Side, Back or Stomach? What Your Sleep Position Asks From a Pillow

There's no single "best pillow" — there's the best pillow for the way you sleep. The position you fall asleep in changes how much space sits between your head and the mattress, and that gap is exactly what your pillow needs to fill.

Side sleepers: fill the gap

Lying on your side creates the biggest space between your ear and the mattress — roughly the width of your shoulder. A pillow that's too flat lets your head drop; one that's too tall tips it up. Look for something that keeps your head level and supports the neck firmly enough that it doesn't sag.

Tip: a small pillow between your knees can help keep your hips and lower back in line too.

Back sleepers: support the curve

On your back, your neck has a natural inward curve. A pillow that's too high pushes your chin toward your chest; one that's too low leaves the neck hanging. Back sleepers usually do best with medium height and a shape that supports the neck while letting the head rest a little lower.

Stomach sleepers: go low

Stomach sleeping turns your head to one side for hours. The lower and softer the pillow, the less your neck has to twist upward. Some stomach sleepers prefer the thinnest part of a contoured pillow — or very little height at all.

Combination sleepers: choose flexibility

Most people move between positions during the night. If that's you, a pillow with more than one height zone — like a contoured or butterfly design — gives your head somewhere sensible to land, whichever way you roll.

The bottom line

Pay attention to how you wake up, not just how the pillow feels when you first lie down. Your mornings are the most honest review your pillow will ever get.

The Orvensleep Butterfly Pillow is shaped for side, back and stomach sleepers, with a centre cradle for the head and raised wings for the neck.