How to Use a Neck Pillow on a Plane and in Bed

To use a neck pillow, wrap a U-shaped travel pillow around your neck on trips, or sleep with your neck on a cervical pillow's curve. A travel pillow stops your head from dropping forward or to one side while you doze sitting up. Turn the thick part of a travel pillow under your chin if your head drops forward. In bed, a cervical pillow should be higher under your neck than under your head. Many cervical pillows use memory foam, which conforms to your head and neck.

How to use a neck pillow on a plane

To use a neck pillow on a plane, sit back, fit the travel pillow snugly around your neck and let it hold the weight of your head.

1. Sit back first. Recline your seat if you can, with your lower back against the seat.
2. Center the pillow on your shoulders. The travel pillow rests around your neck, not up behind your head.
3. Fasten it snug, not tight. Loosen it if you feel pressure on your throat.
4. Let your head rest. Relax your neck and let the pillow take the weight.

A window seat gives you a wall to lean on. In a middle or aisle seat, support under your chin matters most.

Does a travel pillow go in front or back?

A travel pillow goes where your head falls: keep the opening at the front if your head tips sideways, and turn it around if your head drops forward.

How to use a cervical pillow

To use a cervical pillow, lie on your back or side with the raised curve under your neck and your head resting in the lower part. A cervical pillow (also sold as a contour pillow) is a sleep pillow shaped to support the natural curve of your neck.

If you sleep on your back

1. Place the lower curve under your neck. The curve fills the gap between your neck and the mattress.
2. Rest your head in the dip. Your neck gets support without being propped up.
3. Add a pillow under your knees. Spine-health says this eases strain on your back.

If you sleep on your side

1. Turn the pillow to the higher curve. Side sleepers need a thicker pillow than back sleepers.
2. Keep your spine straight. The pillow should be higher under your neck than under your head.
3. Put a pillow between your knees. Bent knees with a pillow between them keep your spine neutral.

A neck traction pillow is a different tool, covered in our guide on how to use a neck traction pillow. The Thera Pillow is a cervical pillow with air-powered neck traction, heat and vibration massage. It has 3 traction heights and 3 heat levels (104°F, 111°F and 118°F). Callixe recommends short sessions with it, so it adds to your nightly sleep pillow rather than replacing it.

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Which way does a cervical pillow go?

A cervical pillow goes with its raised curve under your neck, and you pick the lower or higher curve by sleep position.

Stomach sleepers can read our guide to sleeping without a pillow.

How should your neck lay on a pillow?

Your neck should lie level with your spine and parallel to the mattress, with no bend forward or to one side. On your back, the pillow supports the natural inward curve of your neck. On your side, your head and neck stay in a straight line with your spine. Too many pillows over-flex the neck, says HSS pain specialist Harmandeep Singh, MD. More on neck pain from sleeping.

How do I tell if my pillow is causing neck pain?

Your pillow may be causing neck pain if you wake up with pain or stiffness you didn't have at bedtime.

• Morning stiffness. A pillow that is too high or too stiff keeps your neck flexed overnight.
• Your neck bends forward or sideways. Cleveland Clinic names this the most common pillow mistake.
• A flattened pillow. Feather pillows collapse over time and need replacing about once a year.

If you get pain after sleeping, Cleveland Clinic advises trying another pillow. See our guide to neck pain relief at home for other options.

What is a red flag for neck pain?

Red flags for neck pain include numbness, tingling or weakness in your arm or hand, and pain that started after a fall, blow or injury.

Call 911 for a fever and headache with a neck so stiff you can't touch your chin to your chest. Here are more signs that neck pain needs a doctor.

How to use a neck roll pillow

To use a neck roll pillow, lie on your back with the roll under your neck and a soft, flat pillow under your head. You can also tuck a small neck roll inside the pillowcase of a flatter pillow.

How long does it take to get used to a cervical pillow?

No set time applies, but a new sleep setup can feel awkward and even uncomfortable at first, according to HSS. Pillows only work if you use them consistently, Dr. Singh adds. In one randomized trial, 36 adults with chronic neck pain slept on a semi-customized cervical pillow or a conventional pillow for 4 weeks. The cervical pillow group reported lower morning pain and lower neck disability scores.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have an injury or a health condition.

FAQ

Sources

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