Sleep Solutions Clinic

Questions and Answers

Is sleeping with a pillow a healthy practice or a popular bad habit?

I think it's always better to sleep with at least one pillow for the support it can give your neck, or maybe two small pillows, with perhaps the second one under the knees. Pillows should be firm so there isn't a lot of "give" in them. And they shouldn't be too large because that can cause the neck and shoulders to become stationary in a funny position, causing abnormal neck flexing or "extension," which could result in muscle spasm. In other words, pillows should be manageable. For people who do have back problems, there are cervical (neck) pillows that are curved to the contour of the person's neck and give the neck support without flexing it too much.

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