Best Pillow for Side Sleepers: How to Choose the Right One
Most people spend at least part of the night on their side. It is a comfortable position, but it leaves a big gap between your head and the mattress: the width of your shoulder. If your pillow does not fill that gap, your neck bends down or up for hours, and that is often why you wake up stiff.
What a side sleeper needs from a pillow
- Enough height. Side sleepers need a taller pillow than back or stomach sleepers. The goal is a straight line from the middle of your forehead, down your nose and chin, to the centre of your chest.
- Support under the neck. A flat pillow supports the head but leaves the neck hanging. A contoured pillow has a raised edge that fills the space under the neck.
- A shape that keeps its height. Fibre and feather pillows squash flat over the night. Memory foam holds its shape until morning.
- The right feel. Some people love firm, shaped support. Others prefer something softer they can mould. Both can work if the height is right.
How to check your pillow height
Lie on your side and ask someone to look at you from behind, or take a photo. If your head tilts down towards the mattress, the pillow is too low. If it tilts up towards the ceiling, it is too high. Broad shoulders usually need more height; a softer mattress that lets your shoulder sink in needs a little less.
Contour pillow or adjustable pillow?
A memory foam contour pillow like the Contour Align has a raised neck roll and a lower centre, so your head rests in the dip and your neck is supported on the edge. It suits people who switch between their back and side and like firmer support.
An adjustable shredded memory foam pillow like the Cloud Align lets you add or remove fill until the height feels right. It suits people who want a softer, plush feel but still need proper support.
Don't forget your hips and knees
When you sleep on your side, your top leg tends to slide forward and down. That twists your hips and lower back. A knee pillow for side sleepers sits between your knees and keeps your hips level, so nothing twists overnight.
Quick checklist
- Your neck stays level with your spine when you lie on your side.
- The pillow still has the same height in the morning.
- You are not folding the pillow or adding your arm under it to get comfortable.
- Your hips and knees feel comfortable, not twisted, when you wake.
Not sure which to choose? Take our 60-second sleep quiz and we will recommend one pillow. Every Somnaire pillow comes with a 30-night trial and free shipping across Australia on orders over A$75.
If you have ongoing neck, shoulder or back pain, speak with your GP or a physiotherapist. A pillow can make sleep more comfortable, but it is not a treatment.