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Comment by Bootwizard | Hacker News Reader

I guess this is a little off topic, but can anyone recommend a good side sleeper pillow? I've bought around 6 pillows in the last few years and all of them cause me to wake up with neck and back pain because they don't hold my head up.

I've had insomnia for a long time and I'm still tackling the causes. I'm definitely going to try one of these weighted blankets, and maybe a sleep mask. I made the leap a few months ago to buy a Casper mattress and that's helped a lot. It's not as dramatic a difference as I'd hoped but replacing a ?? year old mattress with anything is better.

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https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-pillow-for-side-sleep...

I use the Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Pillow recommended; when I replace it I'll probably buy the upgrade pick mentioned in the article just to see if it's much nicer.

I've spent years trying different pillows (usually super-expensive ones) and the memory foam is by far the best for me (I am also a side sleeper).

Other random insomnia advice: try to focus on relaxing each and every muscle in your body so that you are totally slack. Mindfulness apps/podcasts can help you do this. It helps me a lot. Low-dose melatonin (1mg) is good when you're training yourself to sleep but I wouldn't take it long-term (very vivid dreams are a side effect).

I've tried mindfulness and melatonin before. Definitely took melatonin long enough to get the side effects. I'll try to get back into mindfulness but it was a difficult habit to form.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely check out this pillow.

1 mg melatonin is actually more than triple the recommended dose (0.3 mg). Most people should be able to take that indefinitely.

I use the Hullo buckwheat pillow. It's filled with buckwheat shells, which don't compress like normal pillow fillings do. Extremely firm, yet also comfortable after a few nights of adaptation.

https://hullopillow.com/buckwheat-pillow/

Anecdote: I tried a buckwheat pillow and couldn't even make it through one night due to how much noise they make. Every time you roll over or even move your head a little bit it sounds like you're rustling through a pile of dry leaves.

I use one too and that was an adjustment when first getting it, but once I got used to it, the fact that it can be adjusted to fit wherever my neck wants to lay and stay there more than made up for it. Now that it's been a few years I don't even notice it anymore. I have however started buying the hulls and zip-up pillow cases to start making my own for half the cost though. I've had my cat accidentally rip one or two open while careening through the place at 3am. You do have to eventually replace or replenish the hulls regardless though, they break apart and get smaller so provide less support.

I alternate between this and a shredded memory foam pillow. The Blu is thinner than I would have expected to be comfortable, but at least on my mattress, it keeps my spine almost perfectly straight while on my side, and I generally don't wake up with shoulder pain.

https://www.amazon.com/Blu-Sleep-Products-Memory-Pillow/dp/B...

Personal favorite: https://www.costco.com/P%c3%bcreLUX-Comfort-Cool-Memory-Foam...

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