Recommend sleep positions for comfort.
The right sleep position depends on what you are trying to solve, and the pillow has to match the position rather than the person. Side sleeping with slightly bent knees is generally kindest to the lower back and is the standard recommendation for snoring and reflux, since it keeps the airway more open and keeps the stomach below the oesophagus. Back sleeping suits neck pain and shoulder pain, as it loads neither side. Front sleeping forces sustained neck rotation and flattens the lumbar curve, so it is not recommended for any of these concerns. Pillow loft then follows: side sleeping has to bridge the gap the shoulder creates — roughly a quarter of shoulder width — while back sleeping needs far less, and too much loft simply pushes the head forward out of neutral.
Side-sleeping loft
Target loft = shoulder width x 0.28, held between 10 and 18 cm
Back-sleeping loft
Target loft = shoulder width x 0.17, held between 7 and 12 cm
Fit test
Within 1.5 cm of target is a good match; above is too high, below too low
General wellbeing guidance for recreational planning, not medical advice. Individual needs vary with health conditions, medication and injury history. Consult a qualified health professional — a doctor, physiotherapist or accredited practitioner — before starting, changing or relying on any recovery, therapy or training protocol.
It forces the neck into sustained rotation for hours and flattens the natural lumbar curve, which loads the lower back's passive structures. If you cannot fall asleep any other way, a very thin pillow and a pillow under the pelvis reduce both problems.
Yes, because the aim is a neutral neck. A side sleeper's shoulder creates a gap of several centimetres between the mattress and the head; too little loft drops the head toward the shoulder and too much cranks it upward. Either sustained end-range position for eight hours is a common cause of morning neck pain.
The left. In left-side lying the stomach sits below the junction with the oesophagus, so gravity works against reflux. Right-side lying puts that junction lower and tends to make symptoms worse.