What Is Sleep Hygiene, and Does Your Pillow Count?
Sleep hygiene means the daily habits and bedroom conditions that make good sleep more likely: a regular schedule, a calm room, sensible caffeine and alcohol timing, and a bed that fits your body. A pillow is one part of that picture. It does not fix poor sleep on its own.
Key takeaways
- Sleep hygiene is mostly about habits: a consistent schedule, a dark and quiet bedroom, and when you drink caffeine and alcohol.
- Pillow height is the part of the bedroom most people never check. A pillow that is too high or too low can leave your neck tilted for hours.
- Habits and a fitted pillow do not replace care from your own provider if you have ongoing insomnia or neck pain.
What does sleep hygiene include?
Most advice falls into a few groups:
- Schedule: go to bed and get up at similar times. Time changes can disrupt this, as we explain in our post on the clock change and sleep.
- Substances: see how late caffeine is too late and what a nightcap changes.
- Bedroom: dark, quiet and comfortable, with a mattress and pillow that suit your sleeping position.
- Wind-down: a short, calm routine before bed. More ideas are on our tips for a better sleep page.
Where does the pillow fit in?
Comfort is part of sleep hygiene. If you wake up stiff or keep adjusting your pillow at night, the pillow may be the wrong height for your shoulders and neck. A side sleeper needs more height than a back sleeper, and a firm mattress changes the answer too. You can read the signs in how to tell if your pillow is the wrong height.
What will a pillow not do?
A pillow will not treat insomnia, sleep apnea or a neck condition. If you sleep badly despite good habits, or your pain is getting worse, see your physician, chiropractor or physical therapist. We see a fitted pillow as an adjunct to care, not a treatment.
How does Pillowise approach it?
Pillowise chooses one of 7 sizes from three measurements (shoulder width, neck circumference and neck height), plus your sleeping position and mattress firmness. The system indicates the right size for about 95% of people. You can read the steps in what happens in a pillow fitting.
Give the pillow 7 to 10 days to adjust. Within 30 days of purchase you can exchange it for another size or return it for a refund. Return shipping is paid by you, and shipping charges are not refunded.
Find a provider near you
Pillowise is sold only through licensed chiropractors, physical therapists and massage therapists. The measurement is free at every provider. Find a provider near you and make an appointment.
Are you a provider? See how Pillowise fits your practice.
Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist
Co-founder of Pillowise
