How Often Should You Replace Pillows?
Our pillows help us get a good night sleep. They cushion our neck and head and can directly affect our spine. Pillows range in cost from about $5 each to hundreds of dollars for custom-made versions filled with the softest of down feathers. Because most pillows don't fare too well in the washing machine, the question sometimes arises regarding how long we should keep our pillows before replacing them with new ones. The experts' opinions may surprise you.
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Allergens & Germs
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Representatives for the Martex Company, a bedding manufacturer, suggest that allergens such as dust mites, bacteria, mold and mildew, along with human factors such as perspiration and drool, can cause pillows to become unhealthy in two to three years. Allergens can be somewhat eliminated by tossing pillows in a clothes dryer set on a high temperature and adding a tennis ball or two to effectively fluff them. Some Poly-Fil pillows may be washed, but unless they are fairly pricey ones, they don't withstand more than one or two washings. Martex scientists recommend replacing bed pillows every two years.
Spine
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Dr. Michael J. Breus is a board-certified sleep specialist and the author of a book titled "Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health." He says that an old pillow can cause improper neck alignment that can throw off a person's whole spine, resulting in back, neck and leg pain and causing a series of headaches. He suggests replacing good-quality pillows every one to two years and less expensive ones more often than that.
Sleep
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Peter Bils is the senior director of Sleep Innovation and the chairman of the Sleep Advisory Board at Select Comfort. He claims that orthopedic specialists and chiropractors recognize that nearly all back and neck problems stem from or are aggravated by poor sleep practices, such as sleeping on cheap, worn out or poorly fitted pillows.
Because sleep deprivation can affect nearly every area in our lives, it's imperative to do whatever possible to get plenty of good-quality sleep on a nightly basis. Something as simple as a pillow that is too flat, too plump or not compatibly contoured to your head, neck and back can seriously alter sleep patterns, leading to side effects such as illness, impaired driving judgment and failure in the workplace. Bils recommends replacing top-quality pillows every two to three years and never using a cheap pillow for more than a few months at a time.
He adds that although people get fitted for shoes and clothing, they rarely get fitted for a pillow, and they should. Purchasing a good-quality pillow that feels like a good fit will enhance good sleep and will give shoppers a starting point when replacing their pillows within that two- to three-year time.
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