Traveling long distances can be exhausting for your body. Even if you’re not entirely moving as you’re just waiting to arrive at your destination, the movement of the vehicle can still impact you physically, making you feel uneasy and tired. Apart from indulging yourself in entertainment to keep yourself busy, sleeping might be a better solution.  

Sleeping while traveling is a great way to pass the time and recharge your body. However, if you’re sitting on the train, car, or plane and have no opportunity to lie down, you might make yourself uncomfortable as you’ll have no choice but to sleep in odd positions. Luckily, a travel pillow should be able to help in such instances.

What Is A Travel Pillow?  

A travel pillow is a cushion you place around your neck so you can sleep comfortably. This way, you can easily lay your head above your shoulder and expect the cushion to support your head’s weight.  

A travel pillow is small and compact that you can bring it with you wherever you go. Both children and adults can enjoy its various benefits as there are various sizes for every age. To get an insight into what kids’ travel pillows are and how they can provide comfort to your children, you may check out this video:

Benefits Of Using A Travel Pillow 

Here’s a detailed discussion of the advantages of using a travel pillow:

Maximizes Comfort 

As stated earlier, one of the best benefits you could get from a travel pillow is that it provides maximum comfort to your body. It can be frustrating to try to sleep but not find a perfect position. Since you can’t lie on your back as you can only sit, a travel pillow can provide extra cushion on which you can lay your head. 

It’ll also be a great idea to pair up your travel pillow with a sleep mask. This provides total darkness, which is particularly beneficial if you’re sensitive to light. This way, you don’t have to worry about lights flashing through your eyes as you keep yourself distant from the world and just focus on catching some sleep.  

Prevents Fatigue 

Sleep is extremely important, especially if you’re traveling for more than 12 hours, to keep yourself well-rested and energized throughout the travel period and when you arrive at your destination. If you choose to stay awake during your entire trip, you might feel too exhausted. Luckily, a travel pillow can help you doze off comfortably, preventing any signs of fatigue from surfacing. 

Eliminates Neck Pain 

Sleeping while in a sitting position may lead to neck pain as your head won’t have any support to hold its weight. On the one hand, using a travel pillow can help keep your neck in place and prevent it from moving to either side of your shoulders. This should allow you to sleep comfortably and pain-free. 

Minimizes Snoring 

Nobody enjoys sharing a long-hour flight with someone who snores loudly during the entire trip. This can be extremely annoying, especially for light sleepers. Unfortunately, you don’t really have control over your snoring, but this doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do to minimize its noise.  

Snoring usually happens when the air inside your body has trouble getting out of your mouth. To prevent this from happening, your upper body needs to maintain proper posture, allowing for proper airflow. A travel pillow can help in this regard. Although it’s not a guarantee that it can entirely eliminate your snoring, it can help minimize its noise.  

Guarantees Clean Surface  

If you’re taking public transportation for your trip, don’t expect the whole place to be polished and hygienic. Even if it’s free from dust and mold, there might still be plenty of germs on and around your seat or cabin, which are invisible to the naked eye. These can cause allergies or even lead to illnesses.  

Expect your head to lie on your chair’s headrest or the walls for support. Those areas are germ magnets. So, to prevent yourself from getting into contact with them, you can use a travel pillow. This way, you’re assured that you’re sleeping on a clean surface. 

Reduces The Possibility Of Back Pain 

When sleeping in a sitting position, expect your body to experience back pains as it might be causing stress and unnecessary pressure on your spine. To prevent this from happening, use a travel pillow as it promotes proper posture, keeping your back relaxed and comfortable. Not only will it help reduce the possibility of developing neck pain, but back pain as well.

How To Choose A Travel Pillow

After learning the benefits of a travel pillow, it might pique your interest to the point where you might purchase one right away. But, before getting the first pillow you see on the rack, you need consider your needs and preferences first and foremost.

To help you out, here are some guidelines to help you pick the best travel pillow: 

Check The Fabric 

One of the most neglected parts of choosing a travel pillow is checking the fabric. While an inflatable pillow might sound convenient, their plastic material might cause irritation to some people. 

Ideally, you should choose a pillow that’s comfortable to touch and which suits the season of the place you’re traveling to. If your destination has a colder climate, you should go with a fleece fabric as it’s naturally warm. Alternatively, cotton fabric is best for warmer temperatures as it’s breathable.   

Choose The Right Size And Weight

If you have a preference in terms of how you travel, then your travel pillow’s weight and size should match that as well. If you’re a light traveler, then it’ll be nice to go with a smaller size or proceed with a memory foam or inflatable pillow. 

However, if you don’t mind bringing a bigger one as you prioritize your comfort, then go for a microbead pillow, although it can be a bit bulky.  

Check The Durability

If you’re a frequent traveler, you can understand how frustrating it must be to purchase a new pillow every time you need to fly. Not only can it be inconvenient, but it can also get expensive as well. To avoid such scenarios, you should check the material’s durability and make sure it lives up to its standards and lasts long. You won’t constantly need to buy a new one.

Takeaway 

With the number of benefits that a travel pillow can provide to you, it’ll surely help improve your travel experience. With this, you can finally free yourself from any pain and let yourself sleep comfortably wherever you are and regardless of your seat.