The Development of Pillow for Healthy People: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The proper size of the pillow is an important factor in promoting the quality and quantity of sleep. However, most of the pillows available in the market are built may not be suitable to the curve of the cervical spine for Thai people. We determine the proper pillow size of 8 cm, 10 cm, and 12 cm on the perception of comfortable, the ability to produce the force of wrist flexor muscles, electromyography (EMG) signals of the upper trapezius muscle and wrist flexor muscle, and skin temperature of the neck. In addition, we studied the correlation between body height and the preferred pillow size. Thirty healthy individuals aged 20-80 years participated. The participants underwent baseline tests. After 5 minutes, the participants performed the post-tests and rated on the perception of comfortable as they rested in the supine position with their heads supported on three different heights of an adjustable pillow. Descriptive analysis, repeated-measures ANOVA, and Spearman rank tests were used to evaluate for pillow size preference. Most of the participants preferred the 8 cm pillow heights. However, most of the force and EMG of the wrist flexor muscle were greatest when they rested on the 10 cm, and 12 cm of pillow heights. EMG of the upper trapezius muscle and temperature of the neck were not statistically significant among resting on the three pillows. There was no correlation between body height and the preferred pillow size. The three pillow heights could be suitable for sleeping in healthy people.