While I’ve tried many different pillows over the years, here is my personal opinion about six common types available in stores and online: 1) Down Pillows ($50-300) – These are very luxurious to the touch. Many fine hotels use goose down to impress their guests. The problem, however, is that they are not uniformly supportive. They’re great for pillow fights, but will inevitably strain your neck muscles and spinal joints, so I recommend against sleeping on them. 2) TempurPedic Cervical Pillow ($100-200) – People are tempted to think that if the pillow is expensive, it must be good. When I used this memory foam pillow in 2002, I woke up with neck pain and sternum soreness every morning for a week. Many people use these and love them though, so if you’re strictly a back-sleeper, this pillow is okay. It’s not good for side-sleepers. There are a variety of structural problems within the neck that can make using this pillow unpleasant, so I generally do not recommend it to patients.
3) Atlas-T Pillow ($140) – This brand of pillow is available for purchase online. I tested it out and while I believe it’s decent for back-sleepers, I don’t recommend it for anyone who sleeps on their side. The slope does not offer any room for your shoulder in a side-lying position. For this reason, it’s not on my “recommended” list. 4) Therapeutica ($60-120) – I consider this the “training wheels” of pillows and recommend it for people who are trying to learn how to stop sleeping on their stomachs. It comes in a variety of “custom” sizes from petite to extra large. This is the brand of pillow I use in the resting suite at my St Louis chiropractic office. I know it’s shaped differently than conventional pillows, but my patients really enjoy resting on it, and frequently ask me if they can take it home! It’s great for back and side-sleepers alike. Here’s how to determine the right size. If you want to buy one, they’re sold here. 5) Latex Pillow ($40-150) – When I tell patients about latex pillows, most tell me they never knew these even existed.
A family member of mine likes them so much that she brings one with her whenever she travels. They’re supportive and comfortable for both back and side-sleepers, and generally won’t abnormally flex the neck in either direction. An added benefit is that latex doesn’t break down very easily, so these pillows should last for many years. Whenever a patient asks me what type of pillow they should be using, here’s what I recommend. It’s the firm low-loft size. 6) D-Core Pillow ($17-30) – I had high hopes for this pillow when I first tried it… but I found that when resting supine, my head tended to lean to one side or the other because of the angled slope of the D-Core. This put tension asymmetrically on one side of my neck, and could easily induce strain and discomfort in someone who falls asleep in this position. The other problem I had with it involved its durability. The material within the pillow seemed to breakdown very quickly. These are also referred to as Tri-Core pillows.
memory foam health risks: be careful everyone... katiebobatie posted 03 -20-2013 05:44 AM My husband and I spent a fortune on a tempurpedic mattress months ago, and its turned We would normally NEVER spend so much money on a mattress, but I'm stuck in bed about 23 hours a day, and my pain is so severe that I was really desperate.However, I have been unable to sleep on the bed because it causes me extreme heart palpatations... and by the time I realized it was the bed, it was too late to get a refund.It turns out that my experience isn't that uncommon at all, and memory foam is known to cause heart attack like symptoms, as well as many other health problems.I recently found out (with the help of this board) that memory foam is made out of 61 different toxic chemicals, including several carcenogens.We still owe $1800 on the bed, which makes me wanna puke, because we are stuck making payments on a bed we have to get rid of for the sake of my health.Our living quarters are very small, and I don't feel safe breathing in all the chemicals knowing they are affecting my heart.
Anyway, we've now discovered that the bottom of the mattress is COVERED in mold.After doing more research, I also found that these beds are notorious for mold problems.My heart problems from the chemicals in the bed started long before the mold... the mold is just icing on the cake.I swear, these mattresses give new meaning to the term "death bed" The chemicals are making so many people sick, yet tempurpedic is brushing it under the carpet and marketing these beds for sick painstricken people like us!And I bet there's a lot of sick people out there whose doctors can't figure out what is wrong with them, and they have no clue that their tempurpedic mattress could be to blame.Most beds have some toxic chemicals, but memory foam seems to be far more toxic than regular mattresses when you compare the two.Aside from just comparing the amount of chemicals in both, my body can sure tell the difference as well.I've done lots of travelling, and probably slept on 100 different non memory foam mattresses in hotel rooms.
I've never had a problem. Until now, I've never suffered side effects from chemicals... so I feel like this bed could be fatal for people who actually are sensitive to chemicals. I am just so scared for all the people out there who are a lot more chemically sensitive than me!I never dreamed a bed could be dangerous. Now I'm not only having heart problems from a toxic bed, but I also have a serious mold problem to deal with.I know many people here desperate for pain relief like me, so if you're thinking about trying memory foam, beware!We are all so sick here to begin with, and many of us live in our beds...So I Just wanted to share my story in the hope that I can prevent this from happening to anyone else.My advice - Avoid this stuff like the plague!!!(Of course, this is all MY opinion based on MY personal experience and the articles I've recently read)nonna05 posted 03-20-2013 06:07 AM Sorry you're so sick and for so long...I get real tired of my 4 purple wall's also...Do you think it applies to pillows that kinda feel like the mattress ,but are harder ,A BIT DIFFERENT THAN BED..
WHAT ABOUT THOSE 2 INCH PADS YOU CAN PUT ON YOUR BED TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE.I mean the $100-$200 pads with the whole cover that keeps it on bed??Then there's the $25 version like egg cartons..Even though I'm sleeping/trying to any way , on a pretty cheap/hard mattress...we had the $200 dollar version and I had husband take it off my bed..Something about what sixgoofykids wrote, had me do it..That was @ 4 plus LD/brain fog months ago.I'm less comfortable , but think there might be something to it..Lord, I hope the $25 version isn't terrible, it's on the triplets , triple bunk 4 feet away from me............Maybe just in the drawer bed, I think the others get taken of when they go back to Rep. of Georgia....bet that made sense to most.nonna05 posted 03-20-2013 06:10 AM Are there any safe beds out there? Don't they put fire-proof chemicals on at least?Do foreign countries do all the bad stuff on their's? ukcarry posted 03-20-2013 06:21 AM So sorry for this, Katie: what a horrible fix to be in and I share your disgust at having to continue to make payments on something that is harming your health.
Many thanks for giving us all the warning about memory foam.riverspirit posted 03-20-2013 06:29 AM So sorry about your experience. It is very kind of you to post this and let others know.Hope that you are able to find a safe sleeping surface. katiebobatie posted 03-20-2013 06:33 AM Aw thanks, I'm sorry you are in the same boat and can't be comfortable in bed either!I think you did the right thing by getting rid of your mattress pad. I bet laying on a plush blanket would be a safer alternative.From what I read, all mattress have chemicals on them to make them fireproof...However, you can order one that hasn't been fireproofed with a doctors prescription.The problem with memory foam though, is that they put so many EXTRA chemicals in it on top of fireproofing chemicals.I have been sleeping with memory foam pillows until recently, and I haven't noticed a problem with just the pillows.I'm getting rid of them anyway though to be safe.I think the more memory foam you have, the more dangerous.
A thin layer probably is less dangerous than a huge dense mattress, ya know?I'm staying away from all of it from now on though!I'm glad most of yours is gone too now I slept on those egg carton thin mattresses as a kid, and I think those are different than the memory foam stuff they make these days.I think the memory foam that gives off a strong smell is generally more dangerous. Most people who complained of health problems from it also complained of how strong it smelled!Razzle posted 03-20-2013 06:43 AM I hate memory foam. It is harder for me to sleep on than a firm mattress, because it compresses down and does not spring back like regular foam. I don't see anything beneficial to memory foam, don't get all the "hype" about it.Glad to know mold is an issue with memory foam...I may be getting a new mattress soon (my current one is shot, and is contributing to making my left hip hurt), and so it is good to know about this issue.As for mattresses that don't have chemicals, there are some made for those with severe chemical sensitivities.
or google cotton mattresses for MCS...sillia posted 03-20-2013 10:01 AM We have had a foam pad 2" thick on top of the mattress, for some years. I have it encased in an allergy-proof cover, because my concern was dust mites. I didn't think about the chemicals in it, sigh. Although I don't seem to have MCS or mold issues, it might be a factor--thanks for the warning! glm1111 posted 03-20-2013 10:17 AM With all of the toxic chemicals in this mattress and the mold issues, I would not pay the balance and get myself a good lawyer. There must be a LOT of other people with the same issues. It's ridiculous that these companys sell this garbage and get away with it. Sorry you are going through this. RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS*---Posts: 5584 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008 | IP: sickofsick posted 03-20-2013 10:22 AM Are you sure there isn't something that can be done legally? This needs to go on 60 minutes or a similar local news program to get some attention!