Most of us are side sleepers. But a lot of the time, we’re sleeping on pillows that make it hard to stay on our side throughout the night. This leads to tossing and turning, waking up and punching the pillow, and trying to find the sweet spot at the corner of the pillow.
Side sleepers need a certain type of pillow to get a good night’s sleep, and it has mostly to do with the loft, aka, the height of the pillow.
Think about how your body is positioned when you’re sleeping on your side: There’s space between your shoulders and your head. If you don’t fill that space with a comfortable, contouring pillow, then you’re going to experience restless nights and neck pain because your spinal alignment is off.
In this post, we discuss 4 of the best pillows for side sleepers. We include pillows for every budget, from $39.95 to $199.98.
The Best Side Sleeper Pillows at a Glance
- CoolTech Pillow Medium Profile — A memory foam pillow with advanced cooling technology, including temperature-regulating pockets.
- Tempur-Pedic Adapt High-Profile — A pillow using the same advanced memory form found in Tempur-Pedic mattresses.
- Tempur-Pedic Breeze Neck Pillow — No pillow list is complete without a contouring neck pillow option. The Tempur-Pedic Breeze is a cool-to-the-touch memory foam pillow that’s perfect for side sleepers.
- Tempur-Pedic ProHi Cooling Pillow — This pillow features a good amount of TEMPUR® material, along with a dual-sided cooling layer of gel. It helps you sleep cool through the night while giving you great neck and shoulder support.
But before we take a close look at each pillow, let’s cover two important pieces of information: pillow loft and pillow types.
Are you ready for a personalized recommendation? All of the pillows we cover below have the generally recommended loft for side sleepers. But pillow shopping isn’t as simple as one pillow fits all. When customers come into one of our Slumberland hunting for the right bed pillow, we take the time to show them several different options. We also work with all customers to make sure we’re getting to the root of the problem that’s causing any neck or back pain. Visit a Slumberland location today to see our selection of pillows and get a personalized sleep solution.
What is the Loft of a Pillow? (And Why Loft Matters)
Pillow loft is just a way of saying the height of the pillow.
Generally, there are three different types of loft.
- Low loft
- Medium loft
- High loft
A low loft pillow will usually be under 3.5 inches tall. A medium loft can be between 3.5 inches and 5.5 inches tall. A high loft is anything over 5.5 inches.
The right loft for you will depend on your sleep position and body size.
Side sleepers usually prefer a medium to high loft pillow, while stomach sleepers and back sleepers are more comfortable on a low loft pillow. A medium to high loft should fill the gap between your head and your mattress when you sleep on your side. The goal is to have your neck supported so that your neck is parallel to the mattress (not angled up or down).
Pillow Types and Firmness Levels
There are several different types of pillows available, including, but not limited to:
- Down alternative pillows — Made with polyester fiber or cotton fibers, down alternative pillows try to create the feeling of sleeping on goose down. Real down comes from the chest area of geese (or swans or ducks). This down is fluffy and soft but can be expensive and can also retain heat. Down alternatives are a more affordable option that also sleeps cooler at night.
- Latex pillows — Latex is a highly responsive material — it bounces back quickly. It can be a little firm for pillows but could be a good option for side sleepers who want a firm pillow for extra support.
- Body pillows — Body pillows are longer than average pillows. They are generally between 48 and 58 inches long.
- Adjustable pillows — You can open up adjustable pillows to add or remove bits of the core. This lets you “adjust” the loft and firmness of the pillow.
- Feather pillows — Pillows made of feathers (often goose feathers). These can be comfortable, but also tend to offer very little neck support and can flatten quickly over time
- Memory foam pillows — Memory foam contours to your weight and shape, giving you both comfort and support. Plus, because memory foam is dense, it’s naturally hypoallergenic, meaning it's resistant to dust mites, allergens, and bacteria. The best memory foam pillow will support your head and shoulders without retaining any body heat.
In our post, we focus exclusively on memory foam pillows and shredded memory foam pillows because we believe that technology does the best job of helping you sleep through the night.
Memory foam pillows come in varying firmnesses, from soft to firm. We’d recommend that side sleepers look for a medium or firm pillow because you don’t want your pillow to have too much give. With too much give, your head will sink into the pillow, putting pressure on your neck. Some side sleepers like extra firm pillows, but keep in mind that extra firmness doesn’t mean extra support to be too uncomfortable.
The Best Pillows for Side Sleepers (In Detail)
1. Cool-Tech Pillow Medium Profile
The Cool-Tech Pillow uses special technology and temperature-regulating pockets to help cool you all night. Plus, this pillow’s fabric wicks away moisture and dissipates your body heat, making this pillow a great buy for hot sleepers.
Most side sleepers will like the medium profile — it’s the perfect height for average body types. You can also get the CoolTech Pillow in low and high profiles.
2. Tempur-Pedic Adapt High-Profile
The Tempur-Pedic Adapt High Profile uses TEMPUR® material. TEMPUR® material is great for a pillow because it contours to your body’s shape, weight, and temperature. Think of it as an advanced memory foam, which makes it great for your neck and shoulders.
This pillow uses both micro cushions (similar to the memory foam fiber we discussed) and a solid, TEMPUR® core. This makes it really comfortable and adaptable.
It has a soft knit cover that can easily be removed and washed.
It’s available in a queen size ($149.98) and a king size ($189.98).
3. Tempur-Pedic Breeze Neck Pillow
The Tempur-Pedic Breeze Neck pillow is a contour pillow. This means it has a curvature or dip throughout, and it isn’t just one, solid flat surface. It’s a great option for side sleepers because of its medium loft and contouring shape. It supports your neck and head.
Similar to the Tempur-Pedic pillows we covered above, this neck pillow uses the advanced, conforming TEMPUR® material. It also has a unique dual-sided cooling gel that helps keep you from overheating as you sleep. Plus, it uses the same type of cool-to-the-touch cover that is machine washable.
It comes in one size (standard) for $149.98.
4. Tempur-Pedic ProHi Cooling Pillow
The Tempur-Pedic cooling pillow uses advanced cooling gel material to help keep you cool through the night. It’s similar to the neck pillow we just covered but without the contouring aspect. It’s a more traditional design — a rectangle with a high loft in the middle of the pillow.
This pillow is great for side sleepers, but there are also lower loft versions that are great for back sleepers.
Like the Tempur-Pedic pillows we covered, this pillow has a machine-washable, cool-to-the-touch cover.
It’s available in two sizes, a queen size ($199.98) and a king size ($249.98)
Tips for Sleeping On Your Side
We’ve covered the pillow for sleeping on your side, but pillows are only one part of your sleeping environment.
So let’s look at some general tips for sleeping on your side to help you get a better night’s rest.
- Make sure your mattress isn’t too firm. One of the biggest problems for side sleepers is that they’re on a mattress that’s simply too firm for them. When you sleep on your side, you need cushioning and contouring support for your hips and shoulders. If your mattress is too firm, it’s going to push back to cause hip, back, or shoulder pain. This can lead to painful nights, tossing and turning, and even waking up with a dead arm. If you’ve just started mattress shopping, check out our Mattress Buying Guide, where we cover all you need to know to find the best mattress for you. If you recently bought a mattress but realize now you need even more pressure relief, then a mattress topper[a] may be perfect for you.
- Sleep on your left side. As a general rule, sleeping on your left side is superior to sleeping on your right. When you sleep on your left side, you’re helping your body digest, improving circulation, and alleviating both acid reflux and heartburn.
- Put a pillow between your knees. This is mainly for if you’re experiencing hip or knee pain. When you put a pillow between your knees, you’re helping keep your spine aligned.
- Lift your knees towards your chest slightly. Almost 50% of people who are side sleepers sleep in the fetal position, and that’s no mistake. By lifting your knees slightly towards your chest, you actually reduce pressure on your back. And it’s just more comfortable and soothing. But be cautious, you don’t want to pull yourself into a ball. This can be bad for your back, as well as reduce your lung capacity as you sleep.
Next Steps: Find the Best Pillow for Sleeping on Your Side
Finding the right pillow for sleeping on your side isn’t too difficult. You want a medium loft or high loft pillow and you want your pillow to be firm enough to keep your head aligned with your spine.
But this can be tricky to do online — there’s a lot of personal preference involved when shopping for the perfect pillow. The right pillow for you may be different from the right pillow for your partner. We recommend visiting a Slumberland showroom where we can match you up with the right pillow based on your body type, sleeping position, and any other needs.
If you’re ready to get a personalized pillow recommendation, visit a Slumberland showroom today.