Is it okay to sleep without a pillow?

Everyone has their own sleeping posture. Some people like to use pillows, while others like to sleep lying flat on their backs. As long as it is a posture you like and you feel comfortable sleeping in that posture, you can use that posture. As the old saying goes, sleeping high brings peace of mind. In fact, a pillow that is too high can easily lead to cervical spondylosis. It is best to choose a pillow that is moderately soft and hard and of a height that suits you, so that you can have a good sleep.

1. High pillows can easily cause cervical spondylosis

As the ancients said: Sleep soundly and have no worries. However, Lu Kuiyuan, director of the orthopedics department of the Beijing Hospital of the Ministry of Health, told reporters that many patients with stiff necks clinically suffer from sleeping with pillows that are too high. If the pillow is too high when sleeping, it will change the normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine, causing muscle fatigue injuries and ligament strain, resulting in spasms, inflammation, etc., and symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain, numbness of hands, and dizziness. Clinically, high pillows are one of the common causes of stiff neck and cervical spondylosis.

2. Low pillow causes unbalanced blood supply

A high pillow is not good, would it be better to use a low pillow or simply no pillow? Director Lu said that using a pillow that is too low or not using a pillow is also bad for health. Some people who suffer from cervical spondylosis believe that not using a pillow will help their recovery. In fact, this idea is unscientific. Without a pillow, people will lean back too much when lying on their backs, and tend to breathe through their mouths, which can lead to dry mouth, dry tongue, sore throat and snoring. If you sleep on your side without a pillow, the neck muscles on one side will spasm and cause pain due to over-stretching and fatigue, resulting in a "stiff neck".

A pillow that is too low will also result in an unbalanced blood supply, which can easily cause congestion and swelling of the nasal mucosa. The nasal mucosa is very sensitive, and swelling will affect breathing. If you experience neck and shoulder pain after waking up, it may be caused by a pillow that is too low or not using a pillow.

So, how high should the pillow be? Ancient Chinese medical books pointed out: "The height and size of the pillow should be so that the head and torso are level when lying on your back, and the pillow should be one fist high when lying on your back, and one and a half fists high when lying on your side. Generally speaking, a pillow height of 10-15 cm is more appropriate, and the specific size depends on each person's physiological curvature.

3. Softness and hardness should also be moderate

In addition to the height of the pillow, experts believe that the hardness of the pillow should also be taken into consideration. A pillow that is too hard will have a small contact area with the head, which will increase the pressure and make the scalp uncomfortable. Conversely, a pillow that is too soft will be difficult to maintain at a certain height, causing the neck muscles to fatigue easily, making it difficult to sleep, and the head will sink in the middle, affecting blood circulation. Therefore, the pillow should be slightly softer but still have a certain degree of hardness.