The Benefits of a Body Pillow

Allow us to get personal for a moment.

What are your sleeping habits these days? Did they worsen or improve with the pandemic? What sleep position do you usually end up in? Do you wake up during the night? Are your joints achy and stiff when you get up in the morning? 

Even if you sleep wonderfully each night, sleep is one area we could all use improvement in! Who doesn’t want an amazing sleep every night?

Whether you are pregnant, a side sleeper, or simply like to cuddle, there are many other reasons you or someone you know needs to incorporate a body pillow into your sleep regimen.

In addition to being extremely comfortable, body pillows can improve your sleep quality in myriad ways. Here are the five main benefits of a body pillow.

1. Improves blood circulation

Believe it or not, body pillows help regulate blood circulation during sleep.

Consistent blood flow in your whole body at night means an uninterrupted sleep cycle. If your feet fall asleep (ironic, we know), blood flow and oxygen levels are reduced, thus causing a restless night.

In contrast, keeping legs elevated and pressure off joints will relax the body into a deeper sleep.

Side sleepers should place a body pillow between their knees, while back sleepers should wedge it under their knees before drifting off to sleep.

2. Aligns body and prevents it from rolling onto stomach

We hate to be the bearer of bad news. But science has proven sleeping on your stomach is terrible for your back and neck.

To assist yourself in breaking a bad habit, curl up on your side with a body pillow instead. That way, even if you do try to roll over in your sleep, the body pillow will prevent you from landing completely flat on your tummy.

3. Reduces snoring

Can we get a hallelujah?

Whether you are the chronic snorer or your spouse is, snoring and sleep apnea are bad news to both parties.

 Sleeping with a body pillow on your side adjusts your sleep position, opening up your airway so you, and your partner, can get a full, deep rest at night.

4. Cuddling a body pillow reduces anxiety!

We understand you would have your doubts about this, so we have included a link above to the statistics for your reading pleasure.

Most of us grew up snuggling something to soothe ourselves into slumber. Whether it was a blanket, a stuffed animal, or another pillow, this action is still ingrained in many of us as adults.

You might not think of yourself as overly touchy-feely. You might not even particularly like hugs.

However, studies prove hugging someone, or in this case, something, releases oxytocin. This feel-good hormone naturally relieves stress and eases anxiety.

Nothing says a good night’s sleep like ridding the day’s frustrations nagging at your mind!

If you feel ill, angry, panicked, or even depressed, hug your body pillow tight to calm your brain and body before you drift off to sleep.

5. Great for pregnant women

Most pregnant women start sleeping on their side by the beginning of their third trimester. There really is no other relatively comfortable position once that baby bump reaches a certain size.

Getting a solid night’s rest is so important for both mom and baby during those nine months of development. Goes without saying that if mom isn’t getting her rest and feeling healthy, fatigue can cause some hurdles.

A body pillow is a pregnancy necessity! Add one to your baby registry early on so you are ready when the time comes.

Then, once baby is born, your body pillow doubles as a supportive nursing pillow during those first few months of early morning and late-night feeding hours.

To each their own, but convenience makes a world of difference when you are sleep deprived post-partum!

What to look for in a body pillow

So now that you know you need one, what qualifications should your body pillow meet?

Well, first of all, no one wants to snuggle with a hard, scratchy pillow.

Body pillows, like most other pillows, should be firm enough to relieve the pressure in your joints but soft enough that your body melts into it every time you close your eyes.

UniikPillows only uses a 100% cotton, luxuriously soft down alternative for our body pillows. Likewise, our pillow covers are also made from 100% breathable, silky cotton.

Second, the idea is that a body pillow should actually fit the length of your body. In the very least, your body pillow should run from shoulder to mid-calf.

Our handmade body pillows measure 54” x 20”, just the right length for most body types. However, since we sew and stuff our own inserts in our local office, we can create a custom size insert to suit your needs.

These body pillow inserts come with or without covers. You can choose between 10 different color options, or a simply request a custom color for your body pillow cover if you don’t see it listed.

Whether it’s a solid color, a print or pattern, or a different material altogether, we can make it happen. Yes, we can even create an embroidery design for you!

All our pillow inserts are enclosed with a zipper so you can easily adjust the down alternative stuffing’s fullness to your preferences.

Lastly, you definitely want a body pillow that is easy to clean. Read our care and instructions blog post for more information on how to properly clean your UniikPillows.

Styling your body pillow

Some people are unsure how to display their body pillows, if at all.

While leaving them under the covers can cause a good laugh by freaking out your house guests, we recommend leaning them against the headboard behind all other decorative pillows.

Setting them up this way can also serve as a back or head rest while you wind down for the night.

Body pillows available for sale!

Our body pillows are currently located under our inserts collection.

Should you have any questions while ordering, or hope to customize your body pillow one way or another, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Already have one? Let us know in the comments how you like it!