One of the most important factors in a good night’s sleep lies right beneath your head: your pillow. At the end of the long day, there is nothing more inviting than a soft, plush bed accessorized with an array of sleep-inducing pillows. However, while you might think a pillow is only to provide you comfort, it actually affects many aspects of your overall health. A poorly constructed, or even outdated, pillow can negatively affect your quality of sleep, injure your spinal structure, and harm your future wellbeing.

The most obvious physiological sign of a substandard pillow is any kind of spine or neck pain. Whether it is too puffy or too flat, an unsatisfactory pillow can contribute to head, neck, or back misalignment. Your pillow must support your head so much so that your weight can be evenly distributed throughout your entire body, allowing no particular area to be under stress. One of the main muscles in contact with your pillow is your trapezius muscle, running from your neck to your shoulders. This muscle is important for many reasons, most of which is support of your head, so it is crucial that it completely relaxes during sleep. Misalignment of your body due to a bad pillow can cause spasms in the trapezius muscle and puts a lot of pressure on the spine, specifically the C2 and C3 vertebra. This pressure can irritate the body’s nervous system, resulting in numbness or pain throughout the body. A simple test to discover if your pillow is of the correct density is to fold it in half. If it bounces back to its original shape, it is safe to say that it holds the correct amount of firmness. If it stays flat, then it is a good idea to toss it out and replace it with a better one.

When your pillow is not fitted properly to meet your needs, your sleep can often be interrupted by tossing and turning while you desperately attempt to readjust your pillow underneath your head. Interrupted sleep has drastic deleterious effects on your overall health. Full Non-REM and REM cycles are crucial for stimulating the parts of the brain that are associated with memory retention and learning, critical thinking, creative problem solving, body tissue repair and growth, protein development, and immunity strengthening. Sleep deprivation can affect your mood, thinking skills, and appetite. Chronic sleep deprivation increases your risk for falls, cancer, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. If the 90-minute cycles are interrupted, the sleeper not only misses out on the countless benefits of a good night’s sleep, but also puts themselves at risk for serious bodily harm.

The Dr. Maas Comfort Gusset Pillow offers the perfect amount of density for proper support and alignment of the body. It’s state of the line cooling technology prevents over-heating, allowing you to sleep soundly throughout the night. It was designed for optimal comfort and sleep promotion, so you can get a great night’s rest for a better tomorrow. Available in a standard and king size, it can be found at ufdshop.com. Order yours today and experience all that a great night’s sleep has to offer!

Dr. James B. Maas and Lane A. Morris, Sleep research and sleep educator professionals.

Dr. Maas is a leading authority and international consultant on sleep and performance, is CEO of Sleep for Success. He is one of the world’s most sought after corporate, medical, academic institution and athletic team speakers.

Lane A. Morris is a research associate at Sleep for Success and is pursuing a career as a physician assistant and sleep educator.

Dr. James Maas, the New York Times best selling author, is a leading authority and international consultant on sleep and performance. Healthy sleep has been proven to be the single most important factor to peak performance, productivity and in predicting longevity. Knowing how important quality sleep is to every aspect of one’s life, we have developed the Dr. Maas Collection to give you the ultimate night’s sleep.

United Feather & Down is a family owned business with eight generations of experience in the down and feather industry. Founded in Europe more than 200 years ago, our mission then and now has always been to produce the most coveted down and down alternative bedding products.

With a legacy that spans two centuries, our industry expertise, devoted customer service and premium quality products deliver outstanding comfort and warmth for a superior sleep experience. We at United Feather & Down are pleased to offer you our collection of the worlds finest feather and down Pillows, Comforters & Blankets for your home. Combining the ultimate in luxury and comfort, our products will provide the ultimate sleep experience, night after night.

We at United Feather & Down wish you a good nights sleep!