Aug 13, 2026 · 26 min · 11 segments
What makes the perfect pillow? Nothing saying ‘waking up on the wrong side of the bed’ like a crick in your neck. With up to 70% of us experiencing neck pain at some point in our lives, sleeping in a…
Greg FootHost
Angela ButlerGuest
Well, I, I suffer with a frozen shoulder, and I am convinced that the wrong pillow is probably not helping the pain.
So I went out and started to do my online research, and there was so much choice.
Is it a side sleeper, a front sleeper, a back sleeper, soft, medium, firm, ergonomic, climate control? [laughing] And I decided enough is enough.
Well, we've had lots of listeners sending their pillow talk to our email, sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk. Emma in Oxford says, "I was listening the other day whilst lying on my bed, massaging my painful neck, trying to make my pillow comfortable, which got me thinking, 'I have around eight different pillows at home.' How can I find the best, as you can't test them out in the shop by having a kip?" That's a good point, actually, isn't it, Angela?
Um, listener Sue also expressed her frustration at trying to find the perfect pillow, saying she's tried duck feather, memory foam, and what was marketed as hotel quality, that she writes, "Frankly, I would have been very upset to find in a hotel room." We also got an email from Alexis in Melbourne, Australia, who asks, "How often should you change your pillow?" Well, rest assured, Angela, 'cause I've got an expert on the case.
Making his second appearance on Sliced Bread, it's Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Manchester Metropolitan University, Department of Health Professions, and the clinical lead for the Manchester Movement Unit, Dr. Chris McCarthy.
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Well, I, I suffer with a frozen shoulder, and I am convinced that the wrong pillow is probably not helping the pain.
So I went out and started to do my online research, and there was so much choice.
Is it a side sleeper, a front sleeper, a back sleeper, soft, medium, firm, ergonomic, climate control? [laughing] And I decided enough is enough.
Well, we've had lots of listeners sending their pillow talk to our email, sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk. Emma in Oxford says, "I was listening the other day whilst lying on my bed, massaging my painful neck, trying to make my pillow comfortable, which got me thinking, 'I have around eight different pillows at home.' How can I find the best, as you can't test them out in the shop by having a kip?" That's a good point, actually, isn't it, Angela?
Um, listener Sue also expressed her frustration at trying to find the perfect pillow, saying she's tried duck feather, memory foam, and what was marketed as hotel quality, that she writes, "Frankly, I would have been very upset to find in a hotel room." We also got an email from Alexis in Melbourne, Australia, who asks, "How often should you change your pillow?" Well, rest assured, Angela, 'cause I've got an expert on the case.
Making his second appearance on Sliced Bread, it's Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Manchester Metropolitan University, Department of Health Professions, and the clinical lead for the Manchester Movement Unit, Dr. Chris McCarthy.
