Traditional Chinese medicine recommends not using a pillow to sleep

Many people believe that sleeping without a pillow is healthier because it can relieve lumbar pain and avoid various waist or back problems. But in fact, if you don't sleep with a pillow for a long time, it will have a certain impact on your health. For example, it will affect the blood circulation in the head and cause dizziness. Below, I will introduce in detail whether it is good to sleep without a pillow.

1. Is it okay to sleep without a pillow?

The function of the pillow is to keep the head and lumbar spine balanced so as not to put pressure on the cervical spine; when sleeping on your back, the height of the pillow should be between 5 and 8 cm; when sleeping on your side, depending on the width of each person's shoulders, the height of the pillow for women should be between 7 and 12 cm, and the height of the pillow for men should be between 11 and 14 cm. Only a suitable pillow height can ensure that the cervical spine does not suffer discomfort due to the wrong height during sleep. However, not everyone maintains the same sleeping position during sleep. They often alternate between lying on their back and lying on their side. Therefore, when choosing a pillow, the pillow height should be 8 to 10 cm, and the male pillow can be increased by another 2 cm.

Because if people don't use a pillow during sleep, the position of the head will be lower than the heart, which will cause more blood to flow into the head, affecting blood circulation in the head, filling the blood vessels, and putting pressure on the blood vessel walls. After waking up, the person will feel dizzy and have swollen eyelids, which seriously affects the quality of sleep.

The muscles in the neck are very flexible and can move the head left and right, as well as raise and lower the head. People turn their heads many times during the day, and after each turn, they must return to their original position to allow the neck to get a rest in time. When sleeping at night, if you don't use a pillow, the position of your head will be lower than your heart. The blood flow to the head will increase, making the head uncomfortable. Moreover, people often sleep on their side. Not using a pillow will cause the head to tilt to one side of the shoulder, which will not only make people feel uncomfortable.

3. How to choose a suitable pillow for your baby

1. The shape is not rigid

Mothers can match the bedding according to their personal preferences or the patterns and colors of the baby's room, as long as it does not affect the baby's normal sleep. But parents must be careful not to believe in the various shaped pillows on the market that are used to fix the baby's sleeping position. This is actually not conducive to the baby's sleep.

2. The filling material should be good

When it comes to pillows for babies, comfort is the most important thing. The second thing is that they should be odor-free, free of irritants, and free of fillers that are harmful to the baby's skin. Natural filling materials are better. Try not to use pillows made of chemical materials. Chemical substances will emit harmful odors for a long time, which is not conducive to the baby's sleep and is not good for the baby's healthy development. Pillows made of tea leaves or chrysanthemums should not be used for babies who are too young.

3. The height should be appropriate

Babies under one year old can choose the height of the pillow according to the introduction above. A pillow that is too high or too low is not conducive to the baby's sleep and normal physical development.

4. The pillowcase fabric is best made of pure cotton

Baby pillows don’t need to be too fancy, so parents should not pursue beauty and so-called versatility too much when choosing fabrics. Chemical fiber materials are not suitable for babies. It is more appropriate to choose pillowcases made of pure cotton or bamboo fiber, which feel good and absorb sweat. Pure cotton products feel best on baby's skin. In fact, it is better to use pure cotton for baby's clothes, quilts, socks and other items.

5. Problems with the shape of the nest

No matter how good the cradle is, it will not be of much use if mothers cannot carefully help their babies turn over. Therefore, parents should not be obsessed with how important the shaped nest is as stated by merchants. When choosing a pillow, the baby’s sleeping comfort and turning over should be considered.

Finally, I would like to remind all my friends: Sleep is inseparable from pillows, and the choice of pillows also requires knowledge. If they are not suitable, it will not only affect sleep, but also affect physical health over time.