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What is the best pillow for back pain?

Magical pillow for ear pain?

  • Is there a pillow out there that won't hurt my ears and won't puff up in my face? I get outer ear pain when I sleep on my side, and it gets inexplicably worse with earplugs. Firm pillows, memory foam, and feathers are a big fail. Whatever pillows they generally use in hotels cause pain, too. The thing that bothers my ears the least is an ancient softer pillow that doesn't have much left in the center, but I still toss and turn, and I hate how it gets all up in my face. The obvious work-around of lying on my back all night isn't an option for me. I can't afford to buy and try a bunch of different pillows, so I'm hoping somebody has had the same experience and found their dream pillow. Please oh please help me get some sleep.

  • Answer:

    It could be kind of a pricy experiment, but my first thought was that what you should do is buy a memory foam pillow, figure out how you'd sleep on it most comfortably in the absence of the ear pain, then figure out where exactly the pressure was, and then carve out part of the foam with a utility knife so that there's a depression only there, and the rest of your head is supported by the surrounding foam.

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Have you seen a doctor about the possibility of a "TMJ" disorder...? I get nighttime ear pain rather similar to what you describe, and it's a jaw problem. "Robaxacet" (which has a muscle relaxant called methocarbamol in it) usually brings the pain down to a tolerable level.

kmennie

I found some relief from the ear pain with http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/microbead-pillow.html. They still shift around a bit but the puff-ups are easier to adjust than the ones that occur with regular foam pillows.

Hardcore Poser

Came to nth thehttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0016L3LSA/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. I had a http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003VKX32S/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ pillow and it was good, but NOTHING has been as awesome as the Soba Pillow my mom bought me in Japan. I can't sleep without it now. Also, I have a bite guard, which is also necessary for my excellent sleep. So those two things might be the answer to your prayers.

Ruthless Bunny

Try a pillow filled with http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0037NX61M/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. Nothing has improved my sleep comfort like that. You can form the pillow and it pretty much stays put. I often "carve" out a dip in the middle for my ear. Plus it stays much cooler than any other pillow I have used. BTW the Sobakawa brand name is used for both microbead and buckwheat pillows, but they are different.

The Deej

Don't know if it will fit you but after a long search I found the perfect pillow, which is filled with a mixture of memory foam tubes and polyester fibers. Both me and my wife find them extremely comfortable, to the point where we take them with us whenever we travel. I personally had a lot of trouble with neck pain and it completely resolved after this.

Mai2k3

Thanks for all the suggestions. I decided to start with what I had and go from there. I had an old contour memory foam pillow that was great for support. I cut an ear-sized hole in the appropriate spot and covered it (temporarily) with a stretchy tee, which I push in to create a little crater. Cutting all the way through caused it to lose some of its structural integrity, and if I had it to do all over again I'd leave some foam at the bottom, but it's wonderful. OMG it's wonderful. I've actually woken up 6 hours later in the same position I went to sleep in. You guys rock.

moira

Oh, and good luck! I know how badly this sucks.

oneirodynia

I have this very same horribly painful issue, and I basically do what http://ask.metafilter.com/227164/Magical-pillow-for-ear-pain#3287311. The little pillow I use on top is generally a cheap-ass, not very firm, polyester fill pillow that I can fluff up each night. I looked to see if mine has a label but it no longer does. It's just a little 14x14 filler for a decorative pillow, possibly from Ikea. Memory foam and down did not work for me- it basically has to be something with no real support at all that doesn't press on my ear when compressed.

oneirodynia

Cover an inflatable hemorrhoid donut with fabric so it's soft and then sleep on that, with your ear in the donut hole.

elizardbits

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