SFH #162: The Pillow Hack

A fun and different kind of Friday fav

Sleeping with a pillow over your face, at least the top half, is a favorite sleep hack of mine. When Henry was born, and we decided to do sleep training, I read about parents sandwiching their heads with pillows, so they can muffle the sound of distress that they are supposed to let ride. 🤣 I would take a large pillow and let it be the soft taco shell to my skull, covering both of my ears. Over time, I found it comforting to block the ambient light and the city buzz, well beyond both boy's sleepful nights.

I played with different variations of covering my senses with a pillow. I discovered that while a sleep mask can be helpful and more consistent, the pillow was the ultimate hack for sense blocking. It will block the light just as well; you just have to get the placement. The biggest pitfall is/was the involuntary movement of the pillow during the night. The answer to that: a bigger and heavier pillow. Oddly enough, I think just like the science of weighted pressure on your body with a blanket, I felt secure and calm as a giant pillow draped over my face. At this point, you may be scratching your head (or even shaking it). Why would I potentially risk blocking my airway? I promise you that the risk is not there. We will naturally move and adjust if we become short of breath or our body feels the lack of homeostasis during sleep. Have you ever seen a child completely bury their face during sleep?

Another great thing about this hack is that you can do it almost anywhere. Pretty much everywhere you go, you'll find an extra pillow to utilize. I never have to worry about ambient light or light noises with one handy. So next time you have a chance to give yourself the ideal sense bath for sleep, try out this soft cushy vehicle to potentially more restful nights.