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Can a Body Pillow Improve Sleep?

Can a Body Pillow Improve Sleep

For the longest time, we have depended on the mattress to solve most of our sleep problems. But even the most expensive mattress begins to sink and gets dips within the first five years. The more the mattress sags, the lower is the support provided to the body. No matter what kind of mattress you buy, you cannot keep it from sagging. Sooner or later, it is going to dip and sag, leaving you with an improper sleep position.

This is one of the reasons why several people change their mattress so often. A sagging mattress has little firmness and fails to provide your body with the support it needs for proper proper sleep. When you keep sleeping on this worn-out mattress, you develop soreness and aches and pains in various parts of your body. You believe that you are suffering from some ailment when the actual culprit is your mattress.

Unfortunately, mattresses will sag. There’s not much to do about it. But instead of relying only on a mattress for proper sleep, why not choose another solution for quality rest? That’s right; we are talking about a body pillow. It is the next best alternative to a mattress for adding in a good night’s sleep. Whether you suffer from medical conditions that make it hard for you to sleep at night or sleep on a mattress that does not provide enough support, a body pillow can make sleeping a more comfortable and relaxing experience.

What Is A Body Pillow?

A pillow that’s narrow and long and runs the entire length of the body is called a body pillow. Initially, body pillows were mostly used by pregnant women for extra support during sleep. But these pillows have gained massive popularity in recent years because they provide support to the whole body when the mattress fails to do so.

A lot of people prefer to sleep with a cuddle pillow. But these pillows are usually small and do not provide support to the entire body. A body pillow is soft and comfortable but firm enough to support the top leg (for side sleepers), torso, back, and arms throughout the night. Body pillows are counted among the best orthopedic pillows and are widely available online, at bedding stores, and

What Is Body Pillows Made Of?

A body pillow is no different than a regular pillow and can be made of a variety of materials. Some of the materials that a body pillow is made of are:

Shredded latex: Body pillows with an outer cotton casing and a shredded latex fill are bouncy and conform to the shape of your body. Shredded latex body pillows are great for those who suffer from neck and shoulder pain because it’s responsive and keeps the spine aligned while hugging the body. Natural latex is hypoallergenic and can be conveniently used by those with allergies.

Memory Foam: Body pillows are also made with memory foam, another hypoallergenic material. Memory foam is breathable and comfortable and also regulates temperature. The firmness of the pillow can also be adjusted according to preference.

Wool: If you want a body pillow that keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter, then choose wool. Because wool is a natural insulator, it keeps you comfortable in all seasons. Wool body pillows are comfortable to sleep with, and also keep the back and spine aligned, regardless of your sleep position.

Feather/Down: Although body pillows made of feather or down are soft, they aren’t capable of providing the best support. Besides, feather or down can cause allergies, which doesn’t make them suitable for all.

Wool-Latex Blend: When wool and latex are combined to make a body pillow, it becomes soft and supportive at the same time. The combination of shredded latex and wool gives the pillow a firmer feel, while the wool functions like a natural insulator and promotes breath-ability and circulation. The latex makes the pillow responsive while keeping your spine aligned and helping relieve pressure points.

Kapok: Cotton makes for some of the most breathable and comfortable body pillows. Kapok cotton is used to make organic body pillows, which have the same fluffiness of down without the feathers. Cotton pillows keep you cool on hot nights, providing proper support for side sleepers, spine alignment, and pressure relief.

Benefits of A Body Pillow

Pillows are used by everyone for comfort. But pillows are also great at providing support to the body. These days, there are orthopedic pillows, which are ergonomically designed to provide support to various parts of the body. There are pillows for the legs, for the back and spine, and for the neck and shoulders. Body pillows combine the support of all pillows into one. If you have a body pillow, you can use it for supporting any part of the body or the entire body.

Some benefits of the body pillow are:

Spinal Alignment: Keeping the spine aligned is of utmost importance when sleeping. When we sleep, we often aren’t aware of our position. This leads to soreness when we wake up. A body pillow keeps the sleeper supported no matter which position he sleeps in, improving spinal alignment and keeping aches and pains away.

Pressure Relief: When we are in a supine position, our body takes the maximum pressure. This is heightened if the mattress isn’t supportive enough. A body pillow provides extra support, relieving the pressure and preventing soreness.

Improved Circulation: When your sleep position isn’t proper, your blood circulation is also poor. A body pillow keeps you supported and comfortable, keeping your sleeping position right and improving circulation.

Diminished Snoring: A body pillow can be used to elevate the upper part of the body, to help with snoring and sleep apnea. Body pillows designed for sleep apnea makes sure that the sleeper remains in a side sleeping position all through the night, helping relieve symptoms of sleep apnea like obstructed breathing, snoring, coughing, and dry mouth.

Body pillows are available at all bedding stores or online marketplaces. Quality body pillows last long and provide ample support for the whole body.

The many ways you can use a body pillow

For Sleeping:

  • Side Sleeping: Hug the pillow in front of you, and place it between your knees. This helps align your spine, hips, and knees, improving your overall sleep posture.
  • Back Sleeping: Position the body pillow under your knees to relieve lower back pressure.
  • Pregnancy Support: A body pillow can be a lifesaver during pregnancy. Wrap it around you for belly support, tuck it between your legs for hip comfort, or use it behind your back for added lumbar support.

Beyond Sleep:

  • Reading or Watching TV: Prop yourself up with a body pillow for comfortable back support while relaxing in bed.
  • Meditation Aid: Use a body pillow to support your head and neck or place it between your knees for better posture during seated meditation.
  • Post-Surgery Recovery: A body pillow can provide extra cushioning and support to sensitive areas after an operation.
  • Relieving Aches and Pains: Target specific areas for relief. Place it under sore muscles, or hug it close for its comforting weight and pressure.
  • Pet Comfort: Many dogs and cats love the security and softness of a body pillow to snuggle on.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

Bug proofing your bed

Have you ever spent a night at a cheap bed & breakfast, only to be kept awake the whole time by itchy bites? Or that time at grandma’s house when you had to snooze in your sleeping bag because something wouldn’t stop biting you at night? Did you realize where the bites were coming from? Yes, they were bed bugs. These little creatures that are often microscopic to the naked eye can make life a living hell. If you have experienced itchy bites when lying in bed, or have actually seen bed bugs in the crevices and seams of your mattress, then it is a problem that you will have to fix. Otherwise, you can go months with these pesky little creatures ruining your sleep.

A lot of people tend to think that bed bugs are a result of an unclean home. But despite keeping your house spanking clean all the time you may be surprised to find bed bugs in your mattress or other upholstered furniture. Bed bugs are quite a nuisance. If your couches, cushions and upholstered furniture have bed bugs in them, it is repulsive enough to keep guests and visitors away from your house. Most importantly, it can make sleeping a nightmare.

This is why the moment you realize your bed or mattress could have bed bugs; you should take the right measures to get rid of the problem. The longer you let the bedbugs remain the more they are going to spread.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are parasitic creatures, often microscopic to the naked eye. They are cold bed bugs because they live and breed in soft, upholstered surfaces, like mattresses cushions carpets, etc. Unlike dust mites, it is not normal for bed bugs to be present in houses. Dust mites are practically unavoidable and are present virtually everywhere. But bed bugs are not present in every place, which means it is not normal to have them around. If you know you have bed bugs in your house, you should not put up with the nuisance.

Bed bugs are normally found in beddings and mattresses because that is where they can find humans and pets to feed on. They also live in these surfaces and rapidly multiply. Bed bugs can also be found in other areas such as hard to reach crevices, nooks and crannies, under carpets, and even clothing.

The worst thing about bedbugs is that they can enter your home from just one contaminated item, such as an infested piece of clothing. It does not matter how clean your house is; if even one-bed bug enters the place, it will not take long at all to multiply into thousands. If you sleep in a bed bug infestation hotel room or travel on a train or a cruise, the bedbugs you pick up from there can infest your house in a matter of days. Second-hand pieces of furniture can also bring bed bugs into your house.

Because they are parasites, bed bugs are very strong. They can also penetrate through the walls of your house; so if there is a bed bug infestation in your neighbor’s house, your apartment or house will also be affected. Bed bugs usually feed on the blood of humans and other animals, but they can go months without needing to feed, making it hard to eradicate them. A crowded neighborhood or a place with too many humans living in close proximity also leads to bed bugs infestation.

Bed bugs do not spread diseases, but their bites are itchy and uncomfortable. Bed bug bites can also cause skin rashes.

Getting Rid of Bed Bugs – Step-by-Step Instructions

If your bed has been infested by bed bugs, your best solution would be to call pest control and take care of the problem. But if you want to do it yourself, fan following the next few steps should make the job easier:

Step 1: Strip your bed off the sheets and remove all pillowcases and covers. Do not leave them lying around because that will lead to contamination. Put these items in a garbage bag and tightly steal them while taking them to the washer. Wash them thoroughly in hot water.

Step 2: Do not attempt to do anything with the pillows. Simply throw them out. Next, thoroughly vacuum the mattress, making sure to get the seams, crevices and other nooks and corners where bed bugs hide. Do not empty the vacuum cleaner bag inside the house. Empty it outside the house and thoroughly clean the vacuum container to make sure no bed bug can make its way back to the house.

Step 3: For the maximum peace of mind it is wise to throw out the mattress and buy a new one. This will make sure that there are no bed bugs remaining in the house and also spare you the trouble of cleaning the entire mattress and then bug proofing it. A mattress with a removable cover is the best choice because the mattress becomes easier to clean. A removable cover also prevents the bed bugs from entering the mattress. However, if you do not want to purchase a new mattress, then read on for the next steps.

Step 4: To bug proof your bed, put your mattress in a bed bug proof cover. These highly specialized mattress protectors cover the entire mattress with a special material that the bugs are unable to bite through. This removable cover has a zipper that closes so snug that not even one bug can make its way through it. You have to keep on this cover for at least a year to make sure that all the bugs and the eggs have died.

Step 5: Do not forget to kill any bed bugs on the bed frame, cracks, and joints of the bed. If using pesticide, be careful with it and use it according to the instructions on the label. Push the bed away from the wall and encase the feet of the bed in bed bug interceptor cups. These cups have pesticide in them that kill any bug that attempts to climb up the bed. Make sure the sheets, bed skirt or covers don’t touch the floor. Vacuum the floor to remove all traces of bugs.

Eradicating bedbugs is a daunting task. If all else fails, it’s time to call pest control.