Move over pillows… I might not need you after all.
About 3 weeks ago, I woke up with the worst neck pain I ever experienced. I must have been fighting off dragons in my sleep and the kink in my neck was my battle scar. Normally, a trip to the chiropractor and massage therapist would be enough to set everything back into place but not this time.
The oddest thing about my jammed neck is the following night I was unable to sleep on my pillow. It made my pain unbearable. My pillow is actually quite new so I couldn’t equate it to being old and shapeless. I had recently invested in a pricey, ergonomically-correct one to avoid this exact situation.
For the next few nights, I was completely pillow-less. It was the only way I could get a full, pain-free night’s sleep. I later re-introduced a pillow but the thinnest one I had. It gave me what I needed and craved – which was the softness around my face – but still allowed the back of my head to be flat against the bed. It’s a $1 pillow from IKEA…
I was curious to find out what the world wide web thought about this. Turns out my pillow aversion is a bit of a thing. Similar to the “low-poo” / “no-poo” shampoo movement, I found some information about “low-pillow” / “no-pillow”. Some argue that no pillow is better for your neck and posture, and compare pillows to shoe insoles. Both just lead to weakness in the arches…
The verdict is still out as to whether or not I keep going with the “low-pillow” / “no-pillow” approach but for now it’s what my body seems to want.
Any other pillow-less peeps out there?
M.
