Some people have the habit of falling asleep only when they have their favorite pillow or mattress. Are you one of them? This is usually because they have become accustomed to that habit or pattern. Feelings of warmth or comfort could also be associated with this habit. While incorporating the use of pillows can be quite beneficial if you’re a side sleeper it isn’t necessarily a good idea. The same can be advised for people who are back sleepers as their heads could end up being pushed in the forward direction.
The type of pillow you incorporate into your routine is a major key factor in deciding if you are actually going to derive the benefits associated with sleeping without a pillow. Should you use a thin pillow, a thick pillow, or no pillow at all, the choice rests with you. There are also certain risks associated with excluding the use of a pillow in your routine. Read on to know in detail whether is it a good idea to sleep without a pillow or not.
Why sleeping without a pillow is beneficial
While eliminating the use of pillows is not necessary, you should definitely be aware of the benefits associated with sleeping without a pillow.
A commonly known fact is how sleeping with pillows in an uncomfortable position can cause unnecessary pain that can easily be avoided. Did you know that sleeping with a thick pillow is associated with many cases of spine displacement? While the case sounds extreme it is very much possible. The explanation behind this is that your muscles situated in the back and neck area have a possibility of receiving a high amount of strain during your sleep cycle.
Your body wouldn’t get the complete rest that it should if you make use of a pillow that is unnecessarily interfering with your sleep cycle. Intervening with your sleep schedule will let you feel grumpy and restless throughout your day and hence you should at least try sleeping without a pillow once to experience its various benefits.
Sleeping without a pillow can also be quite beneficial to provide various beauty-related benefits. This is because you can easily eliminate any unnecessary bacteria which usually gets accumulated on your pillow cover. These bacteria or dust particles can touch your face and can lead to severe acne problems. Sleeping without a pillow is also associated with benefits like improvement of your overall posture as nobody wants their posture to become less attractive due to the use of an improper pillow.
Even severe allergies to dust mites could get easily triggered. It becomes quite crucial to eliminate the use of a pillow if you have a dust allergy as this can frequently irritate an individual. The allergies of a few individuals could even reach a level wherein they need to be hospitalized for their allergies. All these can simply be eliminated by eliminating the use of a pillow.
Sleeping without a pillow also comes with benefits like improved concentration and memory as the condition of your sleep improves massively. Your brain will be able to better understand and retain things if you are able to get a complete night’s rest. People who are stomach sleepers should definitely try to completely eliminate the use of pillows as it is usually considered an unnatural position for sleeping.
One surprising benefit of sleeping without a pillow is that babies usually should not make use of pillows right in the first few months of their birth. This is because sleeping on one side for a longer amount of time can massively affect the shape of a baby’s head. This is also known by the name flat head syndrome.
A known benefit of sleeping without a pillow is that it helps in promoting blood circulation throughout your entire body. This is because the elimination of a pillow will directly help the blood flow without any obstacle in its path. One more benefit which is also widely suggested by many people is increased oxygen flow to your brain.
One more benefit of sleeping without a pillow can easily be seen through the change in your energy level by eliminating the use of your pillows. As per research conducted the benefit provided through the activity of sleeping without a pillow recorded an enormous rise in the energy level of individuals. Another research suggested reduced chances of developing depression and anxiety.
But is it really a good idea to sleep without a pillow? There are also certain risks that are associated with sleeping without a pillow.
Risks associated with sleeping without a pillow
While contemplating if it is a good idea to sleep without a pillow you should definitely consider if you’re planning to switch to a no-pillow lifestyle.
One of them of the risks associated with sleeping without a pillow is a misalignment of the spinal cord. If you’re somebody who is accustomed to sleeping with the use of a pillow and you suddenly decide to switch to a pillow-free lifestyle, you could end up hurting your body by going in the wrong position.
Another thing that you need to consider is that this sudden habit could be something your body is not used to and you may end up staying up all night.
Also if you’re somebody who likes to constantly change their position in their bed you may like the idea of eliminating pillows from your routine as this may rob you of the feeling of comfort which was mentioned earlier.
If you’re a side sleeper eliminating the use of pillows will actually prove to be quite harmful as it could trigger unnecessary pressure and discomfort.
Conclusion
The only way through which you can actually know if you need a pillow or not is through a trial and error method. However, with the numerous benefits mentioned in this article, you should definitely try to reduce the use of a pillow as much as you can.
