Health is something that most of us take for granted until something goes wrong. However, it’s not uncommon to overlook simple things that often cause health problems.
The value of good health is immeasurable, but simple changes that are often overlooked can dramatically affect how people live. One of the easiest changes you can adopt to improve your sleep and thus improve your lifestyle is to use a buckwheat hulls pillow.
What’s A Buckwheat Hulls Pillow?
It looks like any other typical pillow, except there are hollowed sections to put little round balls of stuff inside the compartment called buckwheat. Buckwheat hulls pillows, like the one shown below, and the ones you can find online are very sturdy. The compartment inside can be filled with various materials, including buckwheat hulls, flaxseed, lavender seeds, and the like. These pillows are usually adjustable in that you can add or remove the amount of filling to suit your taste and comfort level.
Is It For Me?
Everyone looking to improve their health and sleeping habits should consider trying a buckwheat hulls pillow, but it’s beneficial for those who have problems such as the following:
- back pain;
- sore muscles and joints;
- headaches;
- TMJ (jaw problems);
- neck pain or stiffness (including tension headaches);
- insomnia;
- migraines; and
- stress
How Do I Use It?
Using buckwheat hulls pillow is easy. Simply place the cushion inside the pillowcase, stuff in the amount of filling according to your preference, and that’s it. You can now use your buckwheat hulls pillow.
As for how to fill it, most pillows are adjustable, so they can be stuffed to fit individual needs. Some people find that an all-hulls form provides sufficient support, while others like to add other fillings such as lavender for scent or flaxseed for added support. You can experiment with various fillings until you find what works best for your particular body type.
You can use it for sitting up in bed while watching TV, reading, or just relaxing on your bed. It’s perfect if you like to read in bed before going to sleep. You’ll most likely find that your favorite sleeping position is also improved by the support of a buckwheat hulls pillow.
There are also travel versions available that are smaller than the standard pillow size. If you find yourself a traveler needing to sleep on planes or trains often, a buckwheat hull travel pillow can be invaluable.
Benefits Of Buckwheat Hulls Pillows
Here are the six best reasons why this type of pillow is perfect for improving your health:
1. They Help You Sleep Better
Proper sleep is essential for your physical and mental health since it affects every aspect of your life. It helps you stay active, sharp, happy, productive, and even reduce the risk of severe illnesses like cancer. The benefits are so immense that enough sleep can save you on medical bills every year by avoiding the common cold.
When you use a buckwheat hulls pillow, it creates an ideal sleeping surface that’s firm to keep your spine aligned while being gentle enough for your face when resting.
The hulls inside provide firm support to your head and neck, which can significantly increase the quality of your sleep because it reduces snoring and make you less likely to thrash about at night. That’s why buckwheat hulls are perfectly good for people who suffer from snoring and sleep apnea and those who have insomnia.
2. They Improve Your Posture
As mentioned, when you sleep on a buckwheat hulls pillow, it naturally forces your head up to keep your spine straight while sleeping by providing gentle support under the chin. It can reduce or almost eliminate lousy posture, which leads to chronic back pain and other problems associated with poor body mechanics.
Buckwheat hulls pillows are also great for side sleepers since their weight will help keep your neck straight at a 90-degree angle to the mattress. When you sleep, it helps support your head and neck while reducing the strain on your spine. Side sleepers often complain of neck pain because they likely shift their heads too far forward, affecting the spine.
3. They Help Relieve Stress, Muscle Pain & Tension
More than 20% of Americans are plagued by chronic pain, most attributed to poor posture or bad sleeping habits. The correct pillow for you can be the answer that allows your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to unwind at night instead of staying in one position for hours on end.
Aside from the mental benefits of proper sleep, a buckwheat hulls pillow can also help you relieve stress and muscle pain. The gentle support it provides to your neck and back helps reduce pressure on these areas, which causes tension headaches and shoulder stiffness. It also reduces the discomfort of sitting too long, whether at the office or in front of the TV.
Buckwheat hulls are naturally cool to the touch, which means that when you sleep on them, your body temperature will be about 10℉ cooler than if you use a regular pillow. It helps reduce stress and tension by relaxing your muscles by lowering their temperature. It also helps maintain your body’s optimal core temperature, which is essential for proper health.
4. They Can Help With Arthritis And Fibromyalgia
In addition to relieving stress, muscle pain, and tension, one of the best features of buckwheat pillows is that they provide a lot of support and relief to those with arthritis or fibromyalgia. Elevated head positioning can help ease the pain for those with these conditions because it gives increased space between the joints in your spine and reduces pressure on them.
While you can’t cure arthritis and fibromyalgia, a buckwheat hulls pillow will help by reducing stress and tension and giving your joints more room to breathe. It’s essential for people with these conditions because it means they won’t be in as much pain during the day, allowing them to enjoy more in life, even if that means sitting on their favorite chair and watching TV all day.
5. They Have Anti-Bacterial Properties
Many people suffer from allergies, one of the most common causes being dust mites. Dust mites are terrible parasites that live in pillows, carpets, upholstery, curtains, and even stuffed animals. They feed off dead skin cells and thrive in warm, moist environments.
More than 50 million Americans are affected by allergies every year. These allergies can negatively affect your quality of life because they tend to make you feel lethargic, irritable, and generally uncomfortable.
A buckwheat hulls pillow is naturally anti-bacterial, reducing allergy symptoms and discouraging the growth of asthma-causing germs and bacteria. The hulls themselves are hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant, which is very good for people with asthma. For those who suffer from allergies, buckwheat hulls pillows can help since the natural anti-bacterial properties of the hull won’t allow bacteria and mold to grow in them like most pillows.
6. They Aid In Natural Weight Loss
With better sleep as the main benefit in using buckwheat hulls pillows, they also aid in natural weight loss as a byproduct of good sleep. The majority of people struggling with weight problems are suffering from sleep deprivation. When you don’t get enough rest, it causes your body to release higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, making you feel hungry when you should be asleep.
This hormonal imbalance is one of the leading causes of obesity and can be very hard to manage without proper sleep. The anti-stress effects of a good buckwheat hulls pillow can help you fight these adverse side effects and keep cortisol levels low while improving your metabolism. Your body will be better able to regulate proper weight when you get enough sleep because it has time to rebuild itself, allowing the immune system and nervous system to function correctly.
Why Would I Want To Try This?
On top of everything listed above, there’s no risk in giving buckwheat hulls pillows a try because they’re cheap and effortless to order online. Here are other reasons to give them a try:
- They’re All Natural
Unlike most pillows stuffed with artificial fillings and foam, the buckwheat hulls pillow is all-natural. They consist of nothing more than the hulls of buckwheat, which means there is no need to worry about what chemicals or toxins might be present in the filling. The hulls also provide a natural resistance to mold and mildew, which means they can be left out in the open without becoming a breeding ground for harmful germs. Buckwheat hulls are also hypoallergenic so that they can provide allergy relief even for those with severe sensitivities.
- They’re Highly Durable
One of the biggest complaints with most pillows is that they quickly lose shape and become lumpy. It’s especially true with foam pillows because the material tends to compress over time, which causes them to lose their initial supportiveness.
The buckwheat hulls pillow doesn’t come with these problems. The natural properties of the hull make for a very durable one that doesn’t lose its shape. Its shape will be retained entirely over time, so you’ll never have to deal with lumpy or misshapen pillows again.
- They’re Sweat-Absorbent
Since buckwheat hulls pillows aren’t full of manufactured chemicals, they’re naturally moisture-absorbent, which makes them an excellent choice for hot sleepers who tend to overheat during the night because they can help wick away excess moisture from your skin. The natural cooling properties of these pillows also make them perfect for those suffering from allergies since dust mites and mold prefer warm and humid environments.
- They’re Customizable
The buckwheat hulls pillow is the only pillow of its kind in terms of customization ability. Because it doesn’t contain foam or other fillings, you can add or remove hulls to suit your preferences and needs, making it a must-have pillow for people with allergies. That’s because customizing the filling allows them to remove only the amount of buckwheat hulls they need to get relief.
- They’re Easily Cleanable
One factor that makes buckwheat hulls pillows so great is that they’re effortless to clean. They can be spot cleaned with the same procedures used for most clothes and will also air out quickly after being left outside in sunny weather. That makes it easy to keep them fresh and comfortable no matter how much you use them or where you take them.
- They Last A Long Time
Unlike most pillows that lose shape after extended use, buckwheat hulls pillows last for years without losing their initial supportiveness. It’s because the natural properties of the hull make them highly durable and resistant to wear and tear. Try this simple test: fold your pillow in half and then try to unfold it. This test can tell you a lot about the strength and durability of your item. A buckwheat hulls pillow will usually remain folded for years, while most other pillows fall apart almost immediately.
- They’re Eco-Friendly
Buckwheat hulls pillows are environmentally friendly and very sustainable, and because of this, they’re one of the best choices for people looking to lead an eco-friendlier lifestyle. Compared to other pillow options such as foam, buckwheat pillows have a much less environmental impact. That makes them perfect alternatives to foam pillows and makes them accessible to almost anyone looking for a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
What’s The Ideal Size?
Many people confuse buckwheat hulls pillows with a typical round pillow with foam or fiber filling inside. Those are usually smaller, but the buckwheat hulls pillow is much larger. It’s about 2 feet long and can be up to 6 inches thick in some cases.
This type of pillow has not only filled with buckwheat hulls but also a generous amount of down feathers. This combination is what makes it so comfortable for anyone to sleep on.
The best size is one that fits in between your knees, so they’re bent slightly when you sleep on your side. If the pillow is too small, it’s not going to be supportive enough and can even cause problems having it stuffed inside the hollowed-out compartments of the buckwheat hulls pillow.
Final Note
So, if you’re in the market for a pillow that can help promote better health and provide more comfortable night after night, consider the buckwheat hulls pillow. You might feel unusual at first, but give it time. You’ll find that over time, your sleep quality and overall health improve dramatically as you discover the true power of this pillow.
