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The Great Pillow Experiment: Results Not Encouraging
By Kerrie | February 5, 2008
My joy following the Great Pillow Experiment was sadly short-lived. The day of my original post was the best and the next day was pretty good. The relief dropped dramatically and I haven’t found it since. That was almost four weeks ago.
I tried a new pillow combination three nights ago. My neck and shoulder pain has lessened. While the chronic daily headache is unchanged, the migraine episodes haven’t been as severe as they were the past couple weeks.
If this doesn’t pan out, I’m not sure what’s next. My sensitivity to odors rules out memory foam, latex and the synthetic filling of most pillows. I’ve tried wool, buckwheat, down, and organic cotton over buckwheat, all to no avail. These fibers may be perfectly fine, but the pillow construction is never right.
The pillow of my dreams is shaped kind of like a memory foam pillow. There’s a densely stuffed ridge at the bottom to hold my neck in the right position and a dip above to keep my head at the correct angle. Maybe I should build my own.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:55 am
When you’re done, please manufacture and sell them - I’m first in line!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 6:56 am
When you’re done, please manufacture and sell them - I’m first in line!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 8:20 am
yes, please do! I’ll take 2.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Have you tried any pillows from Tempur? I have both a Tempur mattress and a Tempur pillow, and I can’t live without it! I take my pillow with me everywhere I go, even to hotels
Here’s a link: http://www.tempur.com
I use the “the NeckPillow” in size small (and my dad is addicted to his “the UniversalCushion”). Although I still have chronic daily headaches, the mattress and pillow has at least made me rest better when I sleep.
Happy pillow-hunting!
February 6th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I had the same smell issues with the memory foam pillows, what I ended up doing was buying one, and letting it air out for a good 6months to a year. I know it sounds like a long time, but in the end it was worth it.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Have you thought about using a flatter pillow and just lying a bath towel along the bottom edge so you head rests at the correct angle? The one I got from The chiro is good but I can hardly send you one from Australia. I also found that I brace myself with a bath towel when sleeping on my back around my neck so it doesn’t droop and be painfull.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Pam, I will be right behind you!
FWIW, I’ve had good luck with tempurpedic pillows not being too smelly for me (I have terrible problems with anything that has even a whiff of “rubbery” smell).
I tried to cheap-out and bought a memory foam pillow at Target or Ikea… huge mistake, and I ended up giving it away after the first night when the fumes from my hands having touched the pillow (which wasn’t in the room, even) gave me a migraine. Truly dreadful.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:33 am
After about a week either we just can’t smell it anymore or the smell dissipated. Either way we love our pillows. The cheap pillows are ok but won’t last as long. We love our Tempurpedic pillows!
May 12th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Ask your neurologist for a prescription for a c-spine soft collar (you can buy them over the counter but the fit isn’t customized). I wear one every night, and though I still get headaches everyday, it has dramatically reduced the severity, especially upon waking. Highly worth a try, and not expensive.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Try the Chiroflow or Mediflow pillow. It looks like a regular pillow but there is a pouch that you fill with water. It supports your head at any angle as you move while sleeping. It may take a few trys to get the water level correct. Amazon sells them. The memory foam pillow I had gave me a neck ache, however, I did not have a tempurpedic.