Several of my readers who have long suffered with daytime neck pain and nighttime snoring have commented about those funny travel-type pillows that are shaped like a horseshoe.

Some people hate them and some people love them, and as always when there are dissenting opinions on a topic I just have to nose in and find out what the benefits and drawbacks are.

Being a traveler myself, I see those pillows all the time.  Even before a flight takes off, usually someone in my area has whipped it out and is attempting to shut out the world and catch a few Zs.

I hadn’t considered the use of this kind of pillow in the regular bedroom setting, though.  As I surfed around the ‘Net looking for examples, I found many, many separate companies that market this product.

That tells me that even though it’s not saturated in mainstream marketing, there is definitely a demand for it.

The point of letter-shaped pillows (there are pillows shaped like U, J, C, O, I, V and even B) is to offer more support to a targeted area than a traditional square or rectangular pillow.

Indeed, as I searched using different keywords of the pillows (“benefits + U shape pillow”), many of the sites came back as specifically for pregnant women.

Pregnancy brings a whole host of discomforts during both night and day, and getting quality sleep in the last trimester is an elusive goal.  But many women have found their funky-shaped pillows to be a real help in that effort.

For those who just want better, more restful sleep there is evidence that these pillows can really help. The reason is that depending upon the physical need that might be contributing to sleep disturbances, there is likely a pillow to support it and fulfill that very need.

For instance, the U and V shapes support the neck by conforming around the back of the neck, or even under the chin in front.

This can be great for people with recent neck injuries, say, who may have to sleep in a semi-upright or other position. As with the travel scenario, it keeps the head from falling from side to side.

B-shaped pillows are good for people who snore and need to be physically stopped from rolling over into a position that allows snoring to continue.  These are also good for people who are trying to stop ‘front’ sleeping.  This position is terribly hard on a body and interferes with the body’s ability to reach and stay in level 4 sleep for proper lengths of time.

Js and Cs (and combinations of them) are the ones marketed most to pregnant women.  These are generally going to be full body pillows and will support the head, neck, shoulders, abdomen (heavy with baby can be really uncomfortable), hips, legs, and even feet.

At the end of my searching into the wonderful world of alphabet pillows, which started out as a simple investigation of the U, or horseshoe, I have come to the conclusion that the people who don’t like them may have just had the wrong letter.

Obviously, if you try it and hate it, then it’s not going to be a good addition to your bed.  But maybe consider that what led you to try it in the first place is the need for better sleep or more support for some body part.

If the U doesn’t work, then try a different shape.  There are a number of companies that have been pushing the contour pillows, not shaped like any letter…just more of a rectangle with a wavy top.  These are also shown to be really beneficial for people with neck pain.

They differ in that while they do offer great support for the head and neck, they don’t do much to keep your body in a certain position like some of the other pillows. However, they do help to reduce neck pain and snoring by supporting the head in a proper position no matter if you are on your back or side.  You’re not likely going to be sleeping on your front with this pillow.

So, as with many of the other issues that are debatable among the readers, this one is really a matter of personal preference.  There weren’t really any founded risks to using the letter-shaped pillows, and the benefits really just depend upon the user and his or her needs.

It’s a natural alternative to analgesic/ sleep medicine combinations, so if you suffer from neck pain or snoring it might be worth looking into.

For other natural alternatives to improve sleep and reduce snoring, check out my 100% natural programs today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

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