Patient Education: Proper Bed and Pillow Set-up

You will have a “pillow demo” done with you in the clinic. The following information/instruction is given to you so you can find the right pillow height anytime

at home.

Here are the major points for the best sleep and to support your structural correction and stabilization:

You must have a fully and uniformly supportive bed. This means that every square inch must have the same supportiveness. Only latex foam has this. If you have any questions about this, please let us know.

Lying on your side is the best way to sleep because you can achieve complete relaxation and maximal disappearance of uncomfortable pressure points with the correct pillow height for your body. It also helps to have a thin pillow between your knees and to hug a big pillow.  

Sleeping on your back has its liabilities because you are stuck in that position and cannot adjust your position easily to get maximal comfort. You can also shove your back, neck, and head forward using a pillow that is too high for you. So, it is best to sort out the right pillow height for side-sleeping. 

How to test for proper pillow height:

Note: Please don’t do the pillow testing later at night, as your eyes will be harder to keep open, regardless of the pillow height. You’ll understand why this is important as you read further. 

You can use an adjustable pillow like the ones I offer at the clinic, or combinations of different pillows you already have at home (of the same length).  

1.     Make your pillow too high on purpose and then lie on your side; aligning everything into a straight line: head, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.  

2.     Check if you are more easily rolling forward or backward. You can test this out by letting yourself roll a bit backward, then a little bit forward. In which direction were you more obviously rolling? The answer should be backward. 

3.     Now, make your pillow height too low on purpose and then lie on your side, aligning everything into a straight line: head, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.  

4.     Are you more easily rolling forward or backward? You can test this out by letting yourself roll a bit backwards, then a little bit forwards. In which direction were you more obviously rolling? The answer should be forward. 

5.     Somewhere in the middle of those two extremes is your perfect pillow height, when you do not particularly feel like you’re rolling more easily forward or backward. Keep testing slightly higher and slightly lower pillow heights until you find the right one for you.

You will know when you have found it because your eyes are harder to keep open. This is why testing at night can be hard to find the correct pillow height.

When you line up everything correctly while doing the test, your body gets that signal to close your eyes.

Even directly after drinking coffee!  Yes, your eyes will want to close naturally when this is done at the right pillow height.

When you actually go to bed to sleep, you do not have to keep your joints aligned as you do during testing for pillow height. Remember that while sleeping, it’s good to put a thin pillow between your knees and to hug a large pillow.  

Get ready to sleep better than ever! 

Added important Note:

Out of all 3 three major “RESTING” positions – Sitting, Sleeping, and Standing…Sleeping is the one which creates the most dramatic changes when you get it right; and holds you back, in improvements, when you have it wrong.

Consider these reasons why:

a. Sitting is often not done for more than a few hours at a time – one gets up and sits down again regularly,

b. Standing involves core strength, and compensatory muscles – these work to keep you up and minimize the damage that bad shoes will cause,

c. Sleeping on a non-supportive bed and incorrect height of pillow is done in 7-9 CONSECUTIVE hours; and also involves an unconscious body that does not brace against any vertebra that can and will move out of position FORWARD.  

Conclusion: 

Get a properly supportive mattress… It will make the difference between success and failure! 

Talk to Dr Riesling about a way to “Build Your Own Bed” for ½ the cost and a much superior product!