The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper, According to an Expert

You already know what time it is—it's Sleep Week, drowsy people! Yes, tis the greatest week of all—a period where we celebrate the hours we lay horizontal and tuned out, with “no lonely times, just dreams.” We spend “about one-third of our life either sleeping or attempting to do so,” according to the National Library of Medicine, so this week we are focused on making that experience as close to perfect as possible. We’ve tackled mattresses, sleep masks, earplugs, and even sex pillows, but now is the time we lay to rest (wink) any confusion over what type of pillow is best for you.

We spoke with Dr. Rebecca Robbins, MMSci PhD, an instructor at Harvard’s Division of Sleep Medicine and co-author of “Sleep for Success!”, about the best pillow for all sleep positions, and rounded up an entire rodeo’s worth of the best pillows for side sleepers, back sleepers, stomach sleepers, those with neck and back pain… heck, you name it. Yes, we’ve got a recommendation for you, partner. The first thing Dr. Robbins mentioned is how much “our pillows and mattress really are the foundation of our good night's rest.” We’re with her on that, but we didn’t realize how often you should be giving your pillows a refresh: “A good pillow will last about two years,” says Dr. Robbins. In other words, if you can’t remember the last time you went pillow shopping, let’s giddy up to the hot tips so y’all can skedaddle on to the perfect night’s sleep. Yeehaw!

The best pillows for side sleepers

Since the majority of us sleep on our sides (apparently 54%), a large number of us are going to want to go with a nice chunky boi. According to Dr. Robbins, “side sleepers need the most voluminous pillow, or a pillow with more fill power than a back or stomach sleeper,” so it’s no wonder that this VICE writer Becca goes HAM over cuddledown’s sumptuous down pillows. We need the most support for our necks, so choose a pillow with a higher fill, adjustability, or possibly a contoured pillow.

Another VICE editor is a massive fan of Honeydew’s Scrumptious Side Pillow, writing in her review that it “ended [her] nocturnal existential angst” and that alone is reason enough for us to click ‘buy now’. Other benefits include a curved shape that cradles the shoulder, and antimicrobial fill that lends the ideal amount of lift for your noggin.

The Cotton Side Sleeper from Eli & Elm tops a lot of lists of favorites in terms of comfort, has four stars on Amazon, and quite a few positive reviews that sing its praises like one Amazon reviewer who claims, “This [is] the only pillow that work[s] for me. It is comfortable and I have eliminated my headaches.”

If you feel like nothing has the amount of support and height you crave, you can always opt for a uniquely boxy Pillow Cube, which has thousands of glowing reviews like this one: “[I'm getting] a good night's sleep now. I’ve tried a lot of pillows that don’t work for me but this one I can’t live without.”

The best pillows for stomach sleepers

While Dr. Robbins suggests that, “stomach sleepers would be best suited to consider sleeping on the mattress alone without any pillows,” we know that might be hard, as we all love a cozy place to rest our heads at night. So the next best thing to laying completely flat is to use a low-pile or relatively flat pillow to keep your head and neck in alignment with your spine.

This bad boy is less than $45 and has over 6,700 reviews and a 4.5 star rating on Amazon.

Who doesn’t love the gentle sink of a Tempur-Pedic product? This Cloud Pillow is relatively flat, but has that familiar squish you get with overstuffed pillows.

The best pillows for back sleepers

If you sleep on your back, Dr. Robbins says “[you] can benefit from a moderately full pillow,” so lucky for you, you get to play “The Princess and the Pea” with a big squishy marshmallow of a pillow. Dr. Robbins also suggests trying “a pillow that has several seams, with a more voluminous lower third, to support the neck, and less fill in the middle chamber.”

The best cooling pillows for people who sleep hot

Constantly flipping your pillow to the cool side? Get ahead of the problem with a super-breathable pillow that's main goal is to keep you cool and comfy. Who said the “other side of the pillow” was the only side that could feel refreshing?

The Kapok Pillow has a ton of satisfied reviewers claiming to finally have found “the one”—in terms of pillows at least. It’s not only cooling, with airy kapok fibers, shredded memory foam, and a breathable cover, but also its fullness is easily adjusted by adding or removing said foam.

Will this pillow help you meditate? We have no idea, but it will keep your head cool while you practice. The top layer is made with “TranquilAire™ Cooling Gel which draws heat away from your head for a continuous, cool feeling,” according to the brand. On top of that it’s infused with Microban technology that resists the growth of mildew, mold and bacteria.

Now all you have to worry about is nightmares that you accidentally posted a nude of yourself on your Instagram story.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals?Sign up for our newsletter.