If you wake up with neck pain, back pain and/or headaches, which disappear fairly
quickly after rising you may benefit from adjusting the height of the pillow you
sleep on. It does not necessarily mean that you have to get new pillow, as you may
be able to make the one you have got support you better. So how do you do that?
I suggest that you follow these steps:
- Get into bed wearing your normal sleeping attire and adopt you normal sleeping position
using only one pillow.
- Allow 10-15 minutes for you mattress and pillow to warm up.
- Have someone check you posture:

- Lying on side your spine should be in a reasonably straight line from your bottom
crease to the top of your head. This is also a good way of checking you mattress.
If you lie with a very curved back you a new mattress is likely to be required.
- Lying you your back the muscles either side of you Adam’s Apple should be soft and
relaxed regardless whether your head is turned or not.
- Lying on your front is not ideal but if you know that you end up in this position
overnight then so be it. In most cases you are then better off with a shallow pillow
under the top of your chest rather than under you head.
- If you head is too high - so is your pillow and you need to use a lower one.
- If you head is too low, use something firm under you pillow to raise it. A folded
up towel usually works.
- Recheck and adjust again.
It may take a couple of weeks to get this just right but it is generally worth it.
If you really struggle finding a position that feels right and minimises morning
discomfort it may be worth investing £40-50 in a new pillow*.
A brief word on mattresses.
- They generally last a MAXIMUM of 10 years.
- The firmness of the mattress should be dependent on the weight of the user. The heavier
you are, the firmer the mattress. If you and your sleeping partner are very different
in size you may wish to explore the possibility of having two separate mattresses.
You can get mattresses, which zip together.
- If you have a sprung base you will probably have to change this when you change the
mattress.
- Buy the best mattress you can afford – you spend over a third of your life lying
on it!
If you are still struggling it is time to give us a call on 01903 230066 to find
out if you have a back, a neck or even a jaw problem, which needs more specific attention.

*If you come to the conclusion that a new pillow is necessary we stock Royal Rest
Memory Foam pillows. We sell them at £43 and £48 (RRP £62 and £66) depending on the
width. They are shaped to provide neck support and have a low and a high side to
accommodate for your sleeping position and for your size.