What is the Function of a Knee Pillow?

Do you rub your painful back or aching hips first thing in the morning? Do your knees trouble you, and do you have cricks in your neck on a regular basis?

If any of this sounds similar, you might benefit from using a knee pillow while sleeping.

What is a knee pillow?

A knee pillow is a pillow that fits between your knees. As you sleep, this supports your knees while also pulling your hips and back into a more natural sleeping position. A knee pillow can be built of a variety of materials, but memory foam is the finest option.

Knee pillows are often x-shaped, with broader flares on either side to support your legs and a divot in the middle to rest your knees. They may feature a strap on one or both sides to hold them in place while sleeping.

The Role of Knee Pillow

For side sleepers

If you are a side sleeper, you want to keep your spine as straight as possible. Your spine should be parallel to the bed, and your hips should be parallel to one another and at a right angle to your spine. Your knees should be a consistent distance apart and in line with your hips.

Rather than being pushed off to an unnatural angle, ensure sure your neck is maintained in its natural curvature. To keep your lumbar spine in alignment with the rest of your back, you need to support your waist.

A knee pillow can help you sleep better by aligning your body and relieving some of the pressure on your sciatic nerve.

For pregnant women

While pregnancy is a joyful time for anyone, it also brings challenges. The resting position of your lower body changes as your body develops during pregnancy.

Finding a comfortable sleeping position while pregnant, especially as the baby grows, is difficult to say the least. Even if sleeping on your side is the most comfortable choice, it still puts a lot of strain on your back and hips. With your baby bump expanding by the day, your body is already under a lot of strain.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the soft palate collapses during sleep. These seals up the throat and causes you to stop breathing for a few seconds until your brain wakes you up enough to raise your soft palate again.

A knee pillow can assist keep your head in alignment with the rest of your body while you sleep. This maintains your airways as open as possible during the night, lowering the number of times you stop breathing. This can lead to a better night’s sleep, less snoring, and a lower risk of heart disease and other major illnesses.

Conclusion

A knee pillow can assist you in living your best pain-free life. It can maintain your hips and spine straight and ensure that you have a good night’s sleep posture. It can also help you sleep better by improving your circulation and perhaps reducing the effects of sleep apnea.

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Dan Dunn

Executive Managing editor

Editor and Admin at MarkMeets since Nov 2012. Columnist, reviewer and entertainment writer and oversees all of the section's news, features and interviews. During his career, he has written for numerous magazines.

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