I am like a lot of swimers in that the coaches insistance on swimming a lot of *** pull and fly pull has led to wide shoulders. As a result, I can't find a good pillow that is level with my spine when I sleep on my side. Does anyone have a good pillow? If not, maybe I'll invent the "swimmer's pillow".
By the way, I have a contour pilow now and sleep with it and a smaller "decorative" pillow in order to get the correct spine position. And I am a total side sleeper.
Alison
Former Member
I am not sure about any special pillows (I have the same problem when I sleep but I am not an especially wide shouldered person) but I was not aware that swimming *** and fly would increase the width of your shoulders enough to cause a problem. Physiologically speaking, the only increase in width would have to come from the muscle and or fat that is on the outside of your upper humerus. Good luck to you. The only solution I have found is to try to avoid sleeping my side.
Thanks. I have always had wide shoulders since I've been competing since I was 5. But according to my coach, swimming *** and fly does widen the shoulders. It may only widen the muscle but they are the shoulder ones. I am a breaststroker and have been most o fmy life so I have pretty wide ones. And I'd hate to give up my side sleeping as my shoulders are getting wider lately. Guess I'll have to sitck with my 2 pillow method while I try to invent one.
Alison
Not sure about pillows, but I got a memory foam topper for my mattress that has helped a lot. It's 2" thick and I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond (about $200 I think, but they tend to go on sale). Wow, what a difference. It lets your shoulders sink down into the bed further so your spine can line out. I used to not be able to sleep on my side at all due to bad shoulders (too much pressure on the shoulder). We got the topper when I was pregnant and you need to sleep on your side. It worked great and now my husband and I are both addicted to it.
I think a temper-pedic mattress would be even better, but since our mattress was only a few years old we weren't ready to plunk down the money for a whole new mattress!
I use a tempurpedic pillow I bought from Relax The Back in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Their number is 757-498-5904.
Between that and the Tempurpedic mattress I have been sleeping great! My arms have not fallen asleep since using the matress. The pillow comes in a variety of sizes.
