If you’re tired of constantly fishing your pillows out from behind your bed in the morning, you’re not alone. Pillows falling down into that pesky gap behind the headboard is a common annoyance many sleepers face.
But don’t despair – with some simple adjustments and clever solutions, you can stop pillows from slipping where you don’t want them once and for all.
Reasons Your Pillows Are On The Move
Before we dive into fixes, let’s look at why pillows end up behind the bed in the first place:
- Moving around during sleep – All that tossing and turning can inch pillows downward.
- Gaps between mattress and headboard – Open spaces allow pillows to slip through.
- Wrong bedding or pillow size – Overly soft or undersized pillows are more apt to shift.
- Slippery pillowcases – Low-friction fabrics like silk don’t grip pillows in place.
- Tossing and turning – Frequent position changes nudge pillows around.
Understanding what causes your pillows to fall can help you find the right solution. Now let’s look at some fixes to keep your pillows where you want them.
Choose Bedding That Prevents Slippage
An easy fix is to use bedding that naturally keeps pillows from sliding around.
Look for these types of linens:
- Snug pillowcases that fit closely around your pillow.
- Pillow shams with zippers or envelope closures to contain pillows.
- Deep-fitted sheets that grip the mattress edges.
- Pillowcases made of grippy fabric like flannel.
Bedding made of slippery fabrics like silk or satin should be avoided. The right textiles make a big difference in pillow behavior overnight.
Flannel Is Your Friend
Flannel pillowcases have just the right amount of friction to keep pillows from sliding around on their own. The brushed fabric has a soft coziness perfect for resting your head while also providing enough grip and traction to keep your pillow contained all night.
Flannel also launders well and comes in endless cute prints to decorate your bed. Just avoid fabrics prone to pilling that can diminish the grip over time.
Use Barriers To Block Gaps
Gaps between your mattress, headboard, and walls are prime spots for pillows to disappear into. Placing barriers to close these gaps off can be a quick and easy fix.
Some things around the house you can use include:
- Rolled up towels or pool noodles.
- Inflatable bumpers for RVs or boats.
- Pillow, bed, or reading wedges.
- Fitted foam pads for exercise equipment.
Try arranging them vertically against the headboard and horizontally along the top edges of the mattress. You want to create a corral to keep pillows safely on the bed.
Get Creative With Household Items
With some creativity, you can find all sorts of things around the house to construct DIY barriers for pennies on the dollar.
Try using ironing boards, accent pillows, yoga blocks, rolled blankets – anything that can plug those pesky gaps leading to the land of lost pillows.
Specialty Pillows That Stay Put
The right pillow can also help solve your problem. Some designs are made to stay precisely where you put them.
Options to consider:
- Memory foam contour pillows that mold to your head.
- Pillows with non-slip backing material.
- Pillow retainers and straps that attach to the bed.
- Inflatable or foam wedges to prop pillows up.
While pricier than basic pillows, their ability to stay put can save you the headache of constantly repositioning and retrieving them.
Give Pillow Retainers A Try
Pillow retainers secure your pillow to the bed using straps that slide under the mattress. This prevents shifting around at night so you wake up with your pillow exactly where you want it.
They come in versions for all bed sizes and pillow types. The ability to adjust the straps allows you to customize the fit.
Adjust Your Sleep Setup
Some easy tweaks to your overall sleep setup can also stop pillows from going astray during the night.
Solutions to try:
- Push your bed flush against the wall.
- Add a headboard for a vertical barrier.
- Use a mattress topper to fill in low spots.
- Choose smaller, thinner pillows.
- Fill gaps between bed and wall with cushions.
Essentially, you want to eliminate gaps around the bed perimeter and create a tight cocoon to keep pillows safely in place on the mattress.
Headboards Prevent Pillow Jailbreaks
Installing a headboard is one of the most effective ways to stop pillows from venturing behind the bed. Headboards form a vertical barricade that simply catches pillows before they can slip out of reach.
You can attach one to your existing bed frame or upgrade to a bed with an integrated headboard. Either way, it neatly does the job of wrangling wayward pillows.
Tips For Active Sleepers
Frequent tossers and turners face greater challenges keeping pillows in their place overnight. Here are some extra tips:
- Use retainer straps to secure pillows to the bed frame.
- Choose pillowcases with zippers or overlap closures.
- Try a side sleeper pillow that hugs your neck and head.
- Add a weighted blanket to discourage movement.
- Establish a soothing pre-bed routine to relax before sleep.
Restricting pillow movement takes some extra work for restless sleepers. Combining several solutions can help assure you wake up with pillows where you want them.
Retainer Straps Keep Pillows In Their Place
Pillow retainers with adjustable straps are a game changer if you change sleep positions frequently. The straps slide under the mattress or attach to the bed frame to keep pillows stationary.
This allows you to move without worrying about your pillow going along for the ride. The custom fit also prevents discomfort or restricted range of motion.
Make A Barrier With Household Items
You don’t need to spend much to construct DIY barriers to keep pillows corralled on your bed. With a little ingenuity, household items become solution-minded tools.
Try these budget-friendly options:
- Pool noodles sliced lengthwise.
- Rolled up towels or blankets.
- Ironing boards positioned vertically.
- Throw pillows or cushions.
- Yoga blocks lined up along the bed edge.
Arrange them snugly around the bed perimeter to close off any open pathways for pillows to escape through. You’ve got this!
Pool Noodles To The Rescue
Pool noodles are the unsung heroes of DIY pillow containment. When sliced lengthwise, they can be positioned along the edge of the mattress and headboard to seal off gaps.
Their buoyant foam construction conforms to fill spaces. And their bright colors add a pop of fun when lamenting lost pillows is the last thing you want to do.
Long-Term Solutions
For a permanent solution, consider making upgrades to your overall bed setup:
- New mattress and box spring.
- Custom headboard installation.
- Platform bed frame without gaps.
- Mattress pad or topper to fill depressions.
These investments can pay off for years by creating a tightly sealed sleep environment to keep pillows where you want them.
A Mattress Topper Can Work Wonders
An affordable mattress topper adds plush padding to fill in any low spots around bed edges that allow pillows to slip away.
Made of foam, down, wool, or other cushy materials, mattress toppers contour to the body and space to eliminate gaps. An added benefit is making an older mattress feel new again.
With these handy tips, you can finally stop pillows from disappearing into that mysterious space behind your bed once and for all.
The right bedding, barriers, pillows and sleep environment adjustments make it easy to contain your pillows through the night. Now you can get the restful sleep you deserve without having to fish around under the bed in the morning.
Sweet pillow dreams await! Just pick the solutions that work best for your unique needs and sleep setup. Then drift off each night knowing your pillows will stay exactly where you want them.
