2715: Is Sleeping Without a Pillow Good or Bad for Your Health? by Kirsten Nunez with Healthline on Sleep Advice

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[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Health Daily. It's sleeping without a pillow, good or bad for your health,

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: by Kirsten Nunez with Healthline.com, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik.

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey there, welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I read to you from some of the most popular

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[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00]: intro nice and short and get right to the post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: It's sleeping without a pillow, good or bad for your health, by Kirsten Nunez with Healthline.com.

[00:01:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Sleeping without a pillow may offer some benefits, but it also comes with some downsides,

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: including risks for those with neck or spine conditions. While some people love to sleep on big

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: fluffy pillows, others find them uncomfortable. You might be tempted to sleep without one if you

[00:01:36] [SPEAKER_00]: often wake up with neck or back pain. There are some benefits to sleeping without a pillow.

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_00]: However, these advantages aren't one size fits all. Sleeping without a pillow may only

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_00]: help if you sleep in a certain position. Listen on to learn about the pros and cons of

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: pillowless sleeping, including tips on how to do it. Benefits of sleeping without a pillow.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Depending on how you sleep, you may feel better after sleeping on a flat surface.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Consleeping without a pillow help posture. Pillows are meant to keep your spine in a neutral

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_00]: position. They align your neck with the rest of your body, which supports good posture. As such,

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: research is only focused on the best type of pillow for posture. Scientists haven't studied

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_00]: how sleeping without a pillow specifically affects the spine, but stomach sleepers may benefit

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_00]: from ditching the pillow. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center,

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_00]: sleeping on your stomach puts your spine in an unnatural position. That's because the majority

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: of your weight is in the middle of your body. It adds stress on your back and neck,

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_00]: making it hard for your spine to maintain its natural curve. Sleeping without a pillow can

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: keep your head flat. This may reduce some stress on your neck and promote better alignment,

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_00]: but this doesn't apply to other sleeping positions. If you sleep on your back or on your side,

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: sleeping without a pillow may do more harm than good. In these situations, it's best to use a pillow

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_00]: to keep your spine neutral. Consleeping without a pillow alleviate neck pain. If you're a stomach

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_00]: sleeper, sleeping without a pillow may also reduce neck pain. When you're on your stomach,

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_00]: your head is turned to the side. Your neck is also extended backward. This puts at an awkward

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_00]: angle, causing pain and discomfort. In this position, using a pillow would only increase the

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_00]: awkward angle of your neck, but sleeping without one can minimize the unnatural position

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: while decreasing strain on the spine. Despite this potential benefit, research is lacking.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Most studies about pillows and neck pain focus on the best type of pillow for pain. If your

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00]: neck hurts after sleeping, talk to a doctor before going pillowless. Is sleeping without a pillow

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: good for your hair? There aren't any known links between using a pillow and hair health.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, researchers haven't studied how sleeping without a pillow affects the hair,

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_00]: but there is some talk about how the material of your sleep surface can affect your hair.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_00]: The idea is that a cotton pillow case absorbs your natural oils which can make your hair frizzy.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Silk is allegedly better for your hair. Otherwise, whether you use a pillow probably won't affect

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: your hair. Disadvantages of sleeping without a pillow. Despite the potential benefits of sleeping

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_00]: without a pillow, there are also drawbacks. Poor posture. When you sleep on your stomach,

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_00]: scrapping the pillow can better align your spine. However, it won't completely offset the unnatural

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_00]: position. It'll still be difficult for your spine to be neutral since most of your weight is in the

[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_00]: pillow under your stomach and pelvis. This will lift the middle of your body and decrease pressure

[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_00]: on your spine, even if you don't use a pillow for your head. In other positions, sleeping without

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_00]: a pillow isn't ideal. It puts your spine in an unnatural posture and strains your joints and muscles.

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_00]: It's best to use a pillow if you sleep on your back or on your side.

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Neck pain. Similarly, the link between sleeping without a pillow and neck pain

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_00]: has major caveats. If you're a stomach sleeper, ditching the pillow can help your neck

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_00]: stay in a more natural position, but it doesn't eliminate the need to turn your head. This

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_00]: can strain your neck joints and muscles causing pain. For other sleeping positions, skipping the

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_00]: pillow can worsen or cause neck pain. That's because sleeping under back or side over extends your neck.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Without a pillow, your neck will stay in this position all night. Plus, if you don't use a pillow,

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_00]: the pressure on your neck muscles will be unevenly distributed. You'll be more likely to experience

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: neck pain, stiffness and headaches. Tips for starting to sleep without a pillow.

[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_00]: If you've always slept with a pillow, it'll take time to get used to sleeping without one.

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Consider these tips if you'd like to try pillow sleeping.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00]: One. Gradually reduce your head support. Instead of immediately removing your pillow, start with

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: folded blanket or towel. Unfold the towel over time until you're ready to sleep without one.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Two. Support the rest of your body with pillows. Once leaving on your stomach,

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_00]: put a pillow under your stomach and pelvis to help your spine stay neutral. Place a pillow

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_00]: under your knees when you're on your back or in between your knees when you're on your side.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And three. Choose the right mattress. Without a pillow, it's even more important to have a

[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_00]: mattress with enough support. A mattress that's too soft will let your spine sag,

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_00]: resulting in back pain. Take away. Although sleeping without a pillow may help stomach sleepers,

[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_00]: specific research is lacking. It's generally recommended to use a pillow if you sleep on your

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00]: back or on your side. However, what's most important is that you feel comfortable and pain free in bed.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: If you have neck or back pain or if you have a spine condition like scoliosis,

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_00]: sleeping without a pillow may be unsafe. Talk to a doctor before scrapping your pillow.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listen to the post titled, is sleeping without a pillow good or bad for your health?

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Buy Kirsten Nunez with healthline.com and I'll be right back with my commentary.

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[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Neal here for my commentary. I did a bit of searching and found studies that looked at pillow

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_00]: designs and sleep quality. So if you're not quite ready to ditch that pillow, but maybe want one

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_00]: that may help improve the quality of the sleep you get, here's what some meta analyses have found

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: and remember, a meta analysis is a giant study. Researchers that conduct a meta analysis

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00]: find already published studies, then put them together and complete a giant analysis on all of

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_00]: them. This makes them really great for making sense of conflicting information.

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Anywho, here's what researchers found when it comes to pillow designs and improving sleep quality.

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Look for one made from latex provided you're not allergic to latex. It should also have

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: higher sides and a lower flattened middle. This flattened middle section should be between

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_00]: 7 and 11 cm thick or about 3 to 4 inches thick. And lastly, the pillow should have a cooling

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_00]: surface. Now these suggestions may work for some but not for everyone so try out different

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_00]: pillow designs and see what works best for you. Alright that'll do it for today. Don't forget

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll be back here tomorrow for our usual Friday Q&A so definitely stay tuned for that

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_00]: where your optimal life awaits.