A Survey of Koreans on Sleep Habits and Sleeping Symptoms Relating to Pillow Comfort and Support

Abstract

The number of people who complain of sleep disturbances is steadily increasing. An understanding of sleep-related factors is required to address sleep problems. This survey study investigated the sleep habits and sleeping symptoms relating to the comfort and support characteristics of pillows and the relationship between sleep quality and pillow design factors. The study utilized data from 332 participating Korean adults aged 20–76 years (mean age ± SD: males, 40.4 ± 15.2; females, 42.9 ± 15.4). We developed a questionnaire that evaluated sleep habits (sleep duration, bedtime, wake-up time and sleeping position); sleeping symptoms (snoring or coughing, breathing and sleepiness during waking hours) based on the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K) questionnaire; and pillow-related factors (support, comfort, fatigue, height and shape) from existing pillow studies. The average sleep duration was 6.8 h, with more than half (52%) of participants sleeping in the supine position. The overall score for sleep quality was considered poor (4.84 points on a seven-point Likert scale), with some degree of sleepiness during waking hours (4.4 points on a seven-point Likert scale). Females went to bed earlier than males and were more likely to sleep in the lateral position compared to males. The number of toss and turn or waking events during sleep increased with age, and older individuals went to sleep earlier and woke up earlier. Among the symptoms of fatigue, pain, discomfort with changing position, snoring, coughing and breathing discomfort, participants reported their highest levels of discomfort due to sleepiness after waking, and they experienced the least head pain. Participants who used a regular-type pillow had poorer satisfaction on multiple comfort and support factors (support, comfort, height suitability, shape suitability) compared with those who used a functional-type pillow. Less head fatigue, less neck fatigue and less shoulder pain had significant effects on sleep quality. To reduce neck fatigue and shoulder pain, designers should consider the height for neck support in the lateral position. To reduce neck fatigue, it is desirable to use materials like latex or memory foam that provide neck support, which can improve sleep quality. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of sleep habits and characteristics of pillow comfort and provide practical guidelines for better pillow designs.

Sleep and Wellbeing, Now and in the Future

“…Some sleep issues may be mitigated by choosing an appropriate pillow type, e.g., with an appropriate pillow neck and side height [24], and sleepwear fabric type, e.g., sleeping in wool promoted improved sleep [25,26]. The food type consumed may also help to promote sleep onset, e.g., a high glycemic index meal shortened sleep onset compared to a low glycemic index meal [27].…”

Non-intrusive vital sign monitoring using an intelligent pillow based on a piezoelectric ceramic sensor

“…After the termination of the tests, the participants were asked to rate their main subjective perceptions in using the InPillow, that is, contact comfort, 28 which was scaled from −3 (very discomfort) to 0 (comfort). 30 Table 2 lists the accuracy values of heart-rate detection of the 14 subjects within the 5 min testing. The accuracy values range from 98.06% to 99.73%, with the average value and standard deviation of 99.18% and 0.55%, respectively.…”

“…i = 0, 1,. . ...15); (2) Design a moving time domain window (width: 3 s; moving step length: 2 s), and determine the maximum peak in each window; (3) If the maximum peak in a window is higher than that in the previous window, body movement occurs, and the number of body movements was recorded 29,30. Figure3displayed the original vital signals and separated BCG, respiratory, and body movement signals collected by the novel intelligent pillow.…”

Memory Foam Pillow as an Intervention in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Preliminary Randomized Study

“…Previous research has suggested that the use of custom fitted pillows may represent an efficacious and cost-effective treatment option in mild to moderate OSAS ( 10 ), filling a niche where continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would not be indicated ( 11 ). Considering that pillow design can be guided ( 12 , 13 ) to alleviate specific symptoms, an evaluation of pillow type impact on sleep health may be directly relevant to their efficacious implementation.…”