We don’t know about you, but some nights we just can’t fall asleep without turning onto our stomach. And when we do, we seem to drift off more easily when not using a pillow. But we do sometimes wonder whether doing that could have any negative health impact.

Just like your mattress and bed base, the pillow plays a key role in sleep quality, but it’s often the most overlooked part of our bedding. You see, experts say that a pillow should help keep your spine properly aligned while you sleep, maintaining its natural curve, especially at the neck. That helps reduce pressure on the intervertebral discs, preventing tension in the cervical area.

What are some of the other benefits? Are there any cases when it’s better not to use a pillow? What should you do if you keep waking up in pain? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

How can I sleep well with a blocked nose?

Is sleeping in bad for your health?

Can our bodies really catch up on lost sleep?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices