RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE OF PILLOW MATERIAL ON SLEEPING COMFORT

Hou Jian-Jun^*, Mao Yi-Chao

School of Art and Design, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing, Jiang Su, China

Introduction: This research chose seven pillow materials and studied the influence of pillow materials on sleeping comfort which can improve sleep quality during epidemic period.

Materials and methods: The pressure distribution was measured and recorded using the Tekscan body pressure measurement system (BPMS). Then subjective comfort evaluation, variance and correlation analysis, and cervical spine positioning point methods were adopted to analyze the influence of pillow core materials on sleeping comfort.

Results: In the supine position, the peck pressure was concentrated on the subjects' head spot. When subjects used the memory sponge and latex pillows, the overall contact area was larger, the peck and average pressure was lowest. The overall comfort value of the memory sponge pillow and the latex pillow was high. In lateral position, the peck pressure point in Chinese medicine and buckwheat skin pillows was concentrated on the face; the other material pillows were concentrated on the arm. In the case that the subjects used latex pillow and buckwheat skin pillow, the deformation of the spine was small, and the overall comfort evaluation was high. 

Conclusion: The subjects had higher comfort value with the use of memory sponge and latex pillow but lower comfort value with the use of Chinese medicine pillow and inflatable pillow in supine position. In the same way, the subjects had higher comfort evaluation of latex and buckwheat-skin pillow in lateral position. Using a buckwheat-skin pillow increased the neck contact area, which could alleviate cervical pain. The study results can guide people with different sleeping habits, posture and with spinal diseases to choose suitable pillow materials.