| Keywords |
Sleep Quality; Cervical Pillow; Electroencephalography (EEG); Thermoregulation; Bed microclimate |
| Abstract |
This study investigated the effects of a newly developed cervical pillow on sleep quality. Eight healthy males completed two sleep conditions, using a standard pillow (control) and the cervical pillow, each for 7 h (00:00?07:00) in a climate chamber (23.5°C and 46%RH). Sleep quality was assessed using electroencephalography (EEG), actigraphy, core/skin temperatures, neck muscle stiffness, and subjective evaluations. EEG analysis showed that the delta wave ratio was higher with the cervical pillow than with the control, particularly during the final hour of sleep (P = 0.054, Cohen’s d = 0.82), suggesting deeper sleep in the cervical pillow condition. Actigraphy revelaed no statistically significant differences in total movement, sleep efficiency, or number of awakenings, however, trends indicated reduced nocturnal movement with the cervical pillow. Distal skin temperatures (the hand and forearm) increased more rapidly during sleep onset with the cervical pillow, indicating more favorable thermoregulatory conditions for sleep initiation. Core temperature and mean skin temperature did not differ between conditions. Post-sleep measurements demonstrated that cervical pillow use led to greater reductions in neck muscle stiffness and tension following cervical pillow use compared with the control. Subjective assessments indicated lower morning fatigue and greater comfort with the cervical pillow, with five of eight subjects (63%) expressing a preference for it. These findings suggest that the cervical pillow may enhance both physiological and subjective aspects of sleep, likely through improved cervical support and head-neck alignment, highlighting its potential as a simple intervention to improve sleep quality in healthy adults. |