Signs That You Need to Change Your Pillows

Replacing your pillows may be the secret to sleep better because resting your head on it at night is more than getting comfort. It helps align your spine and help you get a better quality of sleep. Unfortunately, pillows are often overlooked in sleep hygiene and overall health. Don’t just focus on changing only your bed covers and sheets, you need to do a comprehensive assessment of your bedroom and that includes your pillows.

Why You Need Your Pillows Replaced

Most of us only think about replacing pillows when we notice yellow or brown stains. Yellow stains for instance occur when your face is constantly in contact with the pillow especially in the night, for many hours.

Over time, the pillow surface absorbs sweat, oil, and dirt, and when you continue to use them, your health may become compromised and you may develop rashes or acne. Also, your pillow may accumulate dead skin cells, pet dander, and mites, triggering allergies and making conditions like asthma worse.

Sagging pillows cannot provide your body the support it needs, especially for the neck and head, hence your spine becomes misaligned. This issue can lead to muscle and neck pains.

5 Signs You Need to Change Your Pillows

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, It is good to replace pillows every 1-2 years but it will be important to look for signs of replacing pillows sooner. The following 5 signs should give you an idea of when to change your pillows.

1. Your Pillow is Discolored

Sometimes, you may not develop physical signs before or after pillow discoloration. There are many reasons pillow discoloration happens; drool, hair oil, sweat, and dust will contribute to moisture absorption on your pillow and that leads to stains over time. Stains can also enhance bacteria buildup on your pillows causing skin irritation and sometimes skin breakouts.

2. You Wake Up With Neck Pains

Your pillows are as important as your mattress in providing a healthy spine alignment. In addition to this, your pillow provides extra neck support to give you a comfortable night's sleep. Your old pillows can become too soft, uneven, or flat, hence you may end up bunching your duvet or pillow underneath your neck to support your body. This will eventually create unnecessary stress on your neck and muscles.

3. Your Allergies Turn Worse

If you suffer from an allergy-like sinus blockage or asthma, not replacing your pillow on time may worsen your condition. Continued exposure to dirt, dead skin cells, pet dander, and dust particles can worsen your condition because these agents can accumulate inside your pillow and can easily in contact with your skin.

Allergens thrive in moist and damp conditions, and when you find yourself sneezing uncontrollably, it may be time to replace your dirty pillow.

4. Your Pillows Have Lost Their Shape

Old pillows may end up losing their shape and appear like deflated balloons. They become lumpy because the soft fillings will become unevenly distributed hence they cease to give adequate support to your neck. Pillows lose their shape because they become compressed under the weight of your neck and head and over time the fill will flatten and the loft reduced.

5. Your Pillows Begin to Smell

One more sign you should look out for in your pillow is the offensive smell that aggravates over time. An unpleasant odor from your pillow is a sign that your pillow is absorbing your body oils, dirt, and sweat over a period. Such smell can also indicate bacteria activities which can later result in skin irritation. You can’t resolve smelly pillows with refreshers or any other DIY cleaning, it will be much safer to replace the pillows as soon as possible.