Ask Happy Dan: Snoring, Staying Cool, and Pilling

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 questions about snoring husbands, staying cool at night, and pilling sheets.

Dana Maxwell: What type of pillow is best for a snoring husband?

You can do what my wife does – buy him a pillow for under his head then buy one to put over his face! Just kidding! You can buy something called a bed wedge. This product will elevate his head a bit and that “may” help. Snoring could be a signal for some more serious, howeverk and should be checked out by a doctor. Sleep Apnea can be a serious condition that has far reaching ramifications. So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!!

Elva Anderson: What is the best pillow to use to get a good nights sleep? I do not like a real firm pillow, or a real flat one. Why do bamboo sheets get pilly?

Super questions! OK let me answer you first question. What you need to find is a fully adjustable pillow. You want find something that offers a blown fiber or something that is a foam pillow that is self-adjusting. There is no such thing as 100% Bamboo and in fact if you read the law label on your sheets you will find that it reads (or it should read) that it’s actually Rayon. As the material is rubbed by your body or washed and dried a number of times the fibers begin to bunch up and we see pilling So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!!

Marilyn Robertson: How long before you should change your pillow?

Super Question. You should change out your bed pillows at least one a year. If you have down and feather pillows you should have them dry cleaned at least twice a year by a dry cleaner that specializes in cleaning leather. If you have a foam pillow you should spot clean as needed. So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!!

Linda Vonhold: Does your pillow help with neck aches in the morning?

An ill-fitting pillow can certainly contribute to an achy neck, but so can and old mattress. If you have an old mattress that does not support the way it used to along with a cheap pillow, then your comfort will be affected. So says Happy Dan The Pillow Man!!

Kimberly Chalmers: I want a pillow and bedding that will keep my husband cool at night! Where can I find one?

There are any number of retailers that carry a product called Iso•Cool®. This product uses Phase Change material by Outlast. 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!