The Game-Changing Pillow That Eases My Back Pain and Helps Me Sleep More Comfortably on My Side (It’s on Sale!)

During this year’s self-improvement journey, I took a hard look at my sleep hygiene and habits and just overall lifestyle. I’ve always had a bit of trouble getting out of bed in the morning, but for the past few years, my body has felt painfully stiff. Some of that is due to a rather sedentary lifestyle and unlucky genetics (I’m so inflexible that I can’t even touch my toes), but some of it is due to the way I contort myself into a comfortable sleeping position.

I’ve always been a side sleeper but recently my back and hips have been complaining about it, likely because I sleep like a pretzel. This has become my default sleeping position because it’s deeply uncomfortable for me to sleep with my knees together, because it makes my hips turn inward, which in turn causes a ton of other aches and pain. This all snowballs and makes my weekly runs (and honestly, even walking around) feel terrible. I’ve been looking for a compact solution for this problem for a while, so when Luna offered to send their CoolLuxe Orthopedic Knee Pillow to me to test out.

I was particularly impressed by the design and also the price point. Coming in at only $24, this orthopedic pillow is designed to fit between your knees, so you don’t feel the weight of your left knee on top of your right knee all night. Made out of memory foam, this pillow isn’t so inflexible that it feels unnatural to be sleeping with it but not so squishy that it feels like it’s not there. It strikes the perfect balance. It’s meant to help align your spine, so you don’t wake up with lower back or hip pain. The bonus is that it also helps with circulation.

The pillow’s case is made out of a silky CoolLuxe fabric that is super breathable, which is fabulous news for hot sleepers like me. It’s comfortable and doesn’t make me overheat — I often kick my blankets off but the pillow remains, which I think is proof that it doesn’t make me sweat.

Overall, I have noticed less discomfort in my lower back and hips. I will admit that it was a bit of an adjustment to get used to sleeping with the pillow — I do usually have trouble falling asleep at night, if I switch up my routine, but now that I’ve been using it for a few weeks, I can’t imagine sleeping without it.

Buy: Luna CoolLuxe Orthopedic Knee Pillow, $23.72 (normally $24.97)