How many pillows should you sleep with?

You should sleep with only one pillow underneath your head, but you may want a second pillow between your legs depending on your sleep style. Ideally, you should sleep on your side or on your back for a good night’s sleep as sleeping on your stomach can give you neck or back ache.

The NHS advises ‘If you wake up in the morning with increased pain and stiffness in your neck, you may need to correct the position in which you sleep. A pillow should support your head and neck by filling in the natural hollow of the neck between your head and shoulders. Ideally only use one pillow.'

How many pillows to sleep with:

Side sleepers?
Back sleepers?
Front sleepers?
Combination sleepers use?
How high should your head be on a pillow?
Choosing the right pillow.

How many pillows should side sleepers use?

Side sleepers may find it more comfortable to sleep with two pillows, one under their head and one between their legs. For side sleepers, your pillow should be higher under your neck than your head to keep your spine straight when you sleep. Sleeping with a second pillow between your legs can stop the top leg from pulling your spine out of alignment and relieve stress on your lower back and hips.

You may find it more comfortable if this second pillow is a smaller, firmer pillow such as a toddler pillow which measures 40cm x 60cm (16” x 24”) and is around 5cm high.

See our guide to all pillow sizes.

How many pillows should back sleepers use?

Back sleepers should use one medium thick pillow to support their neck. If it's beneficial, back sleepers may also want to sleep with a second pillow under their knees. This second pillow should be a softer pillow that helps keep your spine neutral. Having your knees slightly raised when you sleep on your back may also have the added bonus of helping you to fall asleep faster.

How many pillows should front sleepers use?

Stomach sleepers should sleep with one thin pillow underneath their head or a medium pillow underneath their pelvis or may not need to sleep with a pillow at all. If you are a front sleeper, make sure your pillow doesn't raise your head out of alignment. A full body pillow could help you to sleep better. These pillows are 45cm x 150cm (18” x 59”) and help to reduce pressure on your shoulders and hips while you sleep.

How many pillows should combination sleepers use?

Combination sleepers move around in the night and find themselves swapping between different sleep positions. One pillow is still the best option. This should be a medium firm pillow that is still supportive when you sleep on your side but doesn't cause any pain to your neck or spine when you swap to sleeping on your back.

How high should your head be on a pillow?

Your pillow should be approximately 10 - 12 cm or 4 - 6 inches off the mattress to provide the right support for the neck and head according to a study in a 2015 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.

If your pillow is too high or too low, it will angle your neck away from your natural neutral spine alignment, potentially leading to soreness and stiffness.

Bad sleep posture can lead to all sorts of health issues, including neck and back pain, headaches and fatigue. Your general health and mattress condition or type can affect your sleep posture, but the right pillow can help keep your neck in proper alignment throughout the night.

Is it better to sleep with two pillows or one? You may be used to sleeping with two pillows underneath your head. If they are providing the right amount of height and loft to keep your next and spine aligned properly and you sleep comfortably, then you may want to continue to sleep with two pillows or find a single thicker pillow that provides you with the right amount of support.

See our guide: Best pillow for neck pain.

Choosing the right pillow

The right pillow should help your body maintain the ideal sleeping position throughout the night, keeping your head, neck and spine in neutral alignment. If you wake up with neck or back pain, then your pillow is probably not offering you the right support and it could be time to treat yourself to a new one!

See our guide on How to choose a pillow.