What type of pillow are you guys using? I was using two feather pillows, but then I started getting neck pain. I switched to a memory foam pillow designed for side sleepers, and now my headaches are getting worse. The memory foam is very stiff, and I wake up feeling terrible. I just rested for a few minutes on my daughter's Hello Kitty pillow, which is basically like an oversized stuffed animal, and I feel okay.

It seems that my worst headaches - and nausea, too - come from using the memory foam pillow. I tried to tough it out for a few days since this pillow was highly recommended for relieving pain, but it has definitely worsened my symptoms.

I suggest you try to find a pillow that provides good support to keep your head and neck in a straight position. It takes some getting used to a pillow that allows you to sleep flat on your back with minimal head lift but it has worked for me. I use the pillow as a side support so my head does not roll to the side too much.

Hi MomWriterStudent,

It was suggested to me by my first neurologist almost 5 years ago to try a buckwheat pillow. I Google-ed around and found one which I've been happy with. My situation is I have a large melon head which needs support otherwise if I use soft pillows my neck cranes and causes me sleep issues.

I tried switching to a hard down about a month ago and went back to the buckwheat one. It holds my head properly whether I sleep on my back or on my side.

Something to think about, good luck!


Mike

I have literally spent thousands of dollars trying to find the right pillow for me. I had a lot of neck pain.

I think everyone's experience with pillows is going to be different because everyone's bodies are different and their injuries are all different too.

I tried the linear gravity pillow.

I tried the pillow filled with oodles of light-weight microbeads because my acupuncturist swore by it.

I tried hybrid pillows.

I tried memory foam.

I tried synthetic down filled pillows.

I tried the arc4life cervical traction pillow.

My favorite finally came to be a king-sized down pillow from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It costs about $100 and comes with a 10 year warranty or something like that. When I need to replace it, I take it back and they give me a brand new one for free because it comes with that warranty.

I have tried several, water pillow, memory foam, hard, soft but what works best for me is the neck pillows people use when on the plane.

I sometime put it around my neck as it was intended and sometimes I reverse it and put my head in the middle. Sometimes I get pain at the back of my head and this creates a space.

Good Luck.