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Everyone deserves to have a good night’s sleep. It helps people recharge their bodies, recover from pain, and start the day refreshed. However, not everyone can instantly achieve restful sleep. Apart from stress, a poor sleep environment can affect how people drift to sleep.
If you are having trouble sleeping, you may want to focus on improving your surroundings to bring you to deep slumber. There are many ways you can enhance your sleep environment. You can dim your bedroom, replace your mattress, or play soothing music.
One factor that stands out among the rest is pillows. Almost everyone sleeps with a pillow under their heads. It helps keep them comfortable and still, which goes a long way in reducing neck pain and soreness.
However, choosing the right pillow can be tricky. The options for pillow types seem endless, from memory foam and latex pillows to millet pillow. A buckwheat pillow is a good solution if you’d like to go with something unique.
However, choosing the right pillow can be tricky. The options for pillow types seem endless, from memory foam and latex pillows to millet pillow. A buckwheat pillow is a good solution if you’d like to go with something unique.
One of the biggest competitors of a buckwheat pillow is memory foam. If they’re your top two choices, read on to see which one is the best for you.
The Buckwheat Pillow
A buckwheat pillow uses buckwheat hulls as its filling. Unlike other pillows, a buckwheat pillow provides extra support to your head and neck. Still, it comes with pros and cons. Knowing those can help you decide it’s something you’ll be comfortable with. You can watch this video to learn more about this pillow.
The Pros
Sleeping with a buckwheat pillow can provide you with plenty of benefits, including ultimate comfort, longer sleep, and better sleep quality. To further elaborate, listed below are the pros of sleeping with a buckwheat pillow:
It Is Adjustable
A buckwheat pillow is filled with thousands of buckwheat hulls. You can remove these hulls to adjust the pillow to any height and firmness you like. You can keep your pillow flat or bulky or somewhere in between.
When removing the hulls, place them in an enclosed container to maintain their condition. If you change your sleep preference, you can quickly put them back into the pillow.
Some types of pillows have standard levels of firmness, like soft, medium, or firm. Since you can adjust your buckwheat pillow, you don’t have to overly worry if you get the firmness right.
It Is Long Lasting
A typical pillow can only last for one to two years. A buckwheat pillow from PineTales can last up to 10 years with proper care.
That’s five to ten times longer than an average pillow. With its longevity, you can save time and energy by not buying a new pillow every couple of years.
It Is Breathable
A buckwheat pillow doesn’t use any solid material as a filling. It has thousands of hulls that can freely move.
With this structure, the pillow is breathable. There’s plenty of space inside the pillow where air can pass through. It can help keep your bed cool and comfortable as you sleep.
It Is Hypoallergenic And Dust-Mite Resistant
A buckwheat pillow uses all-natural materials as a filling. There aren’t any food sources, so it doesn’t attract bugs or insects.
For the same reason, the pillow is also hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant. It may be your best choice if you’re sensitive to most pillow fillings.
It Has Other Uses
Since you can adjust a buckwheat pillow, you can use it for any purpose. Besides sleeping, you can use them as a back pillow for your home office. A back pillow is great if you have frequent back pains from sitting too long.
You can just put the extra hulls in a tightly sealed container. Alternatively, you can put them into a smaller pillow case, which you can use as a neck pillow for traveling.
The Cons
While a buckwheat pillow has plenty of benefits, there are also some drawbacks. After knowing the disadvantages of a buckwheat pillow, you can decide if it’s still for you. Listed below are some cons of sleeping with a buckwheat pillow:
It Needs Time Getting Used To
A buckwheat pillow has a different characteristic than your regular pillow. Its firmness may need some time to get used to.
Before you decide it’s not for you, you should try sleeping with the pillow for at least two weeks. From there, you can see if you’re already comfortable with it or need to try a different one.
It Is Heavy
Buckwheat hulls aren’t lightweight. A buckwheat pillow usually weighs around 4 to 12 pounds. By contrast, a down pillow weighs about 0.5 to 1 pound.
With the extra weight, a buckwheat pillow may not be ideal for traveling. But their weight shouldn’t be an issue if you only use them inside the bedroom.
It Makes A Rustling Noise
The buckwheat hulls will move around the pillow, even with the slightest movement. So, they produce a soft rustling noise, which you may need time to adjust. They won’t be too loud but relatively soft.
You can hear them more if you’re a side sleeper, as your ears touch the pillow. Nevertheless, some people find the rustling noise soothing. You can see if the sound relaxes you, too.
It Is Not Washable
You cannot wash your buckwheat pillows. You can only clean the case, but never the fills. When your hulls get wet, they can get damaged.
You may be unable to use them again, even if you try to dry them out. Your only solution is to replace them with other hulls.
It Has A Faint Scent
Since buckwheat pillows come from natural sources, they have a faint scent. Some people aren’t comfortable with it, while others find the smell somewhat comforting.
The only way to find out if it will bother you is to test it yourself. You may be unable to detect it as it’s incredibly light.
Before you turn your head away from buckwheat pillows, allow yourself to adjust for at least two weeks. You can see if it’s something you can live with or not.
The Memory Foam Pillow
A memory foam pillow uses a type of polyurethane foam that’s elastic and spongey. It usually has a solid rectangular shape that comforts your head and neck. You may notice that once you get off the pillow, it maintains its shape. A memory foam pillow usually comes with a medium soft to medium firmness. Even with its unique composition, it still has pros and cons. Knowing these can help you understand if the memory foam pillow is your best option.
The Pros
Many people prefer to sleep with a memory foam pillow because of the several benefits. No wonder it’s popular. To help you further understand, below are some pros of a memory foam pillow:
It Provides Enough Support
One of the biggest selling points of a memory foam pillow is that it can provide plenty of support to your body. You can expect your neck, head, and back to be comfortable when you sleep with a memory foam pillow.
The pillow is thick and dense. It can contour your body shape, providing support and comfort as you sleep. Some may even offer an ergonomic shape to provide better assistance. With a memory foam pillow, you can wake up to a fantastic sleep free from body pains.
It Is Hypoallergenic
A memory foam pillow uses synthetic materials that are hypoallergenic. A memory foam pillow is the best choice for those allergy sufferers. They don’t have to worry about sudden allergy attacks and can sleep peacefully.
It Is Great For Snorers
If a person snores, they need to sleep on their side to minimize the noise. A memory foam pillow can help a person keep their sleep position because it retains its shape. Thus, a memory foam pillow is perfect for loud snorers.
It Retains Its Shape
One of the most frustrating things that can happen to a fluffy pillow is becoming flat. Most people expect their pillows to remain the same from the day they buy them. Luckily, this is possible with a memory foam pillow.
This pillow can hold its shape for as long as possible. It’s a rare occurrence they go flat. Usually, a memory foam pillow stays firm and in a straight rectangular shape for years.
It Has No Movements
If you’re a light sleeper, you can understand how frustrating it is when your pillow moves with a single motion. You want your mattress and pillow to not move when you change sleep positions.
A memory foam pillow can keep everything in place. You won’t feel anything even if you move. There’ll be no soft movements.
With the way a memory foam pillow keeps its shape and provides support, it’s no mystery why they’re famous. The fantastic benefits of a memory foam pillow will surely help to give you a good night’s sleep.
The Cons
As the benefits of a memory foam pillow astonish you, you need to prepare for its disadvantages. Of course, there’s no such thing as a perfect pillow. To help you see if it’s the best choice for you, listed below are the drawbacks of a memory foam pillow:
It Is Not Entirely Breathable
Since a memory foam pillow is dense, you can’t expect much breathability and airflow. There’ll be not much space where air can travel through your pillow.
A non-breathable pillow can be a drawback if you’re a hot sleeper. It won’t make your nights comfortable, and you’re probably wake up sweating.
Its Flexibility Depends On The Temperature
The firmness of a memory foam pillow depends on its environment. The pillow can be softer and more flexible if its surrounding is too warm. A warmer room can significantly affect those who love a softer pillow. Alternatively, the pillow can get firmer if the room is cool.
Granted, it’s impressive how the pillow adapts. However, it’s not the best choice for those with an uncontrolled environment. An adaptable pillow can be frustrating for those who like a cool room with a soft pillow. With a memory foam pillow, you can’t have both.
It May Carry A Chemical Scent
A memory foam pillow uses synthetic materials, so it may not give off a chemical off-gassing scent. The fragrance is usually intense when you remove the pillow from the packaging.
In most cases, the smell will disappear in a day or two. However, those with a heightened olfactory smell may still notice the odor. The chemical scent can be a significant drawback for those sensitive to it.
It Has A Shorter Lifespan
A memory foam pillow can only last up to two to three years. Buying another pillow can cost you money, especially when you purchase in bulk. But if budget isn’t much of an issue, the pillow’s lifespan shouldn’t bother you.
It Is Non-Adjustable
When you purchase a memory foam pillow, you must be satisfied with its size, shape, and firmness. You cannot alter it, unlike with a buckwheat pillow. Since a memory foam pillow isn’t adjustable, you must choose the height and firmness well.
Sometimes, the standard sizes may not work best for you. The non-adjustability of the pad can be quite troublesome if you want to customize your sleep experience.
If you can live with the cons, this may be the best pillow for you. However, if they’re too much for you, you may want to choose a buckwheat pillow.
The Verdict
A buckwheat pillow and a memory foam pillow are completely different things. To know which is best for you, you have to decide which feature you want to prioritize. You need to weigh the pros and cons of each and see which one you can still be comfortable with.
If you’re still undecided, you may want to visit the store and have a feel for both pillows. Seeing the pillows in person can let you identify which one is the most comfortable. You need to lay your head down on the pillow and see if it feels like a dream.
Choosing the best pillow can be difficult. But as you gather your resources and consider all boons and banes, you can get the right pillow for you. Nothing feels better than finally having a pillow you can sleep comfortably in.