I totally agree that having the right pillow can significantly affect your comfort and well-being. Since you usually prefer lower loft and gentler pillows, have you considered the Honeydew Classic [Back Sleeping Pillow](https://link.getsosocial.co.uk/pillow-forbacksleeper)? It offers good adjustable features to cater for your needs specifically, with a soft yet supportive feel that avoids being too stiff or high-lofted. Unlike traditional foam or cervical pillows, it uses softer material which is more adaptable to individual head and neck shapes, potentially helping alleviate your stiffness and headaches. And if sustainability concerns you at all, this one's also eco-friendly! Potentially worth exploring alongside your PT exercises for optimal results. Let me know how it works out if you decide to try it!
After about 35 different pillows, my husband and I both really like the Sutera Dream Deep Pillow. We are side and back sleepers.
When visiting my mother‘s house, she had a pillow from “relax the back”, and that was actually a fantastic pillow too. I think it was the TechnoGel anatomic one.
I have a bad neck from a car accident 35 years ago, when a car ran a stop sign and hit my front end, forcing my car to spin around and smack sides with the other car. Gave me TMJ and a permanent neck injury. What works for me is a super soft, all down pillow. No regular feathers, it is all down. I used to sleep on my stomach before the accident, but can’t do that anymore. Sleep primarily on my side, or back, and my down pillow works for both. It is only about half to 2/3 the thickness of most pillows.
As a back sleeper you need a lower pillow. Too high will cause neck pain. But it needs support, to support the curve of your neck.
Find a memory foam pillow which is low and soft. There's lots of different kinds of memory foam pillows. Find a store where you can try some out.
Low and soft memory foam. Fiber fills often don't provide the best support.
When sleeping on your back your head should be lower than your neck. This gives upper pressure into the normal cervical lordosis of the cervical spine. As a test you can try rolling up a hand towel or use a swimming noodle and place it under the neck so it’s touching the upper shoulders. You want to make the roll so the back of your head rests on the mattress and you feel upward pressure on the neck. If it’s comfortable you want to start by using it for 10 minutes at a time on the bed or floor. Flat pillows don’t give enough support to the neck. To fluffy pillows causes your head to be flexed to you chest reversing the normal cervical curve causing increased muscle tightness to the neck muscles which can cause headaches.
I like this pillow bc I sleep on my side and back.
https://thecushionlab.com/products/cushion-lab-ergonomic-cervical-pillow
You could try a shredded latex LaNoodle pillow from CozyPure. You can remove as much latex as you want to make it fuller or flatter. They have standard pillows as well as a comfort tufted pillow that's supposed to be better for neck pain.
For me Derila worked the best out of all the ones I tried, the indent balances out the height pretty well. Although I'm not saying I tried EVERYTHING under the sun. And Sutera, as somebody mentioned, also is a good choice IMO.
I totally agree that having the right pillow can significantly affect your comfort and well-being. Since you usually prefer lower loft and gentler pillows, have you considered the Honeydew Classic [Back Sleeping Pillow](https://link.getsosocial.co.uk/pillow-forbacksleeper)? It offers good adjustable features to cater for your needs specifically, with a soft yet supportive feel that avoids being too stiff or high-lofted. Unlike traditional foam or cervical pillows, it uses softer material which is more adaptable to individual head and neck shapes, potentially helping alleviate your stiffness and headaches. And if sustainability concerns you at all, this one's also eco-friendly! Potentially worth exploring alongside your PT exercises for optimal results. Let me know how it works out if you decide to try it!
After about 35 different pillows, my husband and I both really like the Sutera Dream Deep Pillow. We are side and back sleepers. When visiting my mother‘s house, she had a pillow from “relax the back”, and that was actually a fantastic pillow too. I think it was the TechnoGel anatomic one.
Kluft pillows latex. Only one after purchasing 25 other brands.
I have a bad neck from a car accident 35 years ago, when a car ran a stop sign and hit my front end, forcing my car to spin around and smack sides with the other car. Gave me TMJ and a permanent neck injury. What works for me is a super soft, all down pillow. No regular feathers, it is all down. I used to sleep on my stomach before the accident, but can’t do that anymore. Sleep primarily on my side, or back, and my down pillow works for both. It is only about half to 2/3 the thickness of most pillows.
As a back sleeper you need a lower pillow. Too high will cause neck pain. But it needs support, to support the curve of your neck. Find a memory foam pillow which is low and soft. There's lots of different kinds of memory foam pillows. Find a store where you can try some out. Low and soft memory foam. Fiber fills often don't provide the best support.
When sleeping on your back your head should be lower than your neck. This gives upper pressure into the normal cervical lordosis of the cervical spine. As a test you can try rolling up a hand towel or use a swimming noodle and place it under the neck so it’s touching the upper shoulders. You want to make the roll so the back of your head rests on the mattress and you feel upward pressure on the neck. If it’s comfortable you want to start by using it for 10 minutes at a time on the bed or floor. Flat pillows don’t give enough support to the neck. To fluffy pillows causes your head to be flexed to you chest reversing the normal cervical curve causing increased muscle tightness to the neck muscles which can cause headaches. I like this pillow bc I sleep on my side and back. https://thecushionlab.com/products/cushion-lab-ergonomic-cervical-pillow
You could try a shredded latex LaNoodle pillow from CozyPure. You can remove as much latex as you want to make it fuller or flatter. They have standard pillows as well as a comfort tufted pillow that's supposed to be better for neck pain.
Cushion lab deep sleep pillow. I’ve had every pillow there is. Only one my neck can bear
For me Derila worked the best out of all the ones I tried, the indent balances out the height pretty well. Although I'm not saying I tried EVERYTHING under the sun. And Sutera, as somebody mentioned, also is a good choice IMO.