[Supervised by a sleep health instructor (advanced)] How to choose a custom-made pillow

Pillows are essential for maintaining proper sleeping posture and supporting the neck to prevent strain during sleep. However, finding a ready-made pillow that fits perfectly is difficult because each person has a different physique and neck curve. Here, we introduce how to choose the ultimate custom-made pillow that suits you, recommended for those who prioritize sleep quality.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Pillow

If you've had enough sleep but still feel tired, your pillow might not be suitable. A pillow is not just for resting your head; it's a crucial bedding item that supports your neck, promotes natural breathing, and helps you achieve high-quality sleep.

What is a suitable pillow?

Your head accounts for about 8% of your total body weight (about 4kg for a person weighing 50kg), and your neck bears this weight. Using a pillow that matches your neck's curve can reduce the burden on your cervical spine and maintain a natural sleeping posture that supports smooth breathing.

A natural sleeping posture is one that is the same as standing straight. Ideally, when sleeping on your back, your cervical spine should form a gentle S-curve, and when sleeping on your side, your cervical spine should be straight. A pillow that is too high can compress the cervical spine, causing tension in the neck and shoulder muscles and poor circulation. Conversely, a pillow that is too low cannot support the head, putting weight on the cervical spine and leading to neck and shoulder stiffness. It can also block the airway, causing snoring.

Who uses custom-made pillows?

Custom-made pillows are used by people who feel tired even after getting enough sleep, or who have tried various pillows but still can't find one that fits their body. Continuously using an unsuitable pillow can lead to various sleep problems such as neck stiffness, shoulder stiffness, back pain, headaches, snoring, and insomnia, so it's definitely worth considering a custom-made pillow.

Also, since they are often more expensive than regular pillows, they make excellent gifts. Some manufacturers even offer gift certificates for custom-made pillows.

Benefits of Custom-Made Pillows

The shape of a perfectly fitting pillow varies from person to person because everyone has a different head and neck bone structure.

Achieve a unique fit that off-the-shelf pillows can't provide.

Using a pillow that doesn't fit your head or neck can cause neck and shoulder stiffness when you wake up in the morning, leading to fatigue and drowsiness during the day. However, with a custom-made pillow, you can create a pillow with the height and material that suits your body shape and sleeping posture, allowing you to achieve a unique fit. It also helps maintain an ideal sleeping posture, which is recommended for preventing snoring.

Adjustments can be made in millimetre increments.

You can create a pillow that perfectly suits you by making fine adjustments to its height. However, the adjustable features vary by manufacturer, so it's important to check beforehand. The more finely you can adjust, down to millimetres, the different sections (neck, back of the head, crown, front-back, and left-right), the closer you can get to your ideal pillow.

Can be matched to your sleeping posture and bedding.

Just because someone says "this pillow is great" doesn't mean it's right for you. The quality of a pillow depends not only on the pillow itself but also on your body type, sleeping posture, and compatibility with other bedding such as the mattress and duvet you usually use. Therefore, being able to customize it to various situations can be said to be the biggest advantage of a custom-made pillow.

Types of Custom-Made Pillows

Custom-made pillows come in various types, including those developed by bedding manufacturers and those supervised by doctors or chiropractors. Generally, the height and material of the pillow are tailored to the user's body type and preferences.

Type that adjusts height by combining sheets

Pillows that adjust height with sheets often have a flat structure, which is said to make it easier to turn over. This type is recommended for those who feel uncomfortable with height differences in pillows when turning over.

Type that adjusts height and softness by the amount of filling material

You can choose your preferred filling from various materials and adjust the height by adding the material. Some types have multiple pockets for filling materials on the top, bottom, left, and right of the pillow, allowing different materials and heights to be adjusted for the neck, head, and areas used when sleeping on your side. This type is recommended for those who are particular about materials.

Price Range for Custom-Made Pillows

Custom-made pillows typically cost around 30,000 yen, as they require understanding each individual's concerns and preferences, and collecting data on their body and neck. However, there can be a significant price difference depending on the level of customization and whether after-sales maintenance is included, with some custom-made pillows being even more expensive.

Semi-custom pillows are often around 10,000 yen, but they may have drawbacks such as fewer material options, limited height adjustment, and becoming less suitable over the years due to the lack of after-sales maintenance.

Key Points for Choosing a Custom-Made Pillow

Since custom-made pillows are adjusted to your preferences, here are four key points to check when purchasing one.

1: Ease of care

If you're going to invest in an expensive custom-made pillow, you'll want to use it for as long as possible. Therefore, choose one that can be machine-washed or hand-washed completely so you can keep it clean. Washability often depends on the type of filling material; popular down pillow fillings, for example, cannot be washed, so be careful.

2: Can it provide your preferred sleeping comfort?

With a custom-made pillow, you can choose the filling material. The hardness and comfort of the pillow change depending on the type of filling, so find the material that suits you.

Some manufacturers determine the filling material based on body measurements, so if you have preferences for feel or material, check in advance. Also, the compatibility between the filling material and the mattress is important. For example, if you combine a high-rebound mattress with a low-rebound pillow, your head might sink too much, hindering the benefits of both. It's reassuring to check the type of mattress you currently use beforehand.

3: Ease of tossing and turning

For those who toss and turn frequently or have a larger build, a wide pillow is recommended. While a standard size of approximately 43cm x 63cm is sufficient for petite to average-sized individuals, larger individuals will find a size of about 50cm x 70cm more comfortable and reassuring for easy tossing and turning.

4: Long warranty period

Any pillow will inevitably flatten with use, becoming lower than when first purchased. Also, changing your mattress or duvet, or changes in your body shape or age, can alter the ideal pillow height. Therefore, a custom-made pillow will require maintenance such as height adjustments after it's made. The period for free maintenance varies by manufacturer and product, so be sure to check beforehand. Regular fine-tuning allows for long-term comfortable use.

Drawbacks of Custom-Made Pillows

While custom-made pillows offer many benefits, such as high-quality sleep and reduced physical strain, they also have their drawbacks.

Tend to be more expensive.

Compared to ready-made pillows, custom-made pillows are often more expensive, which is a drawback. However, if the product includes after-sales maintenance, it can sometimes be more cost-effective in the long run than regularly replacing ready-made pillows.

Also, the term "custom-made" encompasses various body measurements and pillow-making methods. Just because a pillow is expensive doesn't mean it's right for you; you need to find a manufacturer that truly makes a pillow suited to your needs.

Takes time to receive.

Custom-made pillows are created after measuring your body type and neck curve, so they may not be available for immediate pickup. Also, popular manufacturers may have difficulty scheduling measurements. Furthermore, maintenance requires bringing the actual pillow to the store, which can be inconvenient.

Even if it fits perfectly in the store, it might feel strange on your bed at home.

A common concern is when a pillow "felt perfect in the store, but it doesn't feel right when I use it at home." The suitability of a pillow depends not only on the pillow itself but also on the sleeper's physical condition and its compatibility with their bed and duvet. If the mattress in the store where you tried the pillow has a different firmness than your bedding at home, the way your body sinks will change, and thus the optimal pillow height will also change. Therefore, it will be necessary to make further fine adjustments after using it at home.

What is the New Form of Custom-Made?

We've discussed how to choose a custom-made pillow, but recently, pillows that naturally conform to your head shape without requiring detailed measurements have appeared. Let's introduce the features of such a new custom-like pillow, "BrainSleep Pillow."

Reviews from people who have actually used the BrainSleep Pillow

Let's hear from people who have actually tried the "BrainSleep Pillow," which is highly popular and described as "feeling like a custom-made pillow."

Just the right firmness, comfortable, and reduces neck strain.