In daily life, we are very familiar with pillow cores. If you want to sleep well and have a good night’s sleep, it is very important to choose the right pillow core, especially for patients with hypertension. It seems that the selection of a pillow core is crucial. Then, how high should the pillow be for hypertension patients to sleep comfortably?

Everyone says ‘carefree’, which can be understood from its literal meaning: to be able to sleep comfortably without any constraints, it is enough to sleep with a high pillow core. However, from a scientific perspective, ‘high pillow’ cannot achieve ‘peace of mind’.

One of the reasons why a high pillow core can affect the blood circulation in the head is that it is too high. Long-term use of a high pillow core can increase the pressure on the cervical spine, leading to cerebral ischemia, snoring, and stiff neck. In the morning, one may feel discomfort in the spine. Moreover, no matter what sleeping posture is adopted, a high pillow cannot maintain the normal anterior convex slope of the cervical spine, which will increase the pressure on the cervical spine and may cause a stiff neck. If there is neck pain, dizziness, headache, insomnia, and tinnitus upon waking up, or if there is numbness in the hands and feet during sleep, it may be due to a pillow that is too high.

Since sleeping with a high pillow core is not good for the head, let’s take a look at what happens when we sleep with a low pillow core. A pillow core that is too low will make the head lower than the heart, causing an excessive amount of blood to flow into the head, exerting pressure on the blood vessels, and affecting the blood circulation in the head, which can lead to a blood clot in the head, and is more likely to cause edema in the upper eyelids and face, especially for those with hypertension and heart disease. It is necessary to choose a suitable pillow core. A pillow core that is too low can cause a blood clot in the head, which is more likely to cause edema in the upper eyelids and face, and the chin may lift upwards, making it easy to breathe through the mouth and snore. If there is a sore neck and shoulders upon waking up, it may be due to a pillow that is too low, not using a pillow, or a pillow core that is too soft. The pillow core should be selected so that the height is slightly less than the distance from the shoulder to the neck in the same direction, usually 5 to 8 centimeters. Therefore, it is not recommended to use a pillow core that is too soft, as this can cause neck fatigue. Long-term use of a soft pillow core can cause the cervical spine to deform, but it is also not recommended to use a firm pillow core, as this can cause the hair to become numb and painful.

The best pillow core is one that does not easily sink when the head is placed on it. Only when the body and brain maintain a level state during sleep, maintaining an extended sleeping posture, can the blood circulation be smooth. After a busy day, taking care of oneself, keeping the heart in the most energy-saving state, and ensuring smooth blood circulation throughout the body can prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases over a long period of time.

An ordinary person’s daily sleep time is 8 hours, which means one-third of their time is spent sleeping. Therefore, a suitable pillow core is indispensable for sleep quality, and it is very important to have a pillow core that suits oneself. Only with sufficient sleep can one have enough vitality to do what needs to be done during the day.