How do I choose the right pillow height if I am a side sleeper?
Side sleeping is the most popular sleep position and surveys consistently suggest that between 60% and 70% of adults spend most of the night on their side. It's generally considered one of the healthier positions, associated with reduced snoring, better digestion and lower risk of back pain. But it does place very specific demands on your pillow. Get the height wrong and you'll know about it, usually in your neck and shoulders the following morning.
How Do I Choose the Right Pillow Height if I Am a Side Sleeper?
Why Pillow Height (Loft) Matters for Side Sleepers
When you sleep on your side, there is a gap between your head and the mattress — created by the width of your shoulder. Your pillow's job is to fill that gap precisely, keeping your head, neck and spine in a straight, neutral line throughout the night.
Too low a pillow and your head drops towards the mattress, putting your neck into a downward curve and placing strain on the muscles and joints on the upper side of your neck. Too high a pillow and your head is pushed upward, creating an upward curve and compressing the joints on the lower side. Either way, the result is the same: stiffness, pain, and disrupted sleep as your body tries to compensate.
The goal is simple to describe but takes a little thought to achieve: your head should sit in exactly the same position it would if you were standing upright with perfect posture. Spine straight. Head neither tilted up nor down.
What is Pillow Loft?
"Loft" is the term used to describe pillow height, specifically the height of the pillow when it's lying flat with your head on it (compressed loft), rather than its height straight out of the packaging (uncompressed loft). These can be quite different, particularly with softer fills.
Pillows are generally categorised as:
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Low loft: Approximately 7cm or under when compressed
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Medium loft: Approximately 7–12cm when compressed
- High loft: Approximately 12cm or above when compressed
For most side sleepers, a medium to high loft is the correct starting point — but the precise height needed varies significantly from person to person.
How to Find Your Ideal Pillow Height
The key variable is the width of your shoulders. More specifically, the distance from the tip of your shoulder to the side of your neck. This is the gap your pillow needs to fill.
As a general guide:
- Broader shoulders require a higher loft pillow. If you have a broad, athletic or larger frame, you'll typically need a pillow with a compressed height of 12cm or more to keep your neck properly supported.
- Narrower shoulders require a lower loft. If you have a slight frame or smaller build, a medium loft of around 8–10cm is often more appropriate.
Mattress firmness also plays a role. A softer mattress allows your shoulder to sink in somewhat, reducing the gap between head and mattress, and therefore requiring a slightly lower loft than the same person would need on a firm mattress.
Conversely, a firm mattress keeps your shoulder higher, and you'll need a bit more pillow height to compensate.
The Simple Test
The quickest way to check whether your pillow height is correct is to lie on your side in your usual sleep position and have someone look at you from the foot of the bed:
- Your spine should form a straight horizontal line from your lower back through your neck to your head
- Your nose should point straight ahead, not angled up towards the ceiling or down towards the mattress
- Your neck should feel relaxed, not stretched or compressed on either side
If any of these aren't right, your loft is off.
You can also assess it yourself by paying attention to how you feel in the morning. Consistent stiffness or pain on one side of your neck suggests your pillow may be too high. Pain or tension on the other side, or across both shoulders, often indicates too little support.
The Best Pillow Types for Side Sleepers
Once you understand the loft you need, you can choose a fill type that delivers and maintains it. Not all pillow fills are equal for side sleepers.
Memory Foam: The Most Reliable Support
Memory foam is often the top recommendation for side sleepers, and for good reason. It contours precisely to the shape of your head and neck, distributing weight evenly and eliminating pressure points at the shoulder and neck. Crucially, it maintains its loft consistently throughout the night, it doesn't go flat at 3am the way some softer fills can.
Solid memory foam pillows offer the most consistent support. Shredded memory foam allows you to add or remove fill to fine-tune the height - a useful feature if you're between sizes or if you share a bed with someone who needs a different loft.
High-Fill Hollowfibre: Comfortable and Adjustable
A deep-fill or extra-fill hollowfibre pillow can work very well for side sleepers, particularly those who prefer a softer feel. The key is choosing a firm density rather than soft, medium and soft hollowfibre pillows tend to compress too much under the weight of the head, losing their loft quickly.
Look for hollowfibre pillows specifically labelled as "firm support" or "extra fill" if this is your preference.
Latex: Durable and Supportive
Natural latex pillows offer excellent, consistent support and are naturally resistant to dust mites, a bonus for allergy sufferers. They tend to hold their loft well over time and have a slight springiness that some sleepers find more comfortable than the slower response of memory foam.
Latex pillows are generally heavier than other types and sleep slightly cooler than memory foam, making them well suited to Spain's warmer climate.
Feather and Down: Generally Not Ideal
Traditional feather and down pillows, while wonderfully comfortable for back sleepers, are generally not the best choice for side sleepers. They compress significantly under the weight of the head and tend to need constant readjusting during the night. If you love the feel of feather and down, opt for a firm feather pillow with a high feather-to-down ratio, and be prepared to fold or double it for additional height.
Two Pillows: A Common Side Sleeper Solution
Many side sleepers find that using two pillows - one firm to provide the primary structural support, and one softer on top for comfort - gives them the best of both worlds. This is a perfectly valid approach, provided the combined loft isn't so high that it pushes the neck into an upward tilt.
Don't Forget the Pillow Between Your Knees
While this article focuses on head and neck support, side sleepers often benefit enormously from placing a pillow between their knees as well. This keeps the hips, pelvis and lower spine aligned, reducing the rotational strain on the lower back that side sleeping can otherwise cause. A slim, firm pillow or a dedicated knee pillow works best for this purpose.
Come and Talk to Us
Choosing the right pillow height is much easier when you can actually see and feel the options. Our team at the Yorkshire Linen Mijas store are experienced in helping customers find the right pillow for their sleeping position, frame and preferences — without any pressure.
We stock a full range of pillow lofts, fills and sizes, including options specifically suited to side sleepers.
Or visit us at Ctra. de Mijas, Km 3.5, Monday to Friday 10am–6pm, Saturday 10am–5pm.
Yorkshire Linen Beds & More. Quality Home Textiles on the Costa del Sol since 2005.
