Pillow FAQ’s

Information About Your Pillow -You Should Know

What is so important about the kind of bed pillow I sleep on?

The type of pillow you sleep on can directly relate to your ability to have a good nights rest which in turn directly relates to how how feel and perform the following day. If you are sufficiently tired at the end of your day, you will fall asleep quickly, but without the correct pillow support for your head, shoulders and neck, you can toss and turn and eventually wake up less than well rested. Studies have shown that rest can affect your mood, energy level, awareness, judgment, learning ability and learning retention. Rest also affects areas of your health, some of which include: blood pressure, weight and diabetes.

Why are there different types of bed pillows?

Bed pillows can differ in their size, shape, firmness, fill and covering (Royal Pillow makes them all factory direct at wholesale pricing). For those who like multiple pillows, beautifully stacked as a function of design on their bed, size and shape will be the priority. For the pillow you will sleep on though, the firmness is most important. Choosing the right pillow for your sleep-style can make all the difference in getting enough rest and staying healthy.

What is the difference between the types of bed pillows?

People pick a pillow (say that 3 times fast!) for looks, cost, feel or even the sound it makes or doesn’t make when they rest their head on it . The most important aspect of the pillow you are going to trust your nightly rest to is it’s firmness. Pillows generally come in 3 different firmness levels: Soft, Medium and Firm (Royal Pillow can make any degree of firmness for you since they make each pillow to order). If you sleep on your back, generally you would use a soft or medium pillow since your neck does not need to be significantly elevated off of the bed. If you sleep on your side, facing east (just kidding, direction does not matter) you will do better with a medium to firm pillow so that your neck is supported and better able to stay in-line with your spine -which is a good thing.

How important is the filler inside my pillow?

Royal Pillow uses only the highest grade fillers in its pillows. From the luxurious Hungarian Goose Down, for the ultimate in softness, to the best available synthetic fibers, some of which mimic the feel and resilience of goose down, but at a better price point. Royal Pillow also uses premium Feathers which are slightly firmer than Goose Down. Feathers and Down filled pillows are able to be squished and shaped nightly and spring back to their original shape in the morning.

What about Allergies?

Studies have shown that people are more likely to be allergic to dust mites and mold which can collect in older feather and down pillows which have not been properly cared for. All of Royal Pillow Down and Feather pillows come with feather proof ticking and for the cautious we have Allergy Pillow cases available.

Can my pillow help (or hurt) my aching neck or back?

Yes. Using the correct pillow to sleep on will allow your body to rest as best as it can. Sleeping on the wrong pillow will not be the cause of any pain but it can worsen any that is already existing. The pillow you use for sleeping must support your spinal column in the correct alignment or you will not be getting the most out of your sleep.

How do I know what kind of pillow I should get?

Picking out the correct pillow to sleep on is not difficult. You just need to find out what position you like to sleep in the most. The 3 positions or sleep-styles are: Back, Side and Stomach. For Back sleepers a soft or medium firmness pillow suits most people. The head and neck need to be supported in such a way as to retain the natural curve of the cervical vertebrae. If the head is too high or too low, pressure can be created and the neck can be strained instead of relaxed. For Side sleepers, a firmer pillow will allow for the head to be higher off the mattress keeping the spinal column aligned. For Stomach sleepers the softest pillows can be used as minimal lifting of the head is required. Many health professionals advise against sleeping on the stomach as this puts extra pressure on the neck and upper back areas as well as your stomach muscles. In addition to this, you will need to turn your head to the side (in order to breathe) which means your neck will be in a twisted position, potentially for hours, increasing your chances for neck pain in the morning.

How important is my sleep?

Studies too numerous to mention have all come to the same conclusions about the importance of getting sufficient rest. The average adult needs from 7 to 9 hours of ‘quality sleep’ to be able to function optimally and stay in health. Everyone has their own sleep needs and the easiest way to determine yours are to simply keep a journal on how you feel throughout the day after having a certain amount of rest. Track this for a week and you will have a rough idea of just how many hours your body requires. This of course can be affected by many different factors including: Stress, diet, exercise, emotions even the weather and of course the comfort and support of your bed and pillows.

Down and Feather Pillow Facts

Some information about your pillows which you may find useful and possibly entertaining!

Feathers have been around a while. Ancient amber dating back to the time of the dinosuars has contained remnants of downlike feathers. It is doubtful that early man constructed pillows similar to those used in today’s world but it is conceivable that they may have slept with domesticated feather covered animals enjoying their comfort and warmth.

Before people realized the comfort of down and feather pillows they used straw as a filler material. (in China they would use wood or stone for their pillows -no filler required!)

There are 3 basic types of pillows: Bed, Orthopedic and Decorative. Down and feather fillers can be used in all types depending on the desired degree of support.

In the US there are 3 standard pillow sizes for bed use: Standard (20×26 inch) Queen (20×30 inch) and King (20×36 inch)

European Pillow sizes range from 26×26 inch all the way to the 36×36 inch favored in Germany (that’s a lot of feathers.. and also a popular size for pet beds.. ).

Back to the Chinese for a moment.. In ancient China, the ‘shitou zhentou’ was a pillow made out of jade and it was believed that as you slept on it you would gain intelligence, be cured of headaches and depression.

Down is not only extremely soft but it’s also the world’s best insulators retaining heat in the many small air pockets naturally created by it’s structure. Down does have a ‘down-side’ and that is if it gets wet. If you give your uncle -who is known to drool when napping- a down filled pillow, please include a moisture proof cover!

Down pillows are extremely soft, compressing easily. These make for ideal bed pillows for the stomach sleeper. They spring back to form with a quick fluff in the morning and await their tired owner’s head at bedtime.

Feather pillows have a bit more support for the back and side sleeper. Feather pillows have a reputation of being pokey or leaking but that is only true with old or inferior quality products. In old England it was considered lucky to have a few feathers escape your pillow during the night (hmmm… sounds like an early marketing ploy to me!)

Down and feather pillows sometimes get a bad ‘rap’ when it comes to allergies. Studys indicate that it is in fact not the feathers causing the problem, but dust mites which have infested the pillow due to improper feather pillow care. There are people who do suffer feather allergies but they are rare. We have special pillow covers which assure a safe and comfortable nights sleep.