Ask Happy Dan: The Best Pillow for Sleep

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and sleep and how those two items go together, and he’s now available to answer your questions!

In this edition of Ask Happy Dan, Dan answers a number of questions about side sleeping, pillow height, and the best pillow for sleep.

Violet Lyford – What kind of pillow guarantees good sleep? I have used several different ones, including the expensive “My Pillow,” and nothing helps.

Hello Violet – thanks for the question. So, here is the bottom line on this – there is NO pillow or mattress that will guarantee a good night sleep. What pillows and mattresses do is to enhance your comfort so that your body rests. Sleep is a whole different story and requires some input from your doctor. That being said, if you are having a problem getting to sleep or staying asleep I suggest you visit sleepbetter.org to help you understand what steps you can take to get your body ready for bed time. This is a great question and I am certain many people have the same issue as you do. Sleep is vital to ones health in so many ways and I suggest you do some research and visit your primary healthcare provider. So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!

Sonya Gehrig – How high should your head be up on your pillow?

Your head should be elevated to the point that your cervical spine is in “natural” alignment. If you are laying on your pillow and feel the slightest stress in your neck or your shoulders that pillow should be taken out back and shot! So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!

Janet Tacker – I’m a side sleeper. What is the best pillow to use?

Janet!! It’s good to hear from you again with yet another great question! Nearly three-quarters of people say they sleep on their side. The truth is that most just fall asleep on their side, but as you know we move all around during the night. That said, you want a pillow that will fill the space between your shoulder and your neck. That’s why I keep harping on the fact that a pillow needs to be adjustable and scrunchable. Is that a word? Well I guess it is now. Anyway, many fiber fills and new foam technologies will do that. So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!!

Check back soon for another edition of Ask Happy Dan.  If you have a question for Dan, ask it on our Great American Bad Pillow Project page, and be sure to enter our contest for a chance to win one of three bedding makeovers, each valued at approximately $700!