A week off, a case of the Mondays, and the importance of a good pillow.
I’m tired and confused. Monday after vacation does that to you. I'm a big fan of the Plymouth school district's decision to extend Christmas break. My goodness, we packed a lot of fun into the past two weeks! But even though I worked a few days over the holidays, the first real Monday back is rough, so this week’s blog is short and sweet.
My oldest, trying to help my youngest along. Families that ski together, stay together! :)
My family stayed local for most of the break, enjoying time with family and friends, but the last 4 days of break were spent at my family's happy place, Smuggler’s Notch Resort. 4 days packed full of skiing, games, hot chocolate, swimming, running, laughing, and absolutely no work or homework. It was awesome!
The downfall of staying away? Pillows. They are such a particular thing. If I had a dollar for every time I cured someone’s chronic neck or head pain by recommending a pillow change, I’d probably be rich. The problem is, there is no "right" answer to what pillow you should be using - but there are many wrong answers. My pillow for the past 4 nights was definitely in the “wrong” category, so I woke up with a headache most mornings during our trip (good thing I always travel with a tennis ball for releasing trigger points!).
Poor sleep posture in the short term may result in a transient headache or some stiffness, or perhaps fatigue the next day. But in the long term, sleeping with the wrong pillow can disrupt your sleep rhythms and lead to moodiness, depression, impaired pain modulation (as in, increased pain - those of you with back pain and sleep issues might already know this one!), increased hunger (particularly for junk food!), difficulty concentrating, clumsiness, and lack of motivation. If that’s not enough, it also wreaks havoc on some important body systems, leading to increased weight gain, decreased immunity, and maintenance of blood pressure, to name a few.
Here is some quick advice for choosing a pillow that is right for you:
If you are a side sleeper, look for a firmer pillow that is the width of the distance between your shoulder and your ear. Your head needs to be supported fully so that your neck muscles can relax and to decrease strain on your lower arm.
If you are a back sleeper, you want a thinner pillow with some softness to it. You need a pillow to come up and meet your neck, but not push your head forward.
If you are a stomach sleeper, stop that. Just kidding. Sort of. Most adults lack the neck flexibility to sleep in this position without compromising some part of your body, but you’ve got to sleep somehow. Choose a thin pillow for underneath your head, and maybe a pillow under your hips or ankles, depending on who you are.
I don’t have any general recommendations for which types or brands to buy because pillow selection is dependent upon your preference, your body type, and your mattress type. Finding the right pillow can be an expensive game sometimes, but well worth the money for a good night of sleep.
There also may be more to your sleep troubles. This email is intended only as basic advice and is not prescriptive. Always check in with a health professional if you have ongoing issues!
So much fun to be had at Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont. Here’s my oldest, scaling the rock wall after a long day at ski camp.
We spent our holiday break the best way we knew how. Here’s my youngest, loving life.
How did you spend your holiday break?