An expert's tips for finding the perfect pillow for you

Image source, Chris McCarthyImage caption, Dr Chris McCarthy says the ideal pillow for you depends on how you sleep (the brand has been hidden). By George SandemanBBC News20 minutesReading time: 5 min "I'm one of those people," says Dr Chris McCarthy. "Yes, I travel with my pillow." You may have seen them at the airport: people with a pillow under their arm as they drag their suitcases toward the check-in counter. Or maybe you're one of them, attached to a pillow that is soft enough to sink into, yet firm enough that you don't end up in a crumpled heap by morning. McCarthy insists it's not about being fussy. He is a well-known physiotherapist and knows that an unsuitable pillow can literally become a pain in the neck. That said, he doesn't take his own pillow when traveling abroad. But as soon as he arrives at the hotel, he starts testing, arranging and adjusting the pillows until they're just right. And he has a trick that never fails to make even the least promising pillow fit for sleeping. This is his guide to choosing the perfect pillow for you. What kind of sleeper are you? McCarthy, an associate professor at the Manchester School of Physiotherapy, says the right pillow will depend on the position in which you sleep. Skip Most read and continue readingMost readEnd of Most read Speaking to the BBC podcast Sliced Bread, he says most people fall into three categories: side sleepers, back sleepers and stomach sleepers. McCarthy advises against sleeping on your stomach, as the neck remains turned in one direction for a prolonged period. "Inevitably, a muscle or ligament gets stretched and becomes a bit irritated," he says. "If there's one thing on which there is broad consensus in the physiotherapy world regarding the treatment of spinal pain, it's not sleeping on your stomach." When choosing a pillow, back sleepers should take into account the flexion at the top of the spine, a curvature that naturally increases in many people as they age. If you have a greater curvature in your back, "you need a slightly thicker pillow than someone who has a very flat back," says McCarthy. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, For back sleepers, the main consideration is the degree of neck flexion. A person with greater flexion needs a thicker pillow. For side sleepers, the key measurement is shoulder width. Generally, the wider the shoulders, the thicker the pillow they will need. But they must also take the mattress into account. How soft is your mattress? Image source, Getty Images McCarthy says how much you sink into the mattress "makes a big difference to the height of pillow you need afterwards." "If you have broad shoulders and sleep on a very firm mattress, you need a thick pillow," he explains. "If you sleep on a softer mattress, you need a thinner pillow because your shoulder sinks further into the mattress." This is less of a problem for back sleepers, as they don't sink into the mattress as much as side sleepers. If your pillow feels too flat, McCarthy suggests placing a folded towel underneath and varying the number of folds to adjust the height. That way you can roughly measure it to choose a new one. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, For side sleepers, the main consideration is shoulder width. People with broader shoulders need thicker pillows, though they must also take into account how much they sink into the mattress. Which shape is best? Specialized pillows are often advertised as anatomical, ergonomic or orthopedic, but McCarthy says their effectiveness is not fully proven. "There is some evidence, though inconclusive, suggesting that having a slightly raised front part of the pillow, reaching up to the neck area, does help people who sleep on their side." To check whether a raised front part helps you sleep better, you can try McCarthy's towel trick: roll it up and place it under the pillow. He recommends that side sleepers choose a position that allows them to keep their back straight. For back sleepers, some manufacturers advertise a pillow with a hollow in the center and raised sides. According to McCarthy, this pillow promotes good sleeping posture, but some of his patients find it a bit claustrophobic. A person with a large, heavy head also needs a thicker and firmer pillow, he adds. Feather or foam? According to McCarthy, feather and down pillows — the soft, fluffy material found beneath the outer feathers of ducks and geese — can help keep you cool on hot nights because they dissipate heat from the head. However, these can change shape during the night, especially if the sleeper moves around a lot, and the pillow can end up bunched up against the headboard. "What starts out as a flat, comfortable surface becomes a wedge, and then the neck gets twisted." According to McCarthy, hollow fiber and microfiber fillings hold their shape better, though they generally don't dissipate heat as well. Some are made with a firmer material at the bottom of the pillow, which helps maintain its shape during the night. Image source, Getty Images McCarthy bought his foam pillow, which has tubular spaces for ventilation, five years ago for about US$65. As he sleeps on his side, he adjusts its height using a folded towel placed underneath. He says choosing the right pillow depends a lot on each person's needs and encourages people to take advantage of the trial period that some manufacturers offer their customers. "I'm afraid there's no single design that's perfect for everyone or for every position," he says. "It has to be personalized." This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. 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