What is the best pillow for sleeping according to your posture

By the Morfeo team · made in Yecla (Murcia) · updated on October 11, 2026

What is the best pillow for sleeping? Height matters

There is no pillow that works for everyone, but there is a criterion that works for choosing yours: your head, neck, and back must be in line, as when you are standing and looking straight ahead. The pillow is the piece that fills the gap between your head and the mattress so that this happens.

That gap is not the same for everyone. It is determined by, in this order:

• Your sleeping posture. On your side, the gap is large (determined by shoulder width); on your back, it is medium; on your stomach, there is almost none.
• Your mattress. If it is firm, the body sinks little and the gap remains; if it is more welcoming, the shoulder sinks and the gap is reduced.
• Your build. Broad shoulders require more height than narrow ones.

Material and feel come after: an enjoyable pillow with the wrong height will leave your neck bent all night.

It is a starting point, not an exact measure: what matters is how your neck rests on your mattress.

Pillow for sleeping on your side, back, and stomach

Pillow for sleeping on your side

It is the posture that needs the most height, because the distance between the shoulder and the ear is the largest of the three. If the pillow is low or flattens under the weight of the head, the neck spends the night tilted toward the mattress. If it is too high, it tilts in the opposite direction. In both cases, you wake up with a strained neck.

A simple test: lie on your side and ask someone to look at your profile. The nose should be more or less in line with the center of the chest, not pointing at the mattress or the ceiling.

For this posture, we recommend the AirHigh® pillow: 18 cm, the tallest in the range, and memory foam that adapts to the head and neck without losing support. And if when sleeping on your side you feel your hip or lower back, try putting a cushion between your knees; we explain it in the guide to the pillow between the legs. If you are also thinking about changing your mattress, see what this posture requires in our guide to the mattress for sleeping on your side.

Pillow for sleeping on your back

On your back, the pillow must support the natural curve of the nape without lifting the head forward. If it is too high, the chin gets close to the chest; if it is too low, the head falls back. The sign that you got it right: your gaze points naturally at the ceiling, without effort.

Two models work here: the SojaVisco® (13 cm, medium firmness) if you like to feel support, and the Calma® (12 cm, fluffy feel) if you prefer something soft.

Pillow for sleeping on your stomach

On your stomach, the neck spends the night turned to one side to breathe. The higher and firmer the pillow is, the more it forces that turn. That is why the rule is the opposite of sleeping on your side: low and soft. Some people prefer not to use a pillow under their head in this posture; if that is your case and you rest well, there is no reason to change.

From our range, the only one we recommend for sleeping on your stomach is the Calma®: the lowest and the softest.

Materials: memory foam, fiber, latex, or feathers

Once the height is clear, the material determines how the pillow feels, how much it holds its shape, and how it is cared for.

Why is the memory foam pillow the most sought after? Because it solves the main problem: it maintains the height. A fiber pillow can have the correct height when you buy it and lose it in a few months or in the middle of the night, when the filling shifts. Memory foam gives way where you rest and returns to its shape, so the neck finds the same support at three in the morning as at eleven at night.

Our AirHigh® and SojaVisco® pillows are memory foam. SojaVisco has soy-infused memory foam, and AirHigh, a ventilation system (VENT) so that air circulates. Calma, on the other hand, has a fluffy feel with internal microspheres, designed for those who want a soft pillow.

What is a cervical pillow and do I need one?

“Cervical pillow” is used for any pillow designed to keep the neck aligned, and specifically for those with a wavy or shaped profile, which have a higher area under the nape. It is not a medical category: a flat pillow with the correct height also works as a cervical pillow.

Wavy profile ones have their way of being placed (which side goes toward the neck, which toward the shoulders) and do not fit all postures. If you are in doubt, in our guide cervical pillow: how to use it we explain how to know if it is yours.

An important clarification: if you have neck pain that does not improve or is getting worse, the pillow is not the first step. Consult your doctor or physical therapist, who is the one who can assess the origin.

The pillow and the mattress work together

This is the point that is most forgotten when buying. The height you need depends on how much your shoulder sinks into the mattress:

• Firm mattress: the shoulder sinks little, the gap remains and the pillow has to be somewhat higher. This is the case of the Original Hybrid, with high firmness and a layer of memory foam that welcomes.
• More welcoming mattress: the shoulder sinks more, the gap is reduced and the pillow can be somewhat lower. This is the case of the Nature, with medium firmness and natural latex.

That is why a pillow that suited you well can stop suiting you when you change mattresses, and vice versa: if you get a new mattress, look again at how your neck rests. If you are not clear on what firmness suits you, we explain it in what is better, a hard or soft mattress, and if what you are looking for is to take care of your back, in how to choose a mattress if your back hurts.

Anti-snoring pillow: what it can and cannot do

There are people who snore more when they sleep on their back than on their side. That is why pillows sold as “anti-snoring” seek two things: to keep the head and neck well placed and to make sleeping on your side more comfortable.

What is good to know before buying one:

• A pillow does not cure snoring. At most, it can help maintain a more comfortable posture when snoring depends on how you position yourself.
• A useful clue: if you snore mostly on your back and less on your side, posture influences. A pillow with enough height to sleep on your side, like the AirHigh®, can make that posture more bearable.
• If you snore in any posture, it is unlikely that a pillow will solve it.

When to replace the pillow and how to wash it

Signs that it is time to replace it

There is no fixed date: it depends on the material, the use, and how you care for it (we see it in detail in how often pillows should be changed). Look for these signs:

• You wake up with a stiff neck and it improves after a while of getting up.
• You fold it or stack it with another so that it has enough height (here we explain how many pillows should be slept with).
• It has lumps, sunken areas, or the filling has gone to the ends.
• It does not recover its shape after resting your head.
• You have changed mattresses or your usual posture and it no longer fits you.
• It has yellow stains or a bad smell that does not go away when washing the cover.

How to wash the pillow without ruining it

• Always read the label. It overrides any general advice.
• Memory foam and latex: the core does not go in the washing machine or dryer, because it can break or deform. The cover is washed, and the core is aired out and, if necessary, cleaned by areas with a damp cloth, letting it dry completely before using it again.
• Fiber: most can be machine washed, on a gentle program and well dried at the end so that no moisture remains inside.
• Use a protective cover on top. It is what extends the life of the pillow the most, because it stops sweat before it reaches the core.

In our pillows, the Calma has a removable and washable cover. And if you get hot, the FreshCool® pillow cover adds a layer with phase change microcapsules that absorb and release heat; it is compatible with all Morfeo pillows.

Morfeo pillows: which one is yours

Three pillows, one for each posture: they change height and firmness.

What pillow size to choose? In double beds, two individual pillows allow each one to sleep with the height and firmness they need, something a single long pillow does not achieve. If you are going to renew the entire bed, the bedroom packs include mattress, support, pillows, and protector; you have how to fit all the pieces in the guide of the rest equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions