Like anything else in your home, it’s important to take care of your pillow — an item that you interact with every night. As you sleep, you shed dead skin cells, sweat, produce oils, and put wear-and-tear on your pillow. All of the allergens, dust, and dust mites can affect your sleep and your health overall.
Pillows aren’t meant to last forever. That can leave some people with uncertainty about when is the best time to replace your pillow. In this article, we will remove the veil and discuss the benefits of evaluating whether or not to switch out your pillow.
Allergies Can Affect When You Need to Change Pillows
If you suffer from itchy eyes, runny nose, increased asthma attacks, or an itchy throat, your pillow might be the culprit. Or, rather, what your pillow has collected. Dust mites, for example, thrive on the warm environment of your bedding and survive off of your dead skin cells. Prevent dust mites from colonizing your pillow by washing your pillow cases in hot water at least once a week.
Another measure you can take to cut down on the potential infestation of dust mites and other allergens is to use allergy covers for your pillows and bedding. These nylon products help keep invading allergens from collecting on your bedding — even more so when you duct tape where the zipper is, further inhibiting allergens from penetrating the fabric. Of course, there’s also the option of investing in a hypoallergenic pillow, which can reduce allergen exposure even more.
Test Your Pillow’s Shape
Pillows aren’t meant to last forever, and it’s evident when they’re past their prime when they don’t hold their shape. As your pillow succumbs to wear-and-tear, the new shape of it can add stress to your neck and shoulders, disrupting your sleep cycles. Swap out your pillows at least once a year, if your pillows are made with cheaper materials that are susceptible to breaking down faster.
There is a test that you can perform in order to determine whether your pillow is past due for an upgrade. Fold your pillow in half and see how long it takes to go back to its original shape. If it springs back to shape, the pillow will be good to sleep on for a longer time. However, if it takes a long time for the pillow to go back to its original shape, it might be time to retire that pillow.
The Benefits of Changing Your Pillow
Oftentimes we don’t think about how frequently our pillows need to be changed. Years go by before we might think to make a switch. However, the insidious problems of allergens and shapeless pillows can affect our sleep and, therefore, our health.
JUVEA™ pillows are hypoallergenic and made with the highest quality materials to stay dense and buoyant for years. Use allergy covers, wash your pillowcases, and check the shape of your pillows, but be confident in knowing that JUVEA™ products are designed for longevity in mind. Check out our collection of pillows to make the upgrade.