For many years, my wife Gail and I have happily used buckwheat pillows. We had a chiropractor in Ann Arbor who got us into them. The great thing about buckwheat pillows is that you can squish around the buckwheat inside so that they perfectly support your neck will leaving your head in full alignment with your spine.

The buckwheat pillow above is small enough to easily take on trips, while being big enough for comfortable use at home as well. (It comes with a travel case.)

When you first get a buckwheat pillow, it’s a good idea to remove several cups of the buckwheat and put them in ziplock bags. You can always add it back if the pillow feels like it needs it.

What we love about buckwheat pillows is:

1. Fewer headaches caused by a sore neck!

2. As mentioned above, you can rearrange the buckwheat to provide support only for your neck. (You can have your head nearly flat on the mattress after you rearrange the buckwheat). You can change the arrangement (don’t worry, you get really fast at this and it comes naturally) when you are ready to roll on your side or onto your back.

3. Buckwheat pillows stays cooler than regular pillows.

When Gail and I were part of a wildfire evacuation a few months ago (see “New Year's Gratitude on the Occasion of the Marshall Fire”), Gail remembered to bring her buckwheat pillow. I forgot. I regretted that. I could feel the difference in my neck after just a few days without.

Acknowledgement: Gail contributed to this post.