Back Sleeping
A medium-loft position where the usual problem is not too little support but too much height in the wrong place.
By the Somnora editorial team · Last updated September 1, 2026
The curve you are filling
Lying flat, the back of your head touches the mattress and your neck arches away from it. That arch is where the pillow should be doing its work. Tall, soft pillows tend to lift the skull instead, which rotates the head forward and leaves the neck unsupported.
Why stacking two pillows rarely works
Stacking adds height evenly, so it raises the head as much as the neck. If you feel you need more support under the neck specifically, a shaped or gusseted pillow — or shredded fill you can push forward — gives you that without the extra head elevation. See cervical pillows.
Setup adjustments
- A small pillow or rolled towel under the knees, which many back sleepers find takes tension out of the lower back.
- A lower, firmer pillow rather than a taller, softer one.
- Checking mattress feel: a sagging mattress changes back-sleeping alignment more than any pillow will.