Comfort and Support Values of Different Pillow Designs

Plain-language summary

With the change in lifestyle, most physical tasks are now performed by machines. As a result, sitting has become the most common learning posture and office posture, and cervical and lumbar spondylosis are becoming increasingly prevalent in younger people. One-third of life is devoted to sleep, and bad sleeping posture can place incorrect strain on the cervical and lumbar spine, resulting in irreversible and detrimental repercussions if not treated seriously. Sleep disorders have become an important public health concern because they can have detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. A pillow can give adequate support for the head and neck and assist sleepers in maintaining proper neck and thoracic curvature. Studies have demonstrated that a comfortable sleeping pillow helps relax the neck muscles, hence facilitating sleep, and efficiently alleviate pain in the neck, shoulders, back, and head. There is consensus among researchers that supporting the natural lordotic curve of the cervical spine is necessary to achieve longer periods of deep sleep. In addition, a pillow can improve sleep quality by cooling the head, lowering body temperature, reducing sweating or slowing the heart rate during sleep. However, the level of evidence to support these claims is so far limited. It has been claimed by pillow manufacturers that many design-related pillow parameters are effective in improving sleep quality and reducing neck pain. However, most of these recommendations are based on personal experience. This study recommends the most suitable pillow for people in forward head postures based on the body pressure distribution of the head, neck and upper body. The proposed pillows were evaluated in two parameters: comfort and support.

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