Need To Improve Your Sleep? The Best Cooling Pillows Can Help

Although it is often overlooked as an important part of living a healthful life, sleep should be a priority for everyone. It is essential for mental and physical recovery, promotes healthy development in children, and influences moods and memory. 

As much as getting enough sleep is essential, the quality of your sleep is equally important. If you’ve already ensured the lighting and ventilation of your bedroom are optimized for sleeping, but still struggle to stay comfortable, a cooling pillow (otherwise known as a chillow) could just be the missing puzzle piece.

Types of Cooling Pillows

Water pillows

Water pillow cooling technology is either active or passive.

Passive water pillow cooling technology is effective initially when absorbing and distributing heat. The pillows generally have water, gel, or a special foam cooling layer. As the night goes on, however, the cooling effect can’t always be maintained. 

Active water cooling pillows regulate the pillow temperature by circulating water between the pillow and an accompanying pod. This allows your pillow to stay cool the entire night. Temperatures can be preset on a mobile app to cool as you fall asleep and warm progressively to wake you up in the morning. Some of these models have a motion sensor inside the pillow pad. These sensors will track your sleep, and give you insights about temperatures and settings that will work the best for you.

Gel memory foam pillows

Regular memory foam pillows have a remarkable ability to contour to the neck, head, and shoulders. These pillows do, however, tend to get and stay hot fairly quickly. To remedy this, manufacturers have added a padded gel layer. These added layers work by allowing the heat to be absorbed and circulated rather than building up.

Breathable pillows

Breathable pillows are made of different material types that allow air to flow easily through the filling.

Down feathers are a good example. They allow heat and moisture to evaporate and naturally stay cool. The downside (excuse the pun) is that they need to be fluffed to hold their shape. Pillows that have feather inserts instead of down may have small quills that can occasionally scratch or poke you.

Buckwheat pillows are a vegan and eco-friendly alternative with great breathability properties. When adequately stuffed they are supportive while allowing airflow. Note that buckwheat pillows are heavy and if untreated they can have an earthy smell; luckily, this smell will lessen over time. They are not particularly plush but offer good support and coolness.

Microbead pillows are a synthetic alternative. These small polystyrene balls are similar to what many bean bags are stuffed with. They are lightweight and don’t retain heat. Although highly breathable, your pillow will need to be well-stuffed to offer enough support. 

Combination cooling pillows

Many manufacturers combine various cooling materials to achieve comfort, cooling, and support. Some pillows incorporate a down layer over a memory foam center while others feature one cooling side made of ice fabric and one soft side for improved comfort. There are also gel-combination pillows that incorporate gel inserts over a memory foam core or gel beads together with memory fiber filling.

Must-Have Features To Look For in a Chillow

While many pillows can be labeled as being ‘cooling’, there are some important characteristics to consider to ensure you get the real deal. Read the product descriptions or labels and specifically look out for the following features.

Construction material

Both the type of material and the form of the fabric used have an effect on the cooling properties of pillows. For example, foam in a shredded form has a much better ability to promote airflow and dissipate heat than solid foam blocks or inserts. As previously mentioned, solid memory foam pillows tend to retain heat, which makes them hot to sleep on.

While gel, down, and microbeads are effective cooling materials, phase change materials are a little more technologically advanced.

Phase change materials can be spun into yarn, permanently enclosed in fibers, and mixed into insulating foams or coatings. They can be incorporated into popular fabrics such as acrylic, polyester, and viscose. This technology has even been used in precool vests for Olympic athletes.

In terms of bedding, the phase change material is designed to absorb body heat released during the night. Whether you are prone to night sweats or just generally sleep hot, the phase change material pulls excess heat away and stores it. As your body temperature lowers, it will release heat to maintain a stable and comfortable temperature.

Sleeping position

The height and firmness of the pillow you find most comfortable is often determined by your sleeping position. 

Side sleepers should opt for a higher pillow design that can fill the space between their neck and shoulder. Firm pillows are the optimal choice to maintain spinal alignment and minimize pressure on the neck.

Even though back sleepers already maintain a fairly neutral posture, it is important to choose a pillow that will prevent the head from tilting too far back or forward. A height that keeps the head level is the ideal option.

Stomach sleepers generally do better with thin pillows to keep their neck and head at the most comfortable level.

Pillows with cooling properties often feature a high to medium loft, however, down feathers and shredded foam quickly compress. A good way to remedy this is to get a pillow with adjustable filling.

Support

Pillows designed with cooling materials usually only offer medium soft to medium firm support. Memory foam pillows are firm to effectively support the neck and head, but they need to be dense to achieve this. This hinders airflow and retains heat. 

Pillows designed with shredded memory foam offer improved breathability while maintaining some of the supportive properties. If your first priority is to get a firm-support pillow, check the fabric breathability of various options and make sure to use a good quality moisture-wicking pillowcase.

Allergies

Allergies can cause great discomfort and ruin a good night’s sleep. Although volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are not a health threat in small amounts, they can cause irritation if you suffer from respiratory issues or allergies. To ensure that your pillow has low levels of VOCs, look for OEKO-Tex-certified products as well as CertiPUR-US-certified materials.