What is it?
A knee pillow is a pillow that is used to help maintain proper alignment when sleeping. For side sleepers, this pillow would be placed between the knees to align hips.
Having your hips aligned is very important when sleeping, think about it, you are sleeping for 6 to 8 hours every night and if you are not in alignment you could end up with back pain, joint pain or even worse.
Consider that when you are sleeping on your side, your upper leg is forced to go on an angle toward the bed, this turns the top hip down and then the spine follows and twists, and in some cases the shoulders and neck end up with some strain. If you are a side sleeper, I would suggest to be proactive and to help yourself and get a knee pillow, it would be the best $40 or $50 you spend. The best option is one that attaches to the leg, to stay in place all night.
Why should I use a Knee Pillow?
If you are a side sleeper, a pillow placed between your knees is recommended. When laying on your side, a downward slant naturally occurs from the side of the hip down to the knee. This places stress through your hips, often resulting in pain. Placing a pillow between the knees helps prevent the downward pull on the hip, lining the knee and ankle with the hip.
Positioning the pillow this way is also important after hip or knee surgery The majority of people sleep on their side. It is important that they maintain the correct sleep posture, with their spine in a neutral position to prevent lower back and hip pain. A good knee pillow will accomplish this.
