Tuesday 24 January 2012

Special pillows

Twenty years ago most people slept on either a feather and down pillow or a standard foam pillow. Things have changed in the last two decades and now materials like visco elastic memory foam and latex are common pillow filling materials and they offer what is considered to be superior orthopedic support.

Modern foams though are not the only options when it comes to selecting something a little bit different. At the extreme end of the spectrum there are pillows filled with animal hair and there are also pillows that are stuffed with dried grassed and other vegetation. These are very much niche pillows and appeal to a very limited number of people.

More common are some of the pillows that claim a therapy effect on the person sleeping on them. These can be pillows that are infused with an odour like lavender, or that have a filling that is composed of a very un-bed-like material.

One example of the above is bamboo which in both its dried and burnt form is becoming a popular bedding material (for mattress and pillow uses).

Bamboo has a number of traits that lend it to pillow applications. Firstly it has long been appreciated that it feels cool and that this makes it ideal in hot environments. With modern fabric making technologies this means that it can be processed and interlaced into a length of cloth and then stitched to make a pillow case.

When burnt, bamboo (as charcoal) has some additional properties that see it cleanse the air, produce negative ions and, according to some, make getting to sleep easier.

The other good thing about the bamboo charcoal is that it can be impregnated into other materials like memory foam and latex foam so that the advantages of the therapy can be combined with the qualities of orthopedic support. These pillows are becoming increasingly popular and they can be bought at many of the better chain stores. They come in standard designs and they do not look or feel out of place in any bedroom.

These days there are many different pillow fillers, so check out all of the options and selections. Naturally trying pillows out, in terms of feel and odour, is the best way to determine if they are right for you.



Health Blogs

No comments: