Why TV presenter Elena Malysheva does not sleep on a pillow and wishes you the same
“Oh, my darling, white little pillow!..” Many people remember these lines from childhood. How many secrets do our pillows know? But we don’t know all of them!
It turns out that they are not always so cute. On the contrary, they can cause back problems, pain in the lumbar and cervical spine.
Due to an incorrectly selected pillow, our body does not relax and rest properly during sleep. It should be remembered that a person spends up to 1/3 of his life sleeping in order to understand the importance of choosing the right product for sleep.
It is not surprising that medical scientists are seriously concerned about this problem. We will talk about their views on such an ordinary object as a pillow.
The content of the article
Why you need to give up “grandmother’s” pillows
The high quadrangular pillow has long been popular not only in our country or in Europe, but also almost all over the world. For us, they, stuffed with down or feathers, were once the pride of our grandmothers. And the higher the pillow was, the more valued it was.
However, it is now known that such products, from a medical point of view, can harm well-being and health. Let's find out what's going on here.
A high pillow is the path to osteochondrosis and hypertension
After a person lies on his back in a bed with a high pillow, his head is raised quite high.
Attention! This position, as doctors note, is convenient for lying down watching TV, but completely unacceptable for sleeping.
In this position, a sharp bending of the cervical spine occurs! Resulting in the vertebral artery at its entrance to the cranium is partially compressed. The cervical vertebrae themselves also suffer.
In their youth, people do not yet notice all the negative consequences of using “grandmother’s” pillows. But with age, love for them inevitably makes itself felt in the form of osteochondrosis and hypertension. And in some cases it even leads to strokes.
If you are still accustomed to standard “grandmother’s” pillows, then you should use them correctly.
Important! If you place your pillow upright while watching TV, then when you go to bed, be sure to lay it flat. In this case, its center should be under the neck, and the lower edges should slightly extend under the shoulders.
High pillow and hygiene are incompatible
Let's remember about the filling of grandma's pillows. Down and feathers are potential habitats for harmful microorganisms and dust mites. It is often not possible to wash such pillows. And some people rarely wash them. In the summer, grandmothers constantly dried the products and exposed them to the hottest sun to “roast.” Few modern housewives do this, and not everyone uses dry cleaning.
Don't leave a breeding ground for germs in your bedroom. You need to get rid of “grandmother’s” pillows!
What to sleep on? We will talk about this further.
What should be the right pillow?
As we already understood, a person needs a pillow that meets two requirements.
- Provides a body position in which the cervical artery is not compressed.
- It is environmentally safe and easy to maintain.
Doctors explain that it is necessary to choose a pillow that should support not only the head, but also the neck. Then the cervical spine remains straight, without kinks, and blood flows freely to the brain. And the muscles and joints of the neck truly relax and rest.
This occurs when using specially designed orthopedic models.
Attention! Orthopedic pillows themselves do not treat either osteochondrosis or hypertension. They only eliminate the causes leading to these diseases.
Therefore, they should be considered not a therapeutic, but a prophylactic agent. In the case of an already acquired disease, you should not rely on them, but contact a medical specialist.
Orthopedic pillows and their varieties
Today on the market you can find a variety of types of orthopedic pillows: different shapes, different
manufacturers, with a variety of fillers. This often poses a difficult question to a potential buyer: which option should be preferred? Let's figure out what to look for when choosing the ideal product for healthy sleep.
Form
Let's start with a shape, which can be square, in the form rectangle, oval or even complex geometric. Today the following forms are most common.
- Rectangular classic.
- With shoulder recess. Convenient for people who are used to sleeping more on their side.
- Wavy, consisting of two rollers and repeating the anatomical curve of the head and neck.
- Roller.
Memory effect
Recently, orthopedic pillows with memory effect have appeared. They can be of very different shapes, but they are united by the ability to follow the contours of the body of each individual person, as if to adapt to it.
Filler
The internal filler also plays an important role. Orthopedic pillows with a “memory effect” are made of polyurethane and come in medium or high hardness. This allows you to remember and repeat the anatomy of a sleeping person.
For rectangular classics, latex is most often used. It is elastic, does not fall and does not wrinkle when pressed.
Economy class products are filled with polyester balls. As a result, the pillows are light, soft, but, unfortunately, short-lived.
Important! All modern fillings in orthopedic products allow them to remain clean for a long time and not lose freshness.
Size
Size is of no small importance, since the anatomical structure of an adult man and a child a child is completely different.
- For large men, the ideal pillow size is 70 by 50 cm.
- For women - about 60 by 40 cm.
- Children 8–12 years old - 50 by 40 cm.
- For preschoolers - 20 by 30 cm.
Why Elena Malysheva chose a bolster instead of a pillow
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Elena Malysheva knows almost everything about the right pillows! And as the host of the popular television program “Live Healthy,” she generously shares her knowledge.
As experimental studies conducted in the program “Live Healthy” have shown, it is bolster pillows that are best suited for sleeping.
Advantages of orthopedic rollers
- You can sleep on them equally comfortably both on your back and on your side.
- In both positions, the neck remains straight, and the vertebral artery is also straightened.
- This allows a person to maintain adequate blood supply to the brain during sleep. This is especially important for older people, as well as for people suffering from pressure changes.
The presenter of the TV program, Dr. Malysheva, chose an orthopedic pillow-cushion for herself as the best option for preventing health problems.
Now you know why she wants the same for you!
Good night! Be healthy!