Why your pillow matters? A good pillow can mean the difference between an awful night’s sleep, and a sweet trip into dreamland for the proper amount of REM cycles, thus preparing you for the next day of your life. Comfortable pillow actually has a very important purpose: to support your head and neck throughout the night, so that you can wake up without neck pain or stiffness. And after some time, even the nicest pillow will stop doing that. How often should you change your pillow?

The rule of thumb is to replace your pillow every 1 to 2 years. Out of 2,200 men and women, only 18% knew they should replace their pillows every two years, according to a survey from pillow manufacturers Ergoflex. The average person uses the same pillow for three years and two months.

“we are risking sustained periods of sleeping without an adequate level of support in the neck and head, along with various hygiene problems that may arise from dust mite infestations in older bedding”
John MacEwan, the managing director of Ergoflex

When then it’s definitely time to give up your pillow?

To find out if you definitely need to buy a new pillow ASAP, the National Sleep Foundation suggests that you fold your pillow in half. If it doesn’t bounce back into its shape, and instead, just stays limply folded, then it’s definitely time to give up your pillow.

At the same time, some types of pillows last longer than others, due to the quality and construction of their materials. Below we’ve listed the average lifespans for different pillow types, organized from most to least durable. How often should you replace pillows:

• Latex: 3-4 years
• Buckwheat: 3 years
• Feather: 18-36 months
• Memory foam: 18-36 months
• Down: 2+ years
• Synthetic down/down alternative: 18-24 months
• Polyester: 6-24 months
• Bamboo: 18-24 months

Why You Should Replace Your Pillows

Why so often should you change your pillow, you ask? First, after many nights of putting your head on your pillow, you leave behind some pretty grisly stuff – sweat, skin cells, oils, dust, dust mites, drool, makeup and other facial products, hair, all kinds of allergens, and more.

Your pillow soaks up all of it. Yes, you can toss your pillow in the washing machine with your sheets and linens, but you won’t be able to prevent some of the unwanted materials from sticking around. That explains the stains. Over time, you can develop skin irritations and allergies. Studies show that dirty pillows can even cause acne. So, regularly replacing your pillow can mean you’ll get a healthier night’s sleep every night, rather than breathing in dirt and germs.

Secondly, since your head is pressing against this pillow for anywhere from six to 10 hours a day, the structure of the pillow will begin to break down over time (which is why higher-quality pillows last longer).

An allergy study in 2005 from the University of Manchester took samples from 10 pillows with between one and a half and 20 years of regular use and found several thousand spores of fungus per gram of pillow. The study didn’t look at the effects of sleeping on fungal spores but aspergillus (a common fungus) is associated with exacerbations of asthma.

The big question is: How often should you change your pillow? The answer is up for debate, but, to help prolong your pillow’s lifespan, wash it every six months and add a protectant case in between the pillow and pillowcase. Note that you can’t wash foam pillows—only ones with down or synthetic down filling (check your pillow’s label for laundry instructions before you toss it in your washing machine). Hot water and mild detergent will help get rid of any dust mites that are in there.

Signs you should replace your pillow

In general, your pillow will usually give you a few clues that your relationship is over:

• There are noticeable lumps in the foam or filler materials
• There are noticeable, permanent stains from body sweat and oil
• It’s a pain in the neck – you wake up every morning with a stiff and aching neck.
• It’s giving you a headache – you wake up with a throbbing skull every morning.
• It just feels flat – you’re not getting appropriate support and might as well be sleeping flat on your mattress.
• You wake up congested or sneezing throughout the night – you may be allergic to your pillow.
• You constantly have to re fluff your pillow to get comfortable (feather pillows only)
• If you fold your pillow in half, it stays that way instead of expanding back out (feather pillows only)

How often should you change your pillows? Sometimes you need to change your pillow for other reasons than old age. Other factors that can affect the longevity of your pillow include health conditions like allergies, or if you’ve recently changed sleeping positions.

For example, if you’ve switched from sleeping on your side to your back, you’ll need a new pillow with a different height. Different sleeping positions require different heights to keep the spine, neck, and head aligned.