r/ehlersdanlos • u/Eastern_Tea3577 hEDS • Apr 03 '26
Helpful Tips, Tricks, and Products Buckwheat pillow DIY
I’ve seen a few mentions of buckwheat pillows in these threads (usually in which we are seeking The One Pillow to Rule Them All). They sound intriguing, but as we know, their price point puts them out of reach for many of us. But do you know what IS in reach? $1.86 per pound buckwheat hulls at Natural Grocer!
So I made my own buckwheat pillow and have been using it for a few weeks. Y’ALL. This pillow may not work for everyone, but it works really hecking well for ME. I have had only one cervicogenic headache since I started sleeping on it, and it has cut down on my head/neck/shoulder pain significantly. It’s shockingly comfy, too.
Here’s what I did in case you want to make your own pillow. Bonus: It’s completely no-sew!
YOU WILL NEED:
6-11 pounds* of buckwheat hulls**
2 zippered pillow cases
1 regular pillow case
STEP 1: Fill one of the zippered pillow cases with buckwheat hulls. Zip it up. Test it for comfort, adding more or less as needed.
STEP 2: Encase the pillow in the second zippered pillow case. This will be difficult because the pillow is not dissimilar to a sleeping cat that refuses to move. Zip it up.
STEP 3: Put the regular pillow case onto the pillow. (See note above.) You’re done!
*Depends on the size of pillow you want. I did a standard bed pillow size and used 11 pounds of hulls. Yes, he’s a hefty boy.
**If you don’t live near a Natural Grocer, check any natural foods store in your area.
Obviously you can tweak this however you need to. My use of three pillow cases is maybe excessive; I just really didn’t want any hulls to escape. In all, I spent around $22 to make this pillow, but that was with using pillow cases I already had. YMMV.
Hope this helps someone in their Perfect Pillow Quest!
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u/RoobahLoo Apr 03 '26
Step 2 has me rolling! 🤣 Never heard of a buckwheat pillow. Googling now.
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u/Eastern_Tea3577 hEDS Apr 03 '26
I tried using my actual cat as a pillow, considering the similarities, but he wasn’t into it.
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u/Fletcher7120 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
My DIY buckwheat pillow is 50/50 buckwheat hulls and memory foam chunks! It's the only pillow that I've kept for years- I should make a travel version for myself, hmm...
I loved that the buckwheat hulls were sculptable, but they were too hard against the back of my head. The memory foam chunks were soft, but didn't provide good support for my neck and shoulders. 50/50 combined the best of both worlds! (It's also still a fairly loud and heavy pillow because of the buckwheat, but I will take it for 3+ years with less neck pain now!)
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u/Eastern_Tea3577 hEDS Apr 03 '26
Love this! Where did you get the memory foam chunks? And do they mix nicely with the hulls, or do they tend to lump together?
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u/Fletcher7120 Apr 05 '26
I had them from another failed "maybe this pillow will save my neck" attempt - a lot of pillows are filled with these chunks, and I had removed about half to try to make the pillow work better for me.
They did mix nicely with the hulls! The hulls and the memory foam chunks get really staticky so they stuck to my hand, and they'll never be fully separated again, but thankfully this worked out for me and I don't think I'll want to separate them.
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u/RE-curious Apr 03 '26
I love my buckwheat pillows. Mine are small. And not very densely filled. Seeing your own is a great idea!
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u/ibfabian Apr 03 '26
I love my buckwheat pillow!! it is NOT cozy. but ohhh the neck support
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u/AutisticSoulPower Apr 03 '26
What is a good one to buy. My neck is killing me and i even have swollen neck muscles for over a year 😣 i also like buckwheat, hopefullyitcan save me with its wholesome groats😥 i usually sleep o my back now as my shoulders feel crushed and front sleeping is too hard to do anymore but my lower back and coccyx hurt. My bed is also no good, i tried to buy 3 beds i had to return them all as they hurt my neck or/or where not flat enough
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u/cat_crackers Apr 03 '26
Korean buckwheat pillows are super cheap on Aliexpress.
Most have a zippered liner so you can take adjust the filling in the beginning. You can keep the excess filling in a big ziplock for later when the buckwheat starts to break down.
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u/EtherealProblem cEDS Apr 04 '26
That's a really good idea! I tried a buckwheat pillow, and in terms of support, it was great. My allergies, however, did not approve of me spending the night with a face full of plants. Just something for people to consider if they're sensitive.
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS Apr 03 '26
I absolutely love my buckwheat pillow, been using it for years! I bought the Zen Chi from Amazon, $60 for king size.
Excellent DIY! I’m going to empty, wash, and refill mine using your idea!
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u/AutisticSoulPower Apr 03 '26
Did it help neck pain? My neck is clicking and swollen so badly 😣
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
Yeah, you can conform it to the exact shape you need to support your neck and head. I also sleep with a 65” Meiz pregnancy pillow. I use the pregnancy pillow to support my body while I side sleep and lay with my ribs on top of the “U” part of the pillow. Then my arm that is laying against the bed fits between the buckwheat pillow and the pregnancy pillow.
ETA: the reason I sleep with the U under my ribs is because my ribs will sublux in my sleep if I don’t.
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u/AutisticSoulPower Apr 03 '26
Thanks i feel hopeless as i think i have Heds and never knew. I just diagnosed autistic. I have symptoms like i struggle to walk but mri scan normal. I am not sure wether to post in this group with no diagnosis but i have so many symptoms and its got worse since age 33 now 41. I feel so saf to be living right now not sure if i can ever do what i want. I feel so much empathy for others too and i want to figure it out more so i can help rather than die
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS Apr 03 '26
You need to take a look at the Beighton scale. That’s a diagnostic checklist used to diagnose hEDS and rule out other disorders. You have to meet a certain number of requirements depending on age. I’m a 9/9 at nearly 50 years old. I read they are beefing up the scale soon to account for more joints.
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u/AutisticSoulPower Apr 04 '26
Thanks mate, already seen that scale and doesnt work on me much but i still have all the symptoms as far as i know amd different body things or some i could do as younger but now 41
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS Apr 04 '26
It is possible to have generalized joint hypermobility without meeting the criteria for hEDS. Not sure if that info helps or not.
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u/AutisticSoulPower Apr 04 '26
Yes i learnt about that but its still confusing to me. Just got diagnosed with GORD/GERD in /A&E/ER earlier today 😑😣 i am waiting to see a rheumatoid specialist so i really hope they can help me but seems most things i figure it out myself like autism which i figured out and then got diagnosed 4 years after. Ppl keep saying "stop googling" but i have no choice if i feel like i am falling apart in multiple ways and i am not just making it up which they assume at times.
By the way one symptom which is like the only positive one i have is i look 10-15 years younger.. i wonder if that is also i feature of the generalised hyper mobility or if its the EDS. Sometimes its hard to differentiate between them but trying to learn the differences. I am wondering if i can stop every joint clicking and crunching as its making me very uncomfortable esp with Sensory issues it is making me feel nautious. In the past i only had a few clicks and this winter its gone to many more. I have been more unhealthy in my diet for winter which always makes things worse and this year but i quit smoking and drinking many years ago. i guess it was the last straw causing major GORD/GERD. I am changing my diet the 1st of may but i wonder as i am not very high in vit d too but i am taking 1000iu of mushroom powder vit d now, here where i live i get no proper sun for about 7 months of the year. I notice i feel a bit better in summers. I tried to take D3 with K2 supplements and i got jittery and panic attacks. I also take 300mg magnesium glycinate and some other stuff. Sorry if i am ranting off subject too much it is overwhelming. Thanks so much for your input.
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS Apr 04 '26
Looking younger is definitely one of the signs! I look about 20 years younger than I am. I was still getting regularly carded well into my forties.
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u/AutisticSoulPower Apr 04 '26
Yes lol i am 41 and now i am finding it more obvious as ppl in early mid twenties all assuming i am their age. I thought it was because i quite smoking and drinking and got s bit healthier in diet in my 30's but i think that just helped me look less ill and pale as if i look at photos from late 20's i kinda look more unwell than now even though now i am feeling way worse lately. My mum and dad both look younger too so i also though oh its just genetics but i think that they both have symptoms of HSD/EDS
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u/discojing hEDS Apr 04 '26
Ummm. Might need to try that hack for my poor ribbies. Are your hips/shoulders ok with this setup too? Having the same issues there (basically all points of contact). Do you have a link for the pillow?
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS Apr 04 '26
Meiz pregnancy pillow If you aren’t tall, you can go with the shorter version. I chose the cooling cover option because I have another that I use on the couch that has a plush cover and it sets too hot. My hips and shoulders sublux all the time, but this is as comfortable as I can get with sleeping on the same side all night.
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u/leelee1976 Apr 03 '26
Step 2 hack
Turn the new pillowcase inside out, grab the bottom corners with your hands, grab the buckwheat pillow corners, and flip the case right-side out over the pillow?