The direct contact with the pillow is the cervical vertebra of human body, which is closely related to the muscles, ligaments and intervertebral discs of human shoulder and back. This shows the influence of a suitable pillow on human health.

The cervical vertebra has a lordosis called physiological lordosis. In any case, it is most comfortable for people to maintain this natural physiological curvature. People should also keep the normal physiological lordosis of the cervical spine during sleep to meet the physiological requirements of the cervical spine. The function of the pillow is to put it under the head and neck when sleeping, so that the cervical vertebra can keep normal physiological curvature when sleeping, and can relax and rest with the whole human body through the skin, muscles, ligaments, intervertebral discs, intervertebral joints, trachea, esophagus, nerves and other tissues and organs of the neck when sleeping.

The pillow should not only support the protrusion of the neck well, but also accommodate the protrusion of the occipital part (the back of the head) well, because the occipital part of the head protrudes backwards. Only in this way can the tissues and organs of the neck be in a state of relaxation and rest. Improper pillow and sleeping posture may cause excessive tension of cervical ligaments and muscles, accelerate degeneration of intervertebral joints and lead to dysfunction.

Choose the most suitable packing type for you.

When sleeping, pillows are in close contact with people, so the quality of pillow fillers has a great influence on our health. There are many kinds of fillings for pillows. Only by clearly understanding the advantages and disadvantages of different fillers can we choose the most suitable pillow type according to our personal situation.

First, natural and environmentally friendly natural fillers.

Compared with synthetic chemical fibers, some people prefer pillows filled with natural materials, especially the elderly, and prefer this type of pillow.

1, buckwheat husk with medium hardness

This is the most common pillow filler with moderate hardness, good plasticity and water absorption, and light weight. The disadvantage is poor elasticity, and the pillow will make noise when the head and neck are moving, which may affect people who are prone to insomnia.

2. Rice husk with good water absorption

It is better than buckwheat hull in shaping and water absorption, but it will be heavier and make noise when people are active.

3. Molding rice bran skin

It has a certain plasticity, but its edge is easy to pierce the cloth, irritate the skin, and it is also easy to make noise.

4, breathable fluffy down

Down fiber has good resilience, temperature and humidity control function and high air permeability, which can provide a dry and comfortable "small environment" for human body. Down pillows can't be washed. People with allergies had better avoid using this pillow to avoid respiratory discomfort.

Secondly, artificial fillers have their own characteristics.

Many high-quality artificial fillers do not lose natural fillers in many aspects such as heat preservation, moisture absorption and resilience, and some have good antibacterial, mildew-proof and disease-prevention functions because of the characteristics of materials or additives.

1, easy-to-clean ordinary man-made fiber

This kind of filler is chemical fiber cotton wool, which is convenient to wash, even can be washed by washing machine, and can also be compressed and stored in vacuum compression bag, and the price is cheap. However, the permeability of chemical fiber cotton wool is not very good, and it is easy to form balls and agglomerate after being used for a long time, thus lacking elasticity and shortening life.

2. High-tech hollow fiber

Hollow fiber is a high-tech product and a composite material. It runs through one or several small holes in ordinary man-made fibers with poor air permeability, so that each fiber can store more air. The pillow made of this filler greatly improves the elasticity, warmth retention, bulkiness and service life. Because of the different materials and additives, some of them also have health care and medical functions.

3. Allergic people can also use latex fillers.

Latex is a filling material made of natural rubber through foaming process. Because it comes from pure natural materials, it is non-toxic and tasteless, and has no adverse effects on the human body. The whole structure of latex avoids the interference of fine fibers to human body, and is especially suitable for allergic people and asthma patients. In addition, latex has good air permeability, is not easy to deform and is easy to shape, and can provide suitable support for cervical vertebrae. However, due to raw material factors, the price of latex pillows is relatively expensive.

Determine the appropriate height and hardness.

In addition to paying attention to pillows with different characteristics, the most important thing is to determine the height and hardness of the pillow that is most suitable for your physical condition. Sleep habits also have a subtle influence on the height of pillows, which should also be taken into account. For normal people, the height and hardness of pillows are related to each person's weight, shoulder width and neck length, and comfort is appropriate.

* Rest easy is not carefree.

Normal people sleep with a pillow too high, whether lying on their back or on their side, it will change the physiological curvature of the cervical spine. Over time, the neck muscles will strain and twitch, accelerate the deformation of intervertebral joints, promote the formation of bone spurs, and lead to cervical instability and other problems.

In addition, a high pillow will increase the angle between the neck and the chest, hinder the ventilation of the trachea, and easily lead to dry throat, sore throat and snoring.

* Low pillows are uncomfortable.

Normal people's long-term sleeping with a low pillow will also change the physiological state of cervical vertebrae. Because there is no valve in the vein of the head, gravity will slow down the venous return of the brain and increase the blood supply to the artery, resulting in discomfort such as rising head, irritability and insomnia.

* How to judge whether the pillow is too high or too low?

Pillow is too high-if you exclude the disease factors, you will have neurasthenia symptoms such as neck pain, headache, dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, etc., or feel numb in your hands and feet during sleep, which is probably because your pillow is too high.

Pillow is too low-if you don't drink water before going to bed, but wake up and find your face swollen, it may be that the pillow is too low and your head is slightly congested. If the pillow is too low, the chin will be lifted up, and it is easy to open your mouth and breathe, leading to snoring.

* What is the appropriate height?

Usually, the suitable height of the pillow is 10 ~ 15 cm, but the specific size depends on everyone's physiological characteristics, especially the physiological curvature of the neck. People with broad shoulders and fat bodies can have a slightly higher pillow, while thin people can have a slightly lower pillow.

Sleep habits also have an influence on the height of pillows. For people who are used to sleeping on their backs, the height of pillow should be equal to the height of fist after pressing (fist height is the standard of fist height). For people who are used to sleeping on their side, the height of the pillow should be consistent with the shoulder width after pressing. Of course, a pillow that can keep the normal physiological curvature of the neck whether sleeping on your back or on your side is the most ideal.

For the pillow itself, the part supporting the nape of the neck (neck curvature) is slightly higher and has a certain hardness to set off and maintain the physiological curvature of the neck. The part supporting the back of the head should be 3 ~ 5 cm lower than the above parts, so as to fully support the head and adapt to the height of the neck.

Generally speaking, patients with hypertension, heart disease and asthma sometimes need to sleep on high pillows; People with low blood pressure and anemia sometimes need to sleep on low pillows.

* Soft and hard pillows are harmful.

An excellent pillow will reduce the contact area between the pillow and the head, increase the pressure and make the scalp uncomfortable; However, if the pillow is too soft, it is difficult to maintain a certain height, the neck muscles are easy to fatigue, which is not conducive to sleep, and the head is trapped in it, which will affect blood circulation and make the head numb.

* Suitable soft hardness

Choose a pillow that is slightly soft, but does not lose a certain hardness. On the one hand, it can reduce the pressure between the pillow and the scalp, on the other hand, it can maintain the uneven pressure and let the blood pass through the place with less pressure. As long as the pillow is slightly elastic, too much elasticity will cause neck muscle fatigue and injury.

Basic methods of cleaning and maintaining pillows

Even if you choose a comfortable pillow that is very suitable for your physical condition and sleeping habits, if you use improper methods in the daily washing and maintenance process, the pillow will be deformed and it will be difficult to sleep comfortably, greatly shortening the service life of the pillow.

* Never wash pillowcases frequently without washing pillows.

Some people clean pillowcases regularly, but never clean pillows. Because many people think that pillowcases are enough to protect pillows, as long as they are cleaned on time, pillows can be kept clean and hygienic. In fact, when we sleep, the saliva and sweat inadvertently shed will penetrate into the pillow, breed bacteria, cause allergies and diseases, so we should clean the pillow every 3 ~ 6 months.

* The correct way to wash pillows by hand.

1. Wash with mild washing powder.

2. Put the pillow into the washing powder solution, and constantly squeeze the pillow by hand until it is clean, and the excess washing liquid must be squeezed out.

3, clear water, until the pillow is rinsed clean, and finally squeeze out excess water.

4. Dry the pillow flat, it will be softer and fluffy.

* What should I pay attention to when washing pillows by machine?

1. Wash with mild detergent.

2, using a large washing machine, you can wash two pillows at the same time. If you can only accommodate one, you'd better add a towel to wash it together to balance the water flow.

3. If it is dried, the pillow will recover its original elasticity more easily and become softer and fluffy.

* Cleaning and maintenance of different pillows:

1, latex pillow

Soak in the essence of cold washing, gently press it with your hands, and then rinse it repeatedly with clear water. Then wrap it with a dry cloth, absorb most of the water and air dry it in the shade. Don't expose it to the sun to avoid material deterioration and oxidation.

2. Down pillows

Down is easy to pilling in water, so it can't be washed. During maintenance, you can pat the pillow with your hands to keep it fluffy, and take it to a ventilated place for blowing to remove sweat and water vapor. If the pillow is really dirty, you can send it to the dry cleaner for cleaning.

How long does it take to change the pillow?

Many people change their pillows only once every four years. In fact, pillows should be changed every 1 ~ 3 years. Because old and dirty pillows are easy to breed mold and mites, causing allergies or respiratory diseases. The pillow you choose should be easy to clean and dry, so that the pillow can be used for a long time and sleep health can be guaranteed.

* Simple introspection criteria for judging whether to change pillows.

1, in the absence of other physical diseases, I often feel numb and sour in my neck after getting up in the morning.

2. The pillow has lost its elasticity, and it takes a while to recover some elasticity.

3. After the pillow is finally adjusted, it will soon be flat.

4. Pillow caking is uneven, and the filler has a damp smell.