Sleep is essential to your overall health. Your efforts to stick to a balanced diet and exercise regularly won’t be able to give you the best results if you regularly deprive yourself of sleep or sleep in uncomfortable positions. Sleep allows your body to repair damaged muscles and tissues, and replenish lost energy, so you’ll be ready to accomplish tasks on the days ahead.
While it’s common knowledge that the mattress you use can affect the quality of your sleep, are you aware that your pillow is just as important? The kind of pillow you use every night can affect your ability to sleep, as well as the comfort your body feels when sleeping. If you want to get the best sleep possible, consider investing in buckwheat pillows.
What Is A Buckwheat Pillow?
Buckwheat pillows aren’t a new idea. The buckwheat pillow (also called a Sobakawa) has been used in Japan for centuries. The traditional Japanese pillow is made from the hulled skins of buckwheat. The hulls cover the seeds, and when compressed, they create a smooth, springy material that supports good neck and head positioning, as well as proper rest. This pillow can also be referred to as a ‘hull pillow.’ It has the unique ability of contouring properly in the shape of your face, and being able to support a full neck or head while providing soft comfort.
Today, you can easily find companies selling buckwheat pillows from different parts of the globe. There are plenty of modern alternatives you can find on the market to fit your needs. PineTales Sobakawa Pillow, for example, is made from the finest buckwheat hulls and comes with a skin-friendly pillowcase. Many are fully adjustable so you can adapt them to your sleeping style, and they’re experiencing a resurgence in recent times. Especially, as they’re sustainable and recyclable.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Buckwheat Pillow?
Unlike other types of pillows, those made from buckwheat hulls are usually more expensive. However, the price of these pillows could be worth it in the long run because buckwheat pillows can provide significant benefits.
Choosing to buy and using buckwheat pillows allow you to experience the following benefits:
Extremely Moldable
Different people have different sleeping positions. While some like to sleep on their backs, others are more comfortable to sleep on their sides — and, while you can easily fluff your pillows to ensure that your sleeping position is properly supported in your sleep, doing this every single time you lie on your bed can become a struggle. Over time, continually using a pillow that doesn’t adjust to your sleeping position can become the reason why you’ll toss and turn every night, and wake up with a sore neck and back.
You won’t have to worry about any of these problems because buckwheat pillows are
extremely moldable. Using these pillows will save you time and effort from fluffing because the buckwheat inside will naturally move around and mold perfectly to the shape of your neck and head. The ability of buckwheat hulls to be extremely moldable will provide the best support to your body, allowing you to maintain the right posture as you sleep.
Toxin-Free
Buying pillows is an easy task today as you can find countless companies that sell them. Regardless of your location or the kind of pillow you’re looking for, you can easily find one that fits the bill.
Pillows made from synthetic fibers might be easy to clean, but these are actually sprayed with flame retardants that can help prevent the start and growth of the fire. According to studies, long-term exposure to flame retardants can damage one’s immune, nervous, and reproductive systems. Some studies even suggest that exposure to flame retardants can lead to cancer.
Buckwheat pillows, on the one hand, are organic and all-natural, which means that they don’t contain any toxins that can take a toll on your health and safety. Using buckwheat pillows will give you peace of mind, knowing that you’re not inhaling or coming in contact with toxins as you sleep.
Better Temperature
You’ll have to consider many different things to ensure that you get enough sleep every night. Aside from having a high-quality mattress, the temperature of your room also affects your ability to fall and stay sleep. Regardless of how tired you are during the day, it’ll be challenging for you to get some shuteye if you feel too warm or cold.
If you often wake up in the middle of the night because of extreme humidity or coldness, using buckwheat pillows can help. This kind of pillows is actually breathable and works well in controlling temperature as you sleep because its material allows optimal air circulation and movement. This is something that you can’t experience when you use regular pillows because their material will eventually feel hot and sticky as you sleep on them.
If you want to take your buckwheat pillows up a notch, you can even put them in the freezer for hours, and then put them back in their pillowcases during bedtime. The buckwheat hulls will stay cool for a couple of hours to keep your head cool as you sleep.
On the other side of the coin, you can also put the hulls in the microwave before sleeping so your head will feel warm when you’re trying to sleep in a chilly night.
Smell Good
Aside from the temperature of your environment, its aroma or smell can also make or break your ability to sleep. How can you sleep well at night if your bedroom smells bad? Do you think you can relax at the end of a stressful day if you’re going to sleep in a room that smells foul?
Buckwheat pillows have a natural smell that can help you feel more relaxed. The strength of the aroma that you can smell from buckwheat pillows will vary on the type and size, but, generally, buckwheat hulls exude a fresh and soft scent that won’t overpower your
slumber.
Filling your bedroom with several buckwheat pillows will surely make the space smell good, making it very easy for you to relax and sleep.
Reduce Snoring
According to statistics, over 45% of adults snore occasionally, and another 25% snore regularly. Snoring is not usually treated as a serious problem, but leaving this problem untreated can lead to many complications, such as daytime sleepiness, difficulty in concentrating, and a greater risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and heart diseases.
Using buckwheat pillows can work to reduce snoring. This works because buckwheat pillows can improve your posture as you sleep, and allow your airways to remain open throughout the night. You’ll be able to get better sleep at night when you’re not snoring.
Support Muscles
A lot of people wake up with a sore neck and back every single day. The pain and discomfort associated with a sore neck and back can become the reason why a person will become irritable and unproductive during the day. Even moving around or doing basic tasks can be a major challenge in this state.
If waking up with a sore neck and back has become a routine to you, start using buckwheat pillows as soon as possible. Buckwheat pillows can correct your posture as you sleep, and provide support to your neck and back so your spine is properly supported. Over time, the use of buckwheat pillows will allow your muscles and tissues to collaborate with each other in order to keep your spine properly aligned.
Your spine is one of the most important parts of the body, and making sure that it’s properly supported as you’re sleeping will prevent neck and back pain, and ensure that your nervous system is functioning properly.
Relieve Migraines
Migraines can become the reason why people lose sleep every night. It’ll be challenging for anyone to get some shuteye if they’re experiencing a pulsing sensation or throbbing pain in their head. Some might even experience nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to lights and sounds when they have migraines.
Using buckwheat pillows can help relieve migraine and encourage you to sleep easier. This works because buckwheat pillows can provide the right amount of support to your soft tissues and airways, while providing soft pleasures to very specific points of your neck and skull. Once these pressure points are targeted, relaxation begins because the blood is regulated and endorphins are released, which can help you feel good.
Dust- And Mite-Resistant
People with weak immune systems or those diagnosed with asthma will find it hard to sleep in a room full of dust and mites. The presence of dust and mites can cause their allergies to act up and can become the reason why they’ll experience runny nose and itchy skin. If you’re one of them, fret not because buckwheat pillows can help.
Unlike regular pillows, buckwheat pillows are hypoallergenic because their materials aren’t a food source for insects and bugs. Using buckwheat pillows won’t attract mites nor create an environment that allow them to thrive and multiply. And, because
buckwheat pillows provide outstanding airflow, you won’t have to worry about dust and dirt being trapped in the material. It’s also very easy to clean them: if you ever suspect the pillow has mites, all you need to do is freeze it.
Better Sleep
As mentioned, getting eight hours of sleep every night can affect the quality of your life. Getting healthy sleep can boost your mental and physical wellness, allowing you to do more things in life.
Buckwheat pillows can improve the quality of your sleep. Aside from the benefits mentioned above, buckwheat pillows can also provide optimal support to the gap created by the arch of your neck when you sleep on your back and stomach. Side sleepers, on the other hand, can also benefit from buckwheat pillows as these can hold their head high by filling the gap between their head and shoulders.
Regardless of what your preferred sleeping position is, buckwheat pillows can certainly help you get better sleep every single night!
Durable
Buying pillows can net you quite a bill in the long run. Regardless of what you’ll choose, you’ll always have to spend money. Buying cheaper options isn’t always truly cheap, because it may mean you’ll need to buy more pillows, and this may cost even more in the long run.
If you’re looking for a pillow that can stand the test of time, buckwheat pillows could be the answer. As long as you properly take care of them—using a high-quality pillowcases, washing your pillows with a damp cloth, and keeping the pillows dry and well-aired—you can expect that your buckwheat pillows can last for at least 20 years.
Buckwheat hulls are durable materials because it takes many years for them to start breaking down. And, if you notice that some of your hulls are deteriorating, you can immediately refill your pillows with new hulls to extend their lifespan. This is a great way of saving money as you won’t have to buy a brand new pillow every now and then.
Versatile
You’ll be using pillows for many different things aside from sleeping. More often than not, you’d choose to use a pillow when driving for hours, or while using your computer in your office or home study. Fortunately, buckwheat pillows are very versatile and can be used in many different ways and scenarios.
Because buckwheat pillows are extremely moldable, you can use one to rest your wrist as you’re using your laptop or chromebook, or as a neck pillow during long car rides. You can even use buckwheat pillows as you’re sitting down in your desk to promote proper posture.
Consider Options
Buckwheat pillows are very common today, and can be purchased in many online and offline stores. This kind of pillow also comes in many sizes and price tags, making it easy for you to find one that fits your needs and budget.
If you want to end up buying the best buckwheat pillow, take the time to look and compare several options. The more sellers you consider, the easier it’ll be for you to find the best deals when buying buckwheat pillows.
