We’ve all been there… you climb into your comfortable bed only to be rudely awoken in the middle of the night, your head cooking on damp, sweaty bedding. You flip to the cool side of the pillow and try to get back to sleep.
Repeatedly flipping to the cool side of the pillow isn’t the best way to sleep.
You crawl into bed for some quality rest and if you’re moving your pillow around… well, you’re not sleeping. The easy alternative is to crank up the a/c, but that of course, is a waste of energy.
You can flip to the cool side of your pillow all night, but it will continue to build up and retain the heat radiating from your body. Feather/down, polyester and other traditional pillow types all suffer from heat retention that can keep you from getting the best rest.
Why do pillows get hot? Generally it’s because they aren’t very breathable. Most pillow types’ fill restricts airflow causing your body heat to be trapped, quickly turning a comfortable pillow into a little oven for your head.
The market has produced some interesting solutions to the problem. Many of the “cool pillow” products available are useless gimmicks. Some require you to freeze your pillow during the day, others sacrifice support or worse. Others are covered with mysterious fabrics or contain liquid cooling gels. Most of these pillows do not specifically address the core issue: breathability. They do not allow air to move through the fill with any more ease than a traditional pillow.
A breathable pillow is a cool pillow.
The solution? It’s simple: a breathable pillow will keep your head cool.
If air is able to freely move through your pillow while you sleep, it will not retain the heat generated by your body. There aren’t too many fill types that are sufficiently breathable to make a pillow feel cool. One of the best: buckwheat hulls.
Buckwheat hulls are the byproduct of milling the buckwheat plant for its nutritious groats (most commonly used to produce soba noodles). The hulls’ hollow, irregular shape allows warm air to quickly escape your pillow, while being replaced with cool fresh air.
Cool & Comfortable Buckwheat Hulls
Buckwheat hulls’ advantage is more than its breathability.
Buckwheat hull pillows aren’t just cool, they can provide support for your head and neck that’s far superior to traditional pillow types. The buckwheat hulls’ unique character gives them the ability to conform perfectly to the shape of your head and neck. This allows the weight of your head to be evenly distributed, which will prevent any undue stress on the muscles in your neck and back.
The cool side of the pillow? Both sides!
What do I recommend? Our own Hullo buckwheat pillow of course! You can sleep on the cool side of the pillow without flipping it and it’ll give your head the best support it’s ever gotten.
What else will keep a pillow cool?
- Use a breathable pillowcase. Egyptian cotton with a plain weave (as opposed to sateen) works very well to promote air flow.
- Turn on a fan. Even a small amount of air flowing around you will prevent heat from accumulating inside your pillow and evaporate any moisture that accumulates on your body or bedding.
Read More: Does That “Cooling Pillow” Really Work? (4 Cooling Pillow Designs Compared)
Read More: How To Stay Cool In Bed Without Running an Air Conditioner
