Body Pillow

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Body Pillow Benefits

A Body Pillow has Great Benefits for Many People. The body pillow can also be designed for use as a pregnancy pillow or maternity pillow, it is a total body pillow that aids sleep by providing support in areas of the body that other pillows don’t reach, thus allowing a comfortable position to be achieved with just one pillow. Anyone can benefit from a body pillow, male or female, if they have problems sleeping because of physical discomfort and where additional support would help, even on a temporary basis after injury.

Apart from the bolster pillow, the body pillow and the way it is used has only really gained popularity in recent years in the West, whereas in Eastern cultures body pillows in various forms have been in more common use for longer, often in the form of comforters that are hugged in bed whilst sleeping.

You will find that this type of pillow, the body pillow, will be advertised, because of its versatility, under a number of names apart from those already mentioned above. Although the designs might vary, if tailored for a specific market, the basic design is akin to the bolster pillow.

The bolster pillow is a long narrow pillow or cushion filled with feathers, down, cotton or fiber in European countries, to provide head and body support and more commonly in Eastern countries it is also a pillow that is hugged as a comforter that also aids sleep.

Originally these pillows were filled with a range of natural products including such things as straw, down, feathers, cotton, fiber, hemp and bamboo, some of which are still popular for those who like their products to be as natural as possible. However for those who suffer from allergies there is a range of hypoallergenic versions to be found in many designs, even ones containing feathers and down. Down is still regarded by many to be the best filling because of its softness and moldable properties. Down it is likely to be the most expensive of fillings, therefore you will often find down is combined in various ratios with feathers for more affordable prices.

Basic Pillow Design

As in the traditional bolster design a long slim pillow usually loose filled with natural or synthetic materials that you mold to your own requirements.

Side Sleeper Pillow

The side sleeper body pillow comes in a range of whole body length designs with “C”, “J” and “U” shapes designs common. As the name suggests this pillow is designed to suit people who sleep on their sides by providing extra support and take pressure off shoulders, hips or knees. This may prove particularly useful for people with arthritic or rheumatic joint conditions.

click problems that can be helped by a body pillow for further information.

Body Pillow – What Are Its Benefits ?

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Body Pillows, do you know what they are? As they are still a relatively new concept to a lot of people who may have heard of them, but who are not exactly sure what they are. Plus many people will not have heard of them at all, so if that’s you, you will not know of their benefits too! Benefits including getting more sleep, pain and discomfort reduction or elimination, allowing better quality sleep.

Most people when they think of pillows will have the image of a rectangular shape pillow or cushion used to support the head and neck, for sleeping in a bed. These will commonly be filled with feathers, duck down, foam or similar synthetic material. Body pillows can have many of the same fillings, but their shape and size is considerably different, they are also a lot more versatile than a conventional pillow.

The best way to understand what body pillows is to see photographs, otherwise think of the old fashioned “bolster pillow”, which was a long more tubular type of pillow the width of a double bed. These were often used more like body pillows especially by children, they could not only be used to support the head, but they were long enough so that they could also be hugged and gripped between the knees a the same time too.

The essential point about body pillows is that they are designed to be used for supporting other parts of the body besides the head and neck. There is no set shape; rather they are designed for specific purposes in a range of shapes to match their purpose. Shapes typically include, “L shape, “U” shape, “C” shape and “S” shape, with various other shapes in between.

As with ordinary pillows the type of filling can vary. If you are an allergy sufferer there is a good range of

hypoallergenic body pillows out there. It is even possible to get hypoallergenic versions of natural fillings such as duck down or feather if you prefer their feel to man made fibers.

Probably the biggest growth area for body pillows has been in the maternity sector. Pregnant women especially in the later stages of pregnancy can have problems getting comfortable during the day and have difficulty sleeping at night. Manufacturers have come out with a range of pregnancy body pillow designs to meet the special needs of a pregnant woman.

Due to the many changes resulting from pregnancy, a women’s body endures a lot of physical stress that can manifest itself as aches and pains and tiredness through lack of sleep. As well as the obvious changes of shape and increased weight caused by a growing baby, hormones soften the connective tissues in the pelvis in readiness for childbirth. All these changes can cause pain or discomfort particularly affecting the hips and lower back.

The pregnancy body pillow also called maternity pillow can be designed to help support the swollen belly and or lower back. Plus placing the pillow between the knees and thighs can help painful hips. The pregnancy pillow is contoured in such a way as to make getting this extra support as easy as possible.

People also suffering from rheumatism and arthritis can similarly benefit from the extra support a body pillow gives the back, hips and shoulders. With some people particularly appreciating the special qualities of memory foam body pillows.

Now to see just what body pillows look like, find more information on body pillow benefits use the links. Also see a selection of the pregnancy pillow designs too.

Dakimakura

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Body Pillows Around The World

Dakimakura Pillow of Japan

Around the world “body pillows” have taken various forms and of course different names, some of which have been Westernized. In Japan they have a form of pillow called the Dakimakura, meaning “hugging pillow”, this is a long pillow on which it or its cover is decorated with the image of a young woman in the style of “anime”, this is a style of Japanese cartoon illustration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dakimakura is commonly used by Japanese youths as “security objects” or “comfort objects. These are decorated with  with graphic illustrations of female characters of a bishōjo style.  Bishōjoor, also spelt bishoujo, means “beautiful young girl”.

The “bolster” pillow in the Western World was usually placed at the top of the bed to support the head and shoulders or back.

In South East Asian countries particularly Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia where it is called the “bantal peluk” or “bantal guling”, and the Philippines where it is referred to as a “hotdog pillow” or more natively “tandayan”, is a pillow for hugging when sleeping..

In China the Mandarin romanized name for such a pillow is “bao zhen” and in Cantonese it is called “lam chim”.

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Why You Should Change a Pillow Every Few Years

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Ever heard of dust mites? Well you share your bed and pillow hundreds of thousands of them! Dust mites are microscopic bugs that live in all our homes, they are not harmful in themselves, do not carry disease and are not parasites, they live only on our dead skin and hair that we shed throughout our homes, no matter how clean we and our homes are.

So why change your pillow if they are everywhere and are not parasites or disease carriers?

3 Reasons: -

1. Dust mites eat dead cells and hair at one and expel their feces at the other, these micro pellets at up to 18 per day per mite, which build up in your pillow contain a protein that can cause an allergic reaction and also can affect people with asthma or breathing difficulties

2. Dust mites die and their remains also build up in your pillow

3. Studies have shown that 10 % of the weight of a 2-year-old pillow can be the remains and feces of dust mites, not a nice thought!

It is thought that even if initially you are not sensitive to the proteins in the feces, long-term exposure may eventually lead to sensitivity like rhinitus, resulting in a blocked or runny nose and increase the risk of developing nasal polyps.

Perhaps we should all think about changing our pillows more often than most of us do!

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Turning The Heat Up On Body Pillows

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Heated Body Pillows

Heated body pillows are ideal for those living in cooler climates or for those just looking for something nice and warm to snuggle up to if your partner is not around.

It is now possible to buy low voltage heated body pillows that convert your 120 Volts supply down to 16 Volts. It might also be a way of cutting down on your energy bills by just heating you up rather than the whole room, maybe ideal for curling up with on the sofa to watch a late night film.

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Body Pillows Around the House

Body pillows are not just for use in the bedroom, they have multiple uses; people often use them in other rooms either on the sofa or on the floor in order to get comfortable when reading or watching television.

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Body Pillow Cases

Just as with ordinary pillows or cushions it is always best to use covers or pillowcases. Apart from a style issue it is much easier to wash a cover than the pillow itself, although it is usually possible to wash the pillows themselves with some restrictions.

You don’t need to restrict your use of the body pillow to the bedroom; they can be as great aid to getting comfortable on the sofa during the day too. If you are going to bring them into the living area of the home, body pillow cases are available in a range of colors and textiles more suitable for fitting into your décor and so that it doesn’t look out of place outside of the bedroom.

 

See Pregnancy Body Pillows

Memory Foam Body Pillows

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Memory Foam Body Pillows

Memory foam is a material developed under a NASA contract to help improve safety of seat cushioning in crashes for pilots and passengers of aircraft. It has since been developed further for use in the domestic market, typically used for mattresses, mattress toppers and pillows.

The properties of memory foam are that it moulds itself to the shape of the body that rests on it, reacting to a combination of heat and pressure, but the foam will return to its original shape when this is removed.

Memory Foam Advantages

1. It molds itself to the shape of the body giving a more even distribution of support to it, thus reducing the likelihood of uncomfortable pressure points and the complications of reduced blood flow in extreme circumstances. This is a health aspect that is more relevant for people confined to bed where memory foam mattresses really can help prevent bedsores.

2. When used in pregnancy pillows memory foam support the ability to mold to a changing body shape could be an advantage.

3. House mites and moulds are thought to be less likely to occur.

Memory Foam Disadvantages

1. Cost – may be more expensive.

2. Some people find that they can feel too hot because of reduced airflow and the thermal insulation properties of the material itself.

3. When new, some people complain of chemical odors being given off, similar to odors given off by some paint products. This tends to wear off over time, but still may remain a problem if a person is sensitized.

N.B. Memory foam mattresses are not recommended for babies and infants as the molding properties of the foam may make it difficult for the baby to turn over, so there is an increased risk of overheating or suffocation occurring.

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The Pregnancy Pillow or Maternity Pillow

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Finding it difficult to get comfortable or sleep now your pregnant?

The pregnancy pillow is designed specifically with the pregnant or nursing mother in mind.

The physical changes occurring during pregnancy and particularly in the later stages often makes getting comfortable or sleeping difficult. This is a result of increased muscle strain due to carrying the additional weight, plus hormonal changes that allow movement in the bones of the pelvis.

The bones of the pelvis are normally locked in position by ligaments, but in anticipation of the birthing process, these ligaments become more stretchy from the effects of the hormones, including one called Relaxin, this means the pelvic bones can move from their normally fixed positions and can create postural strain and discomfort as a result.

Pregnancy pillow design can provide additional support to the back and stomach, cushioning between the knees and support to the pelvis, when and where you most need it.

The shape of pregnancy pillows are very much the same as side sleeper pillows, which is a good thing, as sleeping on the left side in particular, for good physiological reasons is recommended by the medical profession during pregnancy.

Sleeping on the left side prevents the liver, a large organ situated on the right side of the body from being compressed by the enlarged uterus. Compression of the liver may affect its ability to function correctly in filtering the blood. Sleeping this way also means the hearts blood vessels are less like to be restricted thus reducing blood flow, which can be the result of sleeping on your back in the later stages of pregnancy.

 

The “J” shape or hockey stick shape of maternity pillow provides support to the head and shoulders and when hugged can comfortably keep the knees separated to relieve pressure there and in the hips.

The “C” shape design can provide a little extra support front or back and increase stability so that you are more likely to remain on your side.

The “U” shaped pregnancy pillow can provide support to the stomach and back at the same time and is only disadvantaged by its size when compared to other designs.

Some maternity pillow designs also double up as nursing pillows providing support both for the mother and baby.

Pregnancy Pillows Too Big?

If you think that pregnancy pillows look large and might take up to much room in the bed this need not be the case, plus they do come in different designs.

To get support using ordinary pillows it is not uncommon for a woman to use 4 or 5 pillows in the later stages of pregnancy. This number of pillows not only takes up more room than most maternity pillows, but also they tend to need considerable readjustment every time the woman turns over, disturbing both parties in a shared bed.

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Body Pillows How Can They Help You?

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Can Body Pillows Help You Sleep ?

Apart from pillows designed for expectant mothers to provide support for an expanding belly and an aching back, people who have difficulty sleeping are likely to benefit from body pillows, but surprisingly few people have tried them.

Snoring Problems – Can A Body Pillow Stop You Snoring?

People who tend to snore only when they lie on their back can also benefit from the increased stability and comfort that a body pillow

can provide. A side sleeper body pillow is worth trying not only for the benefit of the snorer, who may not be aware of the problem but may still only get disturbed sleep because of it, but also the person it disturbs.

 

 

How a Body Pillow Can Help You Sleep

If you have difficulty in sleeping there might be many causes, some causes are well known and can be identified others remain unknown, but either way physical discomfort is often present.

Physical discomfort can be a reason it is difficult to sleep or it can result through the stress of not being able to sleep that then prevents you from finding any comfortable position, even if only to relax, this is where a body pillow can help you.

Having a good bed with the correct mattress should provide you with good body support. Few people know how to choose the correct mattress to begin with and are often too self-conscious to try out a bed well enough in a store anyway, even if they do. Often people find that after just one night at home their new bed is not as comfortable as it seemed in the store, having a good pillow is one way of overcoming some problems of your mattress.

Even with a good mattress nearly everybody will use one or more pillows as well, to support the head neck and shoulders, but this does nothing to provide support for the hips, knees and lower back that are often problems areas for getting comfortable.

Sleeping on your side is often a preferred position to sleep in, but it does increase pressure on the hip. It also causes a slight twist of the knees, legs and hips, which can put strain on the lower back as well.

A body pillow, sometimes also called a side sleeper pillow is designed so that it can be placed between the knees or for resting the upper leg on, this takes some of the weight off the hips, reducing the pressure on the hip in contact with the bed and reducing the twisting of the lower back.

By placing the body pillow between the knees it is thus helpful to people with painful knee joints by providing cushioning between them, likewise there is reduced pressure on painful hip joints. The body pillow also has the advantage of making the side sleeping more stable.

Another factor that may help some people to sleep is the “comfort” factor of having something to hug, it is not just children who find having something to hug in bed aids sleep, although some will not admit it! Body pillows are used throughout the world, their local names when translated often mean hugging pillows.

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