How to Make a Body Pillow

Sleep is essential to our health. The better we sleep, the better we think, feel and function when we are awake. So why do so many people complain that their worst time of day is when they first wake up and try to get out of bed? They are stiff and sore, groggy and have trouble standing up straight. This is often a direct result of the position they sleep in. Most people don’t realize that improper sleeping positions, especially those that twist and torque the spine, can be dangerous to your health and well-being.

Poor sleeping positions can cause a decrease in the blood supply to the brain and reduce nerve function throughout the body, leading to pain and dysfunction, morning stiffness and even sciatica.

There are a variety of simple ways to protect your spine that are discussed in my book, Solutions for Better Sleep: Improve Sleeping Positions to Relieve Pain and Stiffness. One of my favorite solutions to prevent spinal twisting and torqueing during sleep is to lie on your side with a properly sized and correctly positioned body pillow. It prevents you from rolling onto your stomach while still providing that comforting pressure against your belly, and it supports your top arm and leg so they don’t pull the spine into a twisted position. This will allow your muscles to relax and make your sleep less restless too.

It would be nice if you could find a body-length pillow that just happens to be the right thickness for your hips and body length at an affordable price, but it is not necessary. Making your own custom-sized body pillow is very easy and often more comfortable than the expensive store-bought models.

First, get a sense of the distance between your hips. Wide hips need a larger diameter pillow, and narrow hips need a smaller, less puffy pillow. The goal is to place your top leg on the pillow so that your thigh is parallel to the bed without tilting up or down at the knee or the ankle. The length of the pillow also depends on your personal body type and height. The final length of the pillow should extend from your ankle to your upper chest.

Next, obtain two standard or king-size pillows. Check to see if you have some old pillows that are too large for your head and too short to be body pillow length by themselves. Grab two of these pillows, a large bath or beach towel, a large blanket, and two pillowcases, and make your own body pillow.

If you don’t have pillows, buy two inexpensive standard or king pillows and proceed with the directions below. It will still be less expensive than buying a body pillow. 

Steps to Make a Body Pillow

1.. Spread a large blanket out on the bed.

2. Lay one end of an unfolded towel onto the left edge of the blanket (about halfway between the top and bottom of the blanket). The towel dimensions (left to right) should be longer than its width (top to bottom).

3. Place the two pillows end to end on the center of the towel.

4. Wrap the towel around the junction point of the two pillows to help secure them together.

5. Roll the blanket around the bundle of pillows secured with the towel. 

6. Keep rolling the blanket like a sleeping bag until either there is no more blanket, or the height of the roll is proportional to your hip width.

7. Secure the blanket ends with a pillowcase on each end of the blanket roll. If you have too much blanket for your pelvis height, just fold or scrunch it up next to your roll and then add the pillowcases.

8. Try it out for pillow length and diameter to be sure it is comfortable and proportional to your hip width and body length.

9. If you need a smaller diameter pillow, you can use a smaller blanket or even a sheet. If you need a larger diameter pillow, wrap another blanket around it. It all depends on the thickness of your pillows in relation to your own body size. In the end, it will be worth the effort.

NOTE: Be sure to have two body pillows, one positioned on each side of you. Then when you roll to the other side you have something to support your top arm and leg without having to drag your pillow with you as you roll.

Feel free to check out my KMF Books website to learn more about my books and to download a free PDF guide on how to make your own body pillow. You will also receive a 2-page chart that provides step by step instructions on how to get into and out of bed.

Join me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, or email me at Info@drkathleenfavaloro.com for any questions or feedback.

May your sleep be restful and rejuvenating and may you wake up refreshed, pain free and limber!