American Indian Pillows
Many people are in search of natural ways to help solve their sleep deprivation. Fortunately, there is no need to turn to voodoo dolls to find this. American Indian Dream Pillows have been helping people sleep for centuries, and the best part is they are without side effects.
Dream pillows are simply pillows filled with an assortment of herbs, which let off a scent that will help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep. Native American folklore says they encourage dream-time, thought and vision.
These types of pillows were also used in Europe in medieval times. In the day of very poor living conditions, these herb pillows were necessary to freshen the scent of a room, especially when guests came. Another popular use for these pillows in this day and age was to help babies fall asleep. Often, the herb dill was used for these small pillows, earning its name from the Norse meaning “to lull’.
Native American dream pillows are available for purchase online, and they are not expensive at all. For example, ones which contain lavender, mugwort, rose petals, white sage, yerba santa, lilac flowers, balsam fir, chamomile, and bare root only costs eleven to twenty dollars.
If you have a little time on your hands, however, it could be fun to make your own unique dream pillow for yourself. If this sounds like a fun project, I recommend buying “Making Dream Pillows” by Jim Long, a short book with everything you need to know about making a dream pillow.
There is a wide variety of herbs to choose from when making a dream pillow, but none of them will effective for very long without a fixative. Fixatives help to retain and develop the eclectic mixture of herbs used within the pillow, making the scent and effect last much longer.
- 1) Orris root- This herb is widely available and is obtained by drying and peeling the fresh root of Iris Florentina.
- 2) Cinnamon- If you would like the fixative to also add a little flair to your pillow, cinnamon is a good choice for you. Just a few sticks like the ones in many potpourri mixtures will do the trick.
- 3) Sandalwood- Used for many things throughout history, sandalwood is proven to be a very suitable fixative.
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If you are looking for a little variety in your dream pillows, you could also try eye pillows. These are little satin pillows you place on your eyes at night which are filled with flax seed and lavender. You will wake up feeling completely rejuvenated.
Choosing the Right Pillow for Your Sleep Style
Your pillow choice should complement your mattress and sleeping position to create a sleep system that keeps your spine in proper alignment from head to toe. Side sleepers generally need a thicker, firmer pillow (5-7 inches of loft) to fill the space between the shoulder and ear, keeping the neck and head aligned with the spine. Back sleepers typically perform best with a medium-loft pillow (3-5 inches) that supports the natural curve of the cervical spine without pushing the head too far forward. Stomach sleepers need the thinnest pillow possible (or no pillow at all) to prevent neck hyperextension that can lead to chronic pain and stiffness. If you change positions throughout the night, an adjustable-fill pillow that allows you to customize the loft offers the most versatile solution.
How Often Should You Replace Your Pillow?
Pillows accumulate dust mites, dead skin cells, body oils, and moisture over time, creating an increasingly unhygienic sleep surface that can exacerbate allergies and respiratory issues. Most sleep experts recommend replacing pillows every 1-3 years, depending on the fill material: synthetic fiber pillows have the shortest effective lifespan (12-18 months), down and feather pillows last 2-3 years with proper care, memory foam pillows maintain their properties for 2-3 years, and latex pillows can perform well for 3-4 years. A quick freshness test: if your pillow has a persistent odor even after washing, shows visible yellow staining that penetrates through the protector, or no longer springs back when folded in half, it is time for a replacement. Investing in a quality pillow protector and washing your pillowcase weekly can extend the useful life of any pillow by reducing the accumulation of contaminants that break down materials over time.
