A little nighttime reading
Looking for a thin, low profile, even flat pillow? Slumbr’s Pillow Menu has you covered.
Do you squish your pillow down to get it as thin as possible?
Do you love a pillow that’s “flat as a pancake”?
Have you had the same pillow for years, afraid to give it up because it’s FINALLY settled down into a comfortable thickness?
There are plenty of sleepers that prefer to use a low profile pillow in their bed. Many pillow offerings in stores cater to those who love big, fluffy pillows. Yet, it’s often more difficult to find new pillows that are thin or filled with less stuffing.
Whether you love a fluffy or flat pillow, finding an option with a pillow height you find comfortable is important to maintaining deep and restful sleep.
How pillow height relates to sleep comfort
If you’ve ever woken up with neck pain, it’s often because you’ve slept on a pillow that was too high and thick -- or too flat and thin -- for your sleep style and body frame. If your pillow is too high, it can throw your head too far forward and strain your neck. You might wake up with soreness or stiffness in your traps (the muscle in your upper back, shoulder blades and neck) or pain radiating down your back.
To avoid pain, sleep doctors advise using a pillow that enables your head, neck and spine to remain in neutral alignment, meaning your body rests in a “horizontal straight line.” The pillow should fill the space between your neck and the mattress to keep your head resting parallel and level, relative to the bed.
Sleep specialists will generally recommend that stomach sleepers use low profile, thin pillows for better sleep. These types of pillows will keep the head closer to the mattress and not cause excess strain on the neck.
While sleep specialists recommend high / thick pillows for side sleepers and medium-height pillows for back sleepers, some back sleepers and side sleepers are drawn to thin pillows out of personal preference. Often subjective likes and dislikes typically determine whether a pillow is comfortable for your body and sleep style. When it comes to pillow height, let your past experience and preferences dictate.
Thin pillows work well for extra support while sleeping
A low profile, relatively flat pillow is a great option to use as secondary support:
- If the pillow is malleable, you can fold it and place it between the knees while side sleeping to reduce strain on the hips and lower back
- Or you can place a thin or flat pillow underneath your stomach, lower back or knees to alleviate pressure on the hips and spine
Some sleepers even like a thin and flat pillow that they can fold in half and bunch up for extra support underneath their head and neck.
Forget those old deflated pillows
If you’re a fan of thin pillows, you might be using an old pillow that has gone flat and lost its loft from repeated use over the years. Sometimes it’s just hard to find a suitable replacement for a beloved, well-worn pillow.
However, consider that over time, pillows will accumulate dirt, oils, drool, dust mites, molds and even fungi. This is especially true if you do not use a pillow protector or wash your pillows on occasion. If you’re not sure if it’s time to replace your pillow and want to know how to care for your pillow, find tips here.
If your pillow is way past its prime, consider purchasing a new one. Slumbr offers high quality, comfortable pillows for various sleep styles and with different pillow heights. Our pillows retain their support longer and can be cleaned for years of hygienic use.
Looking for that ideal low profile pillow?
For a soft and scrunchable, yet thin pillow: Slumbr’s Virgo Slim + Soft Pillow ($125) is filled with a thinner layer of cuddly-soft down. Its fill will gently squish down to a layer of cushiony softness and cradle your head. It’s especially suitable for stomach sleepers or for secondary support.
If you’re a stomach sleeper, the pillow can be hugged and smooshed in to keep your head supported while your face remains uncovered. This is not a pillow that overwhelms and “suffocates” you with a face full of down!
The Virgo Slim + Soft Pillow’s down is sustainably-sourced and rigorously cleaned to hypoallergenic standards. A quality down pillow like this will last you years with proper care.
To find out more about the Virgo Slim + Soft Pillow, click here.
For a firm and flat pillow: Slumbr’s Ara Buckwheat Pillow ($65) contains organic, U.S.-grown buckwheat hulls that can be maneuvered to contour to your head and neck for personalized support -- or be flattened to a dense thin layer.
The pillow has a zippered cover, and you can remove buckwheat hulls to get the pillow as flat and low as you’d like. Once the buckwheat hulls settle, they “lock” into place and provide an ultra-firm layer of support. The fill will not shift out from underneath you. Its stable support often works well for those who have neck and cervical issues.
The Ara is a particularly great pillow for back sleepers who prefer flat and firm pillows, as the buckwheat hulls can be molded to carve out a divot for the back of the head and then fill the neck space underneath. However, the Ara can work for any sleep position.
To find out more about the Ara Buckwheat Pillow, click here.
For a pillow that can be squished between thick and thin: Slumbr’s Vela Down + Feather Pillow ($80) is filled with a generous amount of feathers at its core and surrounded by a layer of soft, fluffy down.
What's cool about this pillow is that it's very scrunchable with some structure. Some people like a pillow that starts out fluffy yet is malleable to be molded and flattened down. So you can maneuver the Vela to provide higher support while side sleeping, but then smash and squish it down for lower, flatter support when stomach or back sleeping.
Just like the Virgo, the Vela's down and feather fill is sustainably-sourced and rigorously cleaned to hypoallergenic standards.
To find out more about the Vela Down + Feather Pillow, click here.
If you’re still not sure which Slumbr pillow works well for your sleep style, take our Pillow Quiz to find your comfiest pillow.
