While we all like the feeling of a fresh duvet
every now and then, our pillows sometimes get a little bit neglected.
However, failing to regularly change your
pillows doesn’t just leave your bed looking stale, it can also lead to a sore
neck and worse quality of sleep.
With that in mind, here are three reasons why
you should consider replacing your pillows this autumn.
1. They Get Really Gross
You might not know it, but after being used for
a while, your pillow begins to collect all kind of nasty stuff.
Dirt, oil, dead skin and even drool all collect
in the pillow, which aside from being pretty gross, can cause skin problems
such as acne.
Of course, you can remedy this to some extent by
just washing the pillowcase, but eventually, it’s a good idea to replace the
pillow itself.
What’s more, all of that grime attracts dust
mites to your pillow, which are so small that you won’t even notice them.
These little critters are one of the number one
causes of allergies and asthma, so make sure you keep switching up your pillows
to keep them at bay!
If you do suffer from allergies, you might want
to invest in an anti-allergen pillow, which will be treated with a special
chemical to keep them away.
2. It Won’t Support Your Head
The main purpose of your pillow is, of course,
to lift and support your head. However, after multiple washes, the filling
inside the pillow starts to break down.
With synthetic pillows, this will generally mean
they become lumpy, and with natural alternatives like feather and down, the
pillow will simply fall flat.
Sleep.org recommend that you test your pillow out
by folding it in half. If it flops back into place, it’s still ok, but if it
stays folded, it could be time for a refresh.
You may also want to upgrade to a pillow which
offers more support, such as this memory foam option from SleepyPeople.com,
which moulds to the shape of your head and neck, giving you all the support you
need.
3. They Don’t Have Long Lives
You might think that you only just bought your
current pillow fairly recently, but you’d be surprised at how short the recommended
lifespan of a pillow actually is.
It’s debatable exactly how often you should
replace your pillow, with estimates ranging from three years to one year.
The Sleep to
Live Institute even give a recommendation of once every six months.
They might seem like a long time, but it’s easy
to forget about your pillows and leave them much longer than this.
And if you don’t wash your pillows regularly
(and let’s be honest, most people don’t), you’ll find it needs replacing even
sooner.
But instead of attempting to stick to any kind
of strict schedule, we think that considering you sleep on it every night, if
you think about it, you’ll know whether or not you need to replace your
pillow.
PhotoCredit; Dailymail
0 Comments