12 Pillows That Will Keep Stomach Sleepers’ Necks Happy

If face-planting on your bed is your idea of a good night’s sleep, you already know how important it is to use only the best pillows for stomach sleepers. And, for the most part, that means using a very specific type of pillow.

As SELF has previously reported, you want your head, neck, and shoulders to be in alignment when you hit the hay, no matter your sleeping style. Usually, the right pillow can help them achieve that kind of spinal alignment—side sleepers, for example, should sleep with a pillow that’s tall enough to allow space for their shoulders. But, when you sleep flat on your tummy, most likely with your head cranked to one side, the lower the pillow, the better. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, this sleeping position naturally puts a lot of pressure on your neck and back, causing your lower back to arch and your shoulders to scrunch upward. A high-loft pillow will only intensify these effects, which can lead to back pain. So, you actually want to use a low-loft pillow, if you absolutely must sleep on your stomach. A 2017 paper listed seven centimeters (roughly three inches) as a particularly comfortable height for a stomach sleeper’s pillow. That isn’t a hard and fast rule—and the Mayo Clinic even recommends sleeping without a pillow at all—but it’s a good place to start if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool stomach sleeper and need a new pillow. Also, for even better comfort, research suggests placing a pillow under your stomach to reduce the arch in your lower back.

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With that in mind, we’ve highlighted our top picks for the best pillows for stomach sleepers on the market right now, including the flattest, softest offerings from Casper, Layla, Coop Home Goods, and more. And check out our list of best sleep products for more ways to wind down at night.