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Snuggle-Pedic
Bed pillow
Snuggle-pedic Pillows support the body at rest for comfort, therapy, or decoration. Pillows are used by many species, including humans. Types of pillows include cushions, body pillows, and decorative pillows. Pillows that help sleep are a type of bedding that supports the head and neck. Other types of pillows are designed to support your body while lying or sitting.
There are also pillows that take into account the shape of the human body to increase sleeping comfort. Decorative pillows used for people, sofas, and chairs are sometimes called cushions.
In modern Western culture, pillows consist of plain or patterned fabric envelopes (called pillowcases), usually of synthetic fibers, containing soft layers that are standardized in size and shape. Pillows have been made from a variety of natural materials throughout history, but many cultures around the world still use pillows made from natural materials.
History
The word pillow comes from Middle English pile, Old English pyre (similar to Old German pfuliwi), and Latin pulvinus. The first known use of the word pillow was before the 12th century
Although the exact origin is unknown, the use of pillows evolved in animals well into prehistory, the earliest examples including reptiles and mammals resting their heads on each other, and one another, supporting the head and neck. Animals, including humans, have evolved to use inanimate objects in their nests of wood and stone as cushions. Since domestication, many animals have also learned to use human-made pillows and cushions for this purpose, as well as to rest on members of their own and other species.
Building sleeping platforms
Sometime between 5 and 23 million years ago, tree-dwelling apes began building sleeping platforms, including wooden pillows, to improve their sleep.
According to studies of chimpanzees, who sleep up to eight to nine hours a night using specially selected ironwood pillows, the sturdy pillows allowed the great apes to escape hunting by nocturnal predators and not fall out of trees in their sleep. It is likely that the evolution of large, energy-consuming brains necessitated this.[6] While this may have also led to longer periods of REM sleep, this, in turn, increased their cognitive capacity
Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt
The earliest recorded use of a modern human device dates back to the civilizations of Mesopotamia around 7,000 BC. During this time, only the rich used pillows. The number of pillows symbolized status, so the more pillows a person owned, the more wealth they had.
Pillows have long been produced around the world to help solve the recurring problem of neck, back, and shoulder pain while sleeping. In addition to comfort, the pillow also served to keep bugs and insects out of people’s hair, mouths, noses, and ears while they slept.
The use of pillows has been associated with the mummies and tombs of ancient Egypt during the 11th Dynasty, dated to 2055–1985 BC. Ancient Egyptian pillows were wooden or stone bolsters. These pillows were mostly used by placing them under the head of the deceased, as the human head was considered the essence of life and sacred.
Ancient Europe
The Romans and Greeks of ancient Europe mastered creating a softer type of pillow. These pillows were stuffed with reeds, feathers, and straw to make them softer and more comfortable. Only the upper class usually owned these softer pillows; however, all classes of people were allowed to use some kind of pillow while sleeping, lying, or sitting to provide support.
People in ancient Europe began to use cushions to kneel on when going to church and place holy books on them. This is a tradition that lives on to this day. Additionally, the Romans and Greeks used their pillows by placing them under the head of the deceased just like the ancient Egyptians.
Ancient China
Chinese pillows were traditionally firm, although a softer fabric was sometimes used. Throughout China’s many dynasties, pillows were made from a wide variety of materials including bamboo, jade, porcelain, wood, and bronze. Ceramic pillows became the most popular. The use of a ceramic pillow first appeared in the Sui Dynasty between 581 and 618, while mass production appeared in the Tang Dynasty between 618 and 907.
The Chinese decorated their pillows by making them into different shapes and painting pictures of animals, people, and plants on them. One common type of pottery used was Cizhou ware. Chinese ceramic pillows reached their peak in terms of production and use during the Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties between the 10th and 14th centuries, but were slowly phased out during the Ming and Qing dynasties between 1368 and 1911 with the advent of better pillow materials.
Construction and parts
Snuggle-pedic Pillows consist of filling material enclosed in a fabric cover or shell. Covers are made from a fabric such as silk, known as a pillowcase or pillowcase. Some pillows have a better cover called a sham, which is closed on all sides and usually has a slot in the back to place the pillow.
Rectangular standard pillowcases usually do not have zippers, but instead, have one side open all the time. A zippered pillow protector is often placed around standard pillows, with the sleeve in turn covering the protector.
Fillings are chosen based on comfort, durability, thermal properties, price, as well as medical and ethical reasons. The most common synthetic fillers are materials derived from polymer fibers such as polyester and memory foam.
Synthetic fillers are generally inexpensive and, in the case of memory foam, can hold their shape longer. Natural fillers have been used since ancient times. The most common are feathers, down, wool, latex, cotton (especially in India), and buckwheat. More exotic materials including straw, wood, or stone were also used. Feathers are usually a softer stuffing and offer good insulation, but are more expensive due to their relative scarcity.
Down is known to be plucked from live geese,[13] but cruelty-free certifications already exist for down products. In India, traditional pillows are made from kapok, the fluffy, shiny fruit fibers of the Ceiba pentandra and Bombax ceiba trees.
Service life, maintenance, and waste management of Snuggle-pedic
The normal lifespan of a Snuggle-pedic pillow is two to four years. The condition of the pillow can be determined by checking for lumps or folding it to see if it stays in that shape. For hygiene reasons, replacement is recommended.
All types of pillowcases should be washed regularly because they are the part that comes into contact with the human body. Pillows collect dust and microbes between the fillings, even when washable pillows are washed.
Manufacturers recommend drying them in the dryer for fifteen minutes every week to freshen them up and for the heat to kill the mites. Charities in most countries do not accept used pillows due to hygiene regulations. While some shelters accept forms of bedding, most refuse donations of used pillows because of the mess they can cause.
Recycling pillows, like most textiles and bedding, is expensive and has a low yield.[17] As such, little is recycled and most end up in landfills. Their low weight means that they make up a small proportion of household waste by weight.
Most of the few pillows collected for recycling are sent to India and Pakistan and used as cheap bedding or in Southeast Asia mixed with other textiles to make cheap bedding.
Types
The Snuggle-pedic pillow provides support and comfort to the body and head. There are three main types of pillows; bed pillows, orthopedic pillows, and decorative pillows, with some overlapping uses between them. The appropriate pillow size depends on the size of the bed. Larger than standard pillows are available for double and king beds.
The choice of a bed pillow depends to some extent on sleeping positions: one manufacturer recommends a thinner and softer pillow for face-down sleepers, medium support for back sleepers, and a thicker, firmer pillow for side sleeper
A typical pillow
The classic shape of a bed pillow is usually a square or rectangle. In the US, they are common in these three sizes (in inches): Standard (20×26 inches), Queen (20×30 inches), and King (20×36 inches). Less common in the US is the Jumbo size (20 × 28 inches), which is larger than the standard size but smaller than the queen size.
Pillows are usually covered with a removable pillowcase for easy washing. In addition to the color and the material from which they are made, cushion covers have three contrasting features:
Size
Function
Opening/closing
The size corresponds to the pillow that the case is supposed to contain. They are usually described as:
Standard
16 inches × 16 inches (41 cm × 41 cm) (square)
Square
26 inches x 26 inches (66 cm x 66 cm)
Standard
20 inches x 26 inches (51 cm x 66 cm)
Queen
20 inches x 30 inches (51 cm x 76 cm)
King
20 inches x 36 inches (51 cm x 91 cm)
The square is also called continental in Great Britain. German pillow sizes are 80×80 cm (older) or 40×80 cm (newer). When considered a subset of bed pillows, Euro pillows have a surface of 26×26 inches, and older style travel pillows commonly end at 12×16 inches.
Orthopedic
Neck Snuggle-pedic pillows support the neck by providing a deep area for the head to rest and a support area that keeps the neck aligned with the spine during sleep. They may also be known as cervical pillows. Neck pillows help patients maintain a comfortable position after therapeutic, orthopedic, and surgical procedures.
Travel pillows provide neck support while sitting. Their “U” shape fits around the back of the neck and prevents the head from slipping into an uncomfortable and possibly harmful position during sleep. However, U-shaped pillows can sometimes push the head forward and create neck stiffness.
Donut pillows are firm pillows in the shape of a torus, with a space in the middle to relieve pressure on the tail area when sitting. These pillows are mainly used by individuals who have suffered an injury in the area of the tailbone or suffer from hemorrhoid pain or other diseases of the large intestine.
Lumbar pillows are designed to support the inward curve of the lower back and fill the space created between the lower back and the backrest when sitting. These pillows are generally used to support the lower back when driving or sitting, for example in an office chair. Orthopedic pillows are similar to memory foam pillows
Decorative
Decorative pillows serve a dual purpose. They often have a decorative covering material that serves to decorate the room where they are located. Since decorative fabrics are commonly 54 inches wide, many decorative pillows are 17 by 17 inches. (54/3 = 18, minor seam allowance)
When used to decorate a fully made bed, decorative pillows are likely to be thrown away before bed as they are not covered by a washable pillowcase, so when they are on the bed they are mainly there for decoration; therefore they fall into this category. These cushions can also be custom-made by freelancers.
Public areas
Decorative pillows are also found on furniture in more public areas of the home, such as sofas, chairs, and windowsills. Here, their common use can overlap with both orthopedic and bed pillows. For example, if a person does not have a particular medical condition, they will probably use a practical decorative pillow for lumbar support while sitting on the sofa.
Likewise, decorative pillows to support the head or neck are suitable for occasional naps, even if they do not need to be covered with a pillowcase, like pillows for a bed.
Common synonyms
There are five common synonyms for decorative pillows that describe their use in the home. “Accent” pillows emphasize or accentuate some other part of the home. The terms “sofa pillow” and “sofa pillow” refer to where these decorative pillows are likely to be found. The terms “throw pillow” and “throw pillow” may refer to the way they usually arrive at their locations.
The new pillows are shaped like funny objects (banana, tweedy bird, human leg, chainsaw, dill pickle, former president) and are meant to brighten up and add humor to a room or lounge.
The tent pillows are placed in front of the pile of pillows decorating the bed. These pillows have a separate fabric flap that is attached at the top of the pillow and folds over the face. The tent flap can be loose or fastened; if the flap is loose, a decorative tassel or bead is usually used to weigh the flap to hang properly.
Floor pillows are another subgroup of decorative pillows. These pillows are often 26×26 inches (one-half the width of the fabric, less seam allowance)
Culture
Comfortable pillows
In some cultures, pillows have forms for hugging. An example is Dakimakura, a type of “hugging pillow” originating in Japan that has been endowed with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic qualities and pop culture references for added psychological comfort. Other types of hugging pillows are more practical, such as the Gulling, a long hugging pillow from Indonesia, and the Abrazador, a long hugging pillow from the Philippines.
A husband pillow (also known as a boyfriend pillow) is a large, high-backed pillow with two “arms.” It is used to support the user in an upright position in bed or on the floor, such as when reading or watching television. Because of this common use, the marriage pillow is also called a reading pillow.