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From your nighttime routine to the texture of your bedding, there are many factors to consider when preparing your body—and bed—for a good night’s rest. More than just a place to rest your head, the right pillow is essential for a good night’s sleep. Unlike throw pillows, bed pillows aren’t decorative; they play a critical role in keeping your spine aligned at night, preventing you from waking up with a sore neck or back. In addition, research suggests that an uncomfortable pillow can also be linked to poor sleep quality. 

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If you struggle with medical issues like sleep apnea or are experiencing neck pain, consult with your doctor about the type of pillow that might work best to alleviate your symptoms. But if you’re just looking to improve the quality of your sleep, the experts at Reviewed can help. 

If your pillow is so dirty that you suspect that it might be triggering your allergies–or if it's no longer supporting you and holding its shape–you should think about buying a new pillow. One way to test if your pillow is past its prime is to press down on it with your hands. If it doesn’t spring back swiftly when you move your hands, it may be ready for its final resting place.

Though you might think that any soft surface will suffice, pillows are not one size fits all. Your perfect pillow will vary based on your body size and sleep position. Side sleepers, for example, usually need thicker pillows to fill the space between head and shoulder and keep their spine aligned—especially true for people with broader shoulders. Stomach sleepers and back sleepers can typically opt for flatter pillows, as less loft is needed for good neck alignment. In fact, having a pillow that's too thick can tilt a back sleeper’s head forward and narrow their airway—a recipe for trouble for people with certain conditions like sleep apnea.

Our favorite bed pillow for almost any sleeper is the Coop Home Goods Original Pillow. Its loft is removable and adjustable, and it comes with a small package of additional stuffing, so you can control how soft or firm the pillow feels. The Coop pillow is also machine-washable, making it a good choice for allergy sufferers.

Coop also makes our favorite adjustable-fill pillow for stomach sleepers, who may be extra-fussy about loft and may even prefer to sleep without a pillow (though experts don't recommend that). The Coop Home Goods Eden Pillow is filled with removable viscoelastic foam and polyester that gives it a squishy, snuggly feel that works great for stomach sleeping.

For back sleepers, we suggest the Leesa Premium Foam Pillow, a solid block of memory foam that's appreciably thinner than others we tested. It sprang back to shape beautifully in our lab, even after being subjected to 25 pounds of weight overnight. Our tester found that it had enough give to feel comfortable but was firm enough to hold her head in proper alignment. Back sleepers can also benefit from placing a pillow beneath the knees to help support the natural curves of the spine.

Side sleepers who prefer not to fuss with adjustable fill might enjoy the Beckham Hotel Collection pillows, which are a good value for what you get. They come in a two-pack for under $50, but they didn’t show the same signs of wear as other cheap pillows we tested. They were easy to clean in the wash, and fluffed up fast after being opened. Having two might be extra convenient for those who rest on their sides: The second one can be placed between the knees to keep the lumbar spine in a neutral position at night. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, using a knee pillow can help prevent your upper leg from moving your spine out of alignment as you sleep.

Finally, once you’ve found a pillow that you’re happy with, keeping it safely swaddled in a pillow protector will keep it unsoiled, and will also help it last longer. We love the Brooklinen Pillow Protector for its silky texture and easy-to-clean machine washability.

Want more tips on catching better zzz’s? Check out the rest of our Sleep Week coverage.

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