Pillow recommendations - stiff neck

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Sometimes I wake up with a stiff neck/shoulder, and it’s painful when I turn my head for maybe 7-10 days.

Except this latest time, when it’s stayed stiff and sore for the last 3 weeks. It’s bad when I wake up, then eases throughout the day to the point where it’s not too bad at all and I think it’s on its way out.

And then I wake up the next morning and I’m back to square one.

My sleep is disturbed because I wake up during the night feeling uncomfortable, and I’m so tired during the daytime because of that.

So, I was after pillow recommendations for a good neck support pillow. I mainly side or front sleep. Please can anyone recommend one for me?

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I use to be the same. I bought the Emma pillow (original foam) and omg it’s literally changed my life. I’ve had it over a year and can’t remember the last time I had a bad neck from sleeping funny. Definitely recommend

Thank you, @LughHaurie, I will take a look at that one.

Following with interest because I'm getting headaches that I think are caused by sleeping position. I finally found a pillow (the Premier Inn ones) that seemed to help, but I'm having to change them every few months as they seem to get compacted.

I've bought so many pillows over the years, they feel lovely in the shop but as soon as I lie on them it's like they have rocks in them!

Good luck in your search, OP!

We love the Tempur Cloud pillows. If you go on the Tempur website they usually have a few half-price reconditioned ones available every day. You can trial them and return them if not suitable but read the terms carefully.

I got one of these having gone through a fortune in pillows that didn't help one bit. Never looked back, and well worth it - pillow is at least 6 years old now and still like new.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SKYNY-Shoulder-Adjustable-Shredded-Sleeping/dp/B0BWF91LDR/ref=sr_1_12_sspa?adgrpid=58676004848&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MpXFbH_GY2DPjVUC6uaRh3uPfYCTCn9aRn1kbjY4fBi6QLFL_GUdPnQRqUmZ6B232tk0BBMwXEI2BhqIUPeNK5pjVbgo5oOKeUq3g76XegF74pNDGJcEdRQop78YcggCW0ZTmAwhmWCks86mDDmaLjZWcY1HegKIAvK6yzXl55GTlEN3W6_8LmeIJbtsumIp-yVFYqf8-7a8sekVQnQdlk3oj61Sz3BRl40FUbt7ONIEagGTLY_AITCPowuzctSqnU9K3MRDTtr1_ziVXql7XzmCadrafrj3nBmzqOqOuvM.19laM-wuT5VF4GMJWx8DkSgXguWYPUVhUGhXx6XlpD4&dib_tag=se&hvadid=259059862208&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9215665&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16120716837106003998&hvtargid=kwd-138556000&hydadcr=28154_1724864&keywords=side%2Bsleeper%2Bpillow&mcid=134976c4b85b3bb59edd655195b15c04&qid=1744449068&sr=8-12-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1

I have problems with my neck. I bought a pillow of Amazon that was shaped for neck and shoulder problems. It was the best £20 I spent. I now wake up pain free. Sorry I don’t remember the name of it but it was a few years ago.

Thank you for all the suggestions, they are really helpful. I was looking on Amazon but there are a million and one pillows (probably 95% of them made in the same factory) so it’s good to get recommendations to help narrow the choice down!

I use a Sissel neck pillow. They're expensive, but worth every penny. Mine goes everywhere with me.

i have spent hundreds on pillows over the last few years due to neck and shoulder pain. My latest is the best i’ve had, it’s this - https://www.eternalmuse.com/products/the-cloudmallow?srsltid=AfmBOortBQLcfroVnGH8ykDy9V653euyiiIs5JoIjlMzAvosbZaG2Et3

@StarCourt I have often thought about getting a squishmallow toy to use as a pillow so this sounds really interesting as I like a really soft pillow. Is it thick or not as I like a thinner pillow as a side sleeper I find a thick one bounces up against my face when i lay down.

I find the cheaper soft pillows are best but hate to have to keep buying new and throwing them out.

Following…

People who’ve recommended so far- are you side sleepers?

I got one like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elviros-Cervical-Orthopedic-Ergonomic-Removable/dp/B08DJ41QBS?ref=aststodp&th=1

Used to have neck pain and stiffness every single morning. I havent had any neck pain or stiffness whatsoever since I got it.

I got one from
john Lewis. It’s shaped so has a dip in the middle so it supports your neck.

Panda all the way https://www.costco.co.uk/Home-Kitchen/Bedding/Duvets-Pillows/Panda-Memory-Foam-Pillow-with-Bamboo-Cover/p/234529. I had exactly the same issue for years. Switched to this pillow 5 years ago and haven’t had the issue since.

What puts me off most pillows is that I want to try them for a while before I buy! And living a long way from the nearest post office makes any 'try and return' an absolute nightmare, so I have to resort to lying on them in shops, which doesn't in any way tell you how they are going to feel at one in the morning after three hours lying on it.

Has anyone tried a water pillow?

Oooh interesting - when I was a kid my friend's parents had a water bed (they went through a popular phase in the 80s/90s) - they had to have their ceiling reinforced as it was so heavy and I sat on it once and it was so weird- it sloshed around and felt really unstable

I have a Kally neck pain pillow. Fantastic but what I don't like is the look of it. Am going to buy a child's pillow case to cover it, as it is an odd shape and smaller than the average pillow. I think I paid £39.99 for it with free delivery from the company. They were £50 in John Lewis.

Hi @superstar63 i am also a side sleeper. I always puff it up before i lie on it so there is a bit of bounce initially by your face but it settles really quickly. Honestly i never thought a pillow as soft as this would ever be my favourite but I can’t sleep on anything else now, all my other pillows feel too bulky and hard

Yes I have, the Mediflow one. It's pretty good and iirc it had been shown to be helpful for neck pain in clinical trials. That said, I prefer my Sissel as it stretches my neck really gently overnight.

@StarCourt Thank you, i think it sounds like it may be worth a try for me.

I really suffer with my neck, I have a memory foam, contour pillow, it really helps,
I have a travel version when we go away too.

A buckwheat pillow is amazing. I've been using them for 20 years now. Firm, but not hard, never goes soft or compacted. Keeps you cool and provides the best support possible.

I have had neck issues since being pg with ds and he's 30 now. Years ago I read an article recommending feather and down pillows. Honestly, a game changer. Plump and adjust to fit the neck.

M&S feather and down are very good and don't break the bank.

Edited to add: we always used to use feather/down pillows, then when I started getting older getting a stiff neck, I tried a pillow with a small memory foam core. Which was OK but I didn’t love it and still got the occasional stiff neck. For the past 2 years we’ve had wool pillows which I love (although I love my wool duvet more) and I have literally not had a stiff neck in all that time, apart from this one now that I just can’t shake off.

Thank you for all the suggestions, it’s much appreciated. So, as contoured memory foam pillows seemed to be popular, I have bought a fairly random one from Amazon. Chosen because:
(a) it was relatively cheap
(b) it had a lot of good reviews and hopefully not all of them can be bots or paid for
(c) it can apparently fit inside a normal pillowcase
(d) Amazon can deliver it tomorrow.

I will come back and give my verdict once I’ve had a couple of nights to try it out.