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A good pillow is essential for a restful night’s sleep. Without a pillow, the neck and head are unsupported which can lead to both short and long-term soreness. A pillow that’s excessively soft may give insufficient support, whereas one that is too hard will be uncomfortable.

Perhaps more important than the comfort is an unseen feature of the pillow: the fill. The wrong kind of fill can cause sleep-disrupting allergies such as a congested or runny nose, along with inflamed, red teary eyes.

One of the major causes of allergies is the dust mite which inhabits the fill of down pillows and comforters. These mites are so small they’re invisible to the eye. They survive in the feather fill by feeding off our tiny skin flakes that have settled into the down. The problem arises when the dust mite excretes a biological molecule that sets off the immune systems of many people. The “phantom” symptoms are not in response to a disease, but rather the perception of one caused by down alternatives.

Many people suffering from down allergies will turn toward down alternatives for their pillows. Such pillows may be effective at reducing allergies depending on the exact kinds of sensitivities. There are three major kinds of down alternatives. The first type is constructed of natural material, in most cases silk. The second type is polyester-derived fibers that mimic down. The third is high tech foam which contours to the body but retains its original shape.

The silk natural down alternatives have an enthusiastic following due to its natural hypoallergenic properties, light weight but high warmth rating. In fact, silk is the fill of choice for many on the Asian continent. The drawback is that the price point of silk is quite high, comparable to down or more expensive.

Gel fiber synthetic pillows are likely to be the second most used fill after down. Recent improvements in the technology of polyester fibers means that they can be made almost like down, i.e. very warm but also very light and fluffy. In fact, ski clothes and sleeping bags are often stuffed with gel fiber synthetics. The consumer should be aware that the polyester fills which are best are also the most expensive. The most expensive being usually manufactured by a specialist company and licensed to various secondary industries.

Rather than stuffing a fabric cloth with down to make a pillow, some manufacturers have created pillows out of a single piece of foam. The special properties of memory foam is such that it can deform and mold exactly to the outline of your head. The next morning the memory foam will return to its original shape when you stop exerting weight on it. Memory foam was originally developed by NASA research for its space program. One problem with memory foam is that many people report being sensitive to strange chemical smells coming from the foam.

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