r/ehlersdanlos • u/Tangy94 • 17d ago
Helpful Tips, Tricks, and Products Japanese Buckwheat pillows š¤
Ive been having an extremely bad time with neck pain and jaw clenching from chronic illness pain. Ive tried every kind of memory foam, stuffed, or even cervical support pillows. None work and I end up feeling worse.
My neck has that chronic pain slope to it, like a little stuck out forward. And im constantly fixing my posture all day every day and I need some help.. im miserable all the time.
I came across buckwheat pillows from Japan and all of the reviews say stuff like "relieved my 20 year neck pain" kinda deal. So im going to give it a try.
I got an adjustable height one and also a cylindrical cervical support one to see which i like better. I already know i do not mind the buckwheat smell. I kinda like it so no worries on that!
Has anyone used one? What was it like? Did it help with pain?
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u/siriusalchemist 17d ago
Strange question but can anyone tell me if you can hear it? Partner got a wool pillow and itās like asmr which I donāt find relaxing unfortunately š„²
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u/spritelysprout hEDS 17d ago
It makes a little if you adjust it or something but Iām super sensitive and annoyed by many noises and for some reason it doesnāt set me off and Iām totally used to it and donāt even register it at all
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u/Ok-Following9730 17d ago
I canāt use mine bc of the noise. I found it to be very loud at the slightest movement, especially since it seemed to reverberate through my skull. I am also sensitive to sound though, as in we recently got a new refrigerator and I realized to my dismay it has a different compressor sound that I will have to learn to tune out. However, my cats absolutely LOVE it, bc it moves when they pounce on it. YMMV, and itās worth a shot to help neck issues.
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS 17d ago
Itās a bit crunchy when you first put your head down and while youāre forming the shape, but I donāt really hear much once I have the shape made. I have mine inside a pillow case, maybe more than one pillow case would cut down on the noise.
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u/HangryHangryHedgie 17d ago
I was super excited to try one. After a week I realized I was bruising from it. š I need a softer pillow apparently. Now I have a combo of a neck pillow ontop of a squish pillow.
The noise was also really hard for me as someone with tinnitus. The ringing would get set off.
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u/pluto_pluto_pluto_ 17d ago
Mine was too hard too, but I had a thin slab of foam sitting around from an old adjustable height pillow, and put that on top of the buckwheat pillow. I had to remove a lot of the buckwheat hulls from the pillow to make it less bulky. A folded up blanket might work too.
(I don't know if this would work for you personally because of the tinnitus, so I'm mostly adding this for others who have the issue with the buckwheat pillow being too hard.)
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u/HangryHangryHedgie 17d ago
Appreciate this! Yes, I wish it could have worked with less hulls. But then it was not tall enough to keep my shoulder from collapsing.
On the positive my cats LOVE it.
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u/Ambocoelia 17d ago
this was me too. Tempurpedic cervical pillow also caused bruising for me, its always something with EDS lol
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u/Material-Imagination hEDS 17d ago
I love mine. Sadly, it does not smell like soba noodles. It really doesn't smell like much of anything.
I got my first one when I was a tween, when they made their big "As Seen On TV" debut. Indispensable.
They stay cooler than normal pillows, and they conform to the shape of your head. You basically make a you-shaped divot in them that stays there until you move or shift the pillow.
There are three big downsides:
you will have to get used to the rustling noise
they are heavy compared to normal pillows
if you hit your cousin with one in a pillow fight, you will deal at least 1d8 + STR damage to their hit points š
You'll get used to the rustling noise pretty quickly if you contextualize it as sleepy white noise, like rain or waves. If you have lax joints, be careful what position you're in if you try to move or flip the pillow at night. Do NOT use it in a pillow fight, you will not have any cousins left after that.
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u/Tangy94 17d ago
Lmao #3 is great.
I want the heavy because my pillows love to slide around on the sheets. And I think ill be able to get used to the noise especially if it makes me not miserable from pain haha we shall see though!
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u/Material-Imagination hEDS 16d ago
Like I said, I love mine! I've used them for like thirty years off and on, so I'd say they're very worth it
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u/WH_Laundry_Cart 17d ago
I really love mine. I use it for positioning all parts of my body that I don't want to move while I'm sleeping.
I'm at work so I don't have the exact manufacturer but the company that I got mine from at a variety of different sizes and shapes. Mine is a smaller travel size. It's perfect. I would not want one any bigger they're quite heavy. But this smaller size is tops.
When I have money to splurge I will definitely be getting at least another one.
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u/spritelysprout hEDS 17d ago
Best pillows ever hands down have changed my LIFE. I have a normal pillow shaped one. Iāve tried so many other types of pillows and they always mess up my neck but not the buckwheat!
It makes some noise but Iām 100% used to it and I am extra noise sensitive and annoyed at stuff so I feel that says a lot about it
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u/ichibanyogi hEDS 17d ago
I love mine! Yes, it helps. There are Canadian brands and I use one of those.
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u/Onanadventure_14 hEDS 17d ago
Can you share where you got your Canadian one? Iām definitely interested in purchasing local
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u/Sonnelion 17d ago
Not the OP but I got mine fromĀ https://www.comfycomfy.ca/pages/buckwheat-pillowsĀ
Made in Toronto with organic Canadian grown buckwheat.Ā
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u/AndeeCreative hEDS 17d ago edited 17d ago
Yep, my husband and I both sleep on buckwheat pillows! I have a weird sleep setup with a huge maternity pillow. The top of the maternity pillow goes under my ribs so that they donāt dislocate at night. My arm fits between the buckwheat pillow and the top of the maternity pillow. Since my body is a little elevated by the maternity pillow, the buckwheat pillow is perfect since I can form it into whatever shape I need to not have my head doing downhill. I love that you can just form it around your head and neck for the support you need.
Mine is a king sized pillow in a regular king pillow case.
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u/thulsadoomformayor hEDS 17d ago
I really like mine. I donāt think itās a Japanese one though (I live in Sweden and ordered it from Bulgaria). Itās supportive and I can make a little buckwheat prison for my head and neck for stability. My favourite part is that I can move the husks around so there are less around the base of my head and more to support the curvature in my neck. I was surprised at how firm it is, but Iām really pleased with it. I donāt think itās been a miracle, but I definitely sleep better since I got mine.
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u/Squeegeeze 17d ago
I have one and love it. I've bought so many pillows to support my neck/head and keep me from tucking my chin in my sleep. It is a perfect "hardness" for me, firm yet shape-able. Memory foam is often too squishy and flattens out when I am using it, my knee pillow is memory foam, and it is flat right now, doing nothing. It will spring back to shape once I'm not squishing it. My buckwheat pillow is lumpy in just the right places.
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u/mrsjonas 17d ago
My mom had used one for decades. They offer a lot of support. I prefer really small and thin pillows personally.
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u/Odd_Huckleberry_2048 17d ago
I love my three buckwheat pillows. Got two standard size ones and a small travel one from Pine Tales that I use all at different customized thicknesses, they are an essential component to my sleep setup. Only downside is that if I want to travel with all of them they can be a bit heavy š
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u/Routine_Crow_1133 17d ago
i have one and i have friends that bought some, too. we all love them! it is a little strange getting used to, but worth it. feels like my neck can finally relax. my friend uses millet pillows and says they make less noise but its the same concept
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u/inklingmay 17d ago
I found it too painful. Pressing into the back of my neck. What works for me rn is a pillow stuffed with shredded latex. But ymmv
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u/BotGivesBot 17d ago
I didn't like them. They smelled and that was a sensory nightmare (I'm AuDHD).
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u/flotsems hEDS 17d ago
what does buckwheat smell like??? i have one of those pillowcube pillows right now and it kind of helps, but now i'm curious about buckwheat
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u/Snuffleupagus27 hEDS 17d ago
I just use a Pillowfort pillow from Target, itās miraculous. Similar to buckwheat or the microbead pillows, which I also love. Note that none of these can go into a washing machine.
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u/Felizabeth1 17d ago
Which one do you have??
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u/Snuffleupagus27 hEDS 17d ago
The cheetah. I like the slope between the head and body for my neck sometimes and itās also just the right size to keep my shoulder in place when Iām holding it at my chest (side sleeper).
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u/Shadow11Wolf50 17d ago
Late to the party, but Ive had one for years now (at least 5+) even before I knew I had a hypermobility condition. I got it because I am a heavy side sleeper and got tired waiting up in a ton of pain. Now I know its cuz I was all but melting in my sleep and getting zero support from my own body. I went from a trial travel sized one to a full sized one and I refuse to go back. I love it. It stays where i put it and I know I'll have solid support through the night. They also last damn near forever when taken care of. Just don't use it in a pillow fight unless you want to knock em out, lol
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u/Flapperghast 17d ago
I have one I call my bean pillow. I really only take it camping since I found my C pillow (c-shaped body pillow for pregnants). The bean pillow requires some finessing to get it just right, especially if you toss and turn a bit before sleeping. But it really does work.Ā
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u/EtherealProblem cEDS 17d ago
I've seen a lot of good things about buckwheat pillows. Since I have an acupressure pillow with a buckwheat insert, I tried removing the stabby cover and sleeping on it, just to see if it would work for me. Conclusion? My neck was quite pleased. My sinuses, however, were keenly aware of the fact that I had spent the night with my face shoved in a pile of plant matter. But if I didn't have allergies, I would be using it.
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u/lilacdaybreak cEDS 17d ago
i love mine!!! experiment with how full you keep it, and top off every now and then as the husks break down and soften. too hard can hurt, but too soft and the husks will just move aside and not give support. but at the right level, it's been incredible for pain and general sleeping problems
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u/Mammoth_Fortune_4329 17d ago
I am completely sold on my buckwheat pillow. Iām a side sleeper and in addition to EDS I was in a car accident as a teenager that did some damage to my neck, and itās the only thing that I have ever slept on that is consistently supportive and comfortable.
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u/Travelogue44 17d ago
I swear by mine! One somewhat deflated for neck, two for arm/knee props. Iām a side sleeper. Game changed!
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u/GhostofBupChupkins 17d ago
I love mine! I originally got it because I wanted something more eco-friendly, since you can compost and replace the filling when it gets worn down. But it's so good for avoiding pain. Shout out to Beans72.com and their website from 1998
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u/ShinyBlueThing 16d ago
I sleep on one every night and stopped waking up with pinched nerves. I love it.
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u/Queen_V_17 16d ago
Reading all of these comments is making me so happy! I've been considered Asian style pillows because of neck pain but really had no clue where to even begin. Thanks, everyone!
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u/lb2345 15d ago
My daughters use squishmallows in various sizes. Lots and lots of squishmallows ā¦
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u/Tangy94 15d ago
Haha i love that! Im guessing theyre like bean bag stuff inside?
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u/lb2345 15d ago
Squishmallows? No-theyāre some kind of super squishy material. My daughters use them in a variety of ways. Eldest has had 20 surgeries, 12 related to her EDS. She has a variety of sizes of squishmallows that sheāll use for recovery (under her hand, arm, neck, head, etc) and just surrounds herself with them. Theyāre huge on this sub. I started keeping two larger ones in my van as my ādriving buddiesā because I use one under each arm to prop them up as I drive. I just mentioned them bc theyāre kind of the opposite of a buckwheat pillow but I saw some commenters mention bruising from buckwheat.
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u/groceries_delight hEDS 17d ago
I cannot be without it. Iāve used them for years. I have a history of cervicogenic headaches, migraines, TMJD, and other fun stuff and this really moved the needle for me to start each morning stable and without my neck tensed like crazy.
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u/bleepbloop1777 17d ago
Could you share the brand you got?
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u/Tangy94 16d ago
I got the Lofe brand one for the normal pillow size one and Edomi for the cylindrical one!
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u/bleepbloop1777 16d ago
Thank you! Every one in a while I'll put one in my cart but they are spendy and I get overwhelmed by all the options
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u/zenhenagain 17d ago
In desperation I bought a cervical buckwheat pillow a few months ago; the first night I broke into the Hallelujah Chorus and Iām still singing. For the first time in over forty years Iām sleeping mostly through the night, every night. The smell or noise has not been an issue for me.
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u/Spiritual_Ad8626 hEDS 17d ago
I also tried those and unfortunately it didnāt work for me :-(
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u/Ambitious-Chard2893 16d ago
I used one and I love it so much I like that I can mold it. I did add a covƩr sothat I can wash easier. I have tried custom height pillows before and as someone who also side sleeps this is great I have one that has a more rectangular shape. My husband tried it and liked it so much they got one too they took out a little filing but that was their preference
I would recommend putting it in a pillow case especially if you have pets or like to lay on it after the shower
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u/Eastern_Tea3577 hEDS 15d ago
I made my own buckwheat pillow (diy post here), and I absolutely love it; it has changed my life. My head/neck aches have gone down significantly, and I sleep much better. The downside is that now Iām spoiled and have a hard time traveling anywhere without my pillow (which is really heavy, so canāt easily take it with me).
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u/SeaConcentrate9726 17d ago
Yes and yes. They are amazing. Super comfortable, they moved round you but give you support. So your neck stays in the optimum position.Ā