Numerous airlines these days stop providing pillows for passengers as a means to cut their costs. This method had made travelers consider bringing their own travel pillow. This is a good idea, considering hygiene and sanitation issues associated to plane pillows.
During flights, new injuries can occur while previous injuries may re-occur due to long hours of sitting in an uncomfortable position. Travelers should be equipped with travel neck pillows to allow them to have a relaxed flight, and aid in the prevention of neck discomfort.
When lying in bed, gravity contributes in aligning the neck and head. However, when sitting in an upright position, gravity works against your posture. This explains why it is quite difficult to get a restful sleep while on board an airplane.
The standard U-shaped travel pillow is not the ideal choice when traveling in an airplane. This travel pillow does not have support under the chin, making your head bend forward as you start to relax. Also, the added padding is not necessary since the airplane chair already provides adequate support for the back area. Having the unnecessary padding in your neck will only push the head forward, emphasizing the lack of front support of the U-shaped travel neck pillows. This will cause the weight of the head to put tension on the neck. Apart from experiencing discomfort, you will most likely wake up with a tired, sore, or worst, injured neck.
To be safe, mimicking the position of the head and neck while lying down is the best solution. This can be achieved by making use of a memory foam travel pillow. This pillow can provide support to the chin, thus, allowing you to keep the correct head and neck alignment while resting in your seat. Having proper alignment while sleeping upright is not only beneficial to achieve comfort, it is also essential in preventing injuries and decreasing the stress that is brought about by lengthy trips!