Pillows

The right pillow looks after your neck

A pillow is cheap compared with a mattress, but it counts for a lot in how you wake up. Its job is to keep your neck aligned with your spine while you sleep, and the key to that is the height, which depends above all on the position you sleep in.

If you sleep on your side, you need a taller, firmer pillow that fills the gap between your shoulder and head. If you sleep on your back, a medium height that supports the nape without pushing it forward works better. And if you sleep on your front, the lower and softer the better, so you don't strain your neck. It's the most common mistake: sticking with the same old pillow even after you've changed your mattress or sleeping position.

The material matters too. Memory foam pillows mould to your head and give plenty of support, good if you feel tension in your neck; fibre ones are fluffier and lighter, easy to plump up and wash, and tend to suit people who change position during the night. None lasts forever: when a pillow goes flat, yellows or you wake up with a stiff neck, its time is up, and that's usually every two or three years.

In the shop you'll find the Sonpura range, from memory foam to fibre. The Nube and the Caricias are soft and adaptable; the Brisa leans cool, good if you tend to get hot; and the Elixir goes for a bit more firmness and support.

A simple tip: when you get a new mattress, rethink your pillow. A firmer or softer mattress changes how far your shoulder sinks, and with it the pillow height that suits you. If in doubt, tell us how you sleep and we'll point you the right way, at the Lorca shop or over the phone. And if you're also looking at a mattress, in the guide to choosing a mattress we lay it all out clearly.