A good quality Wakefit mattress is essential for restful sleep, is a well-established fact but what most people do not consider is the pillow they sleep on. Your sleeping pillow is as important as your mattress as it provides support to the head and neck all through the night. If the pillow you sleep on is not good, when you wake up you feel stiff in the neck or over time leads to pain. What is critical to know is after a certain period even the best pillow will stop providing support. So, it is essential to learn how long it will last and how often you should pillow shopping.
When to replace your pillow?
The thumb rule is that you should replace it every year or you can stretch it to a max of about 2 years. Some of the best sleeping pillows online last longer while others don’t, that is due to the quality of materials and the way it is manufactured. The least durable type of pillow is polyester, and it lasts from 6 months to 24 months, and the most durable is the latex which has a lifespan of 4 years.
Why should you replace your pillow?
There are various reasons why the pillow you sleep on should be often replaced. Some of them are listed below
- As you sleep in the night, sweat, body oil, hair, and skin are shed, and since your head is on the pillow, it absorbs all of it. Over time, it begins to accumulate and starts to smell. Regular washing and maintenance can prevent it but not completely.
- Apart from the body odour, the materials that the pillow is made of attracts allergens, and it starts to accumulate — these allergens whose food is the dead skin multiplies and impacts people who are allergic to it. The dust mites cause allergies and aggravate the symptoms and reduce the quality of sleep. If these dust mites are not cleaned regularly it can add more weight to the pillow and it starts to sag.
- The other major reason you should consider changing to a new pillow is it has to carry the load of your head and hence it will wear out soon. You will see a crater in certain places of the pillow.
Tips to maintain your pillow:
The lifespan of your pillow depends on the quality and the type of material used, but to make sure that it lasts its maximum there is a need to maintain and clean it regularly. As part of its maintenance, wash your pillow regularly. Before you buy sleeping pillow online, learn how it can be maintained. Pillows made of down fillers are machine washable while others have to be either spot cleaned or dry cleaned. If the label suggests it is washable, you can wash it bi-annually using hot water option. Always use a detergent which is mild and put both pillows together so that the machine cleans it simultaneously. Wash it twice, once with detergent and then rinse it without soap. The best way to dry it is to leave it in a hot and dry place if that is not possible, use a low heat option. Ensure that it does not retain any moisture as mould can grow in them. Fluff it to retain the shape if your pillow is made of feathers or other shredded material.
Use pillow covers: Apart from a pillowcase use a pillow cover too so that it is completely closed. Another reason to use a pillow protector is to prevent the sweat and body odour from getting absorbed and causing dust mites to accumulate. A protective case also helps the sleeping pillow last long.