Japanese researchers have discovered that this sleeping position increases the risk of stroke due to the neck being bent while sleeping, according to the Asahi Shimbun (Japan).
Scientists from the National Brain and Cardiovascular Center in Japan studied cases of spontaneous vertebral artery dissection (sVAD), a blood vessel rupture in the back of the neck that causes stroke, with the height of the patient's sleeping pillow.
New research has discovered the unpredictable harm of sleeping with a high pillow.
Overall, sVADs cause about 2% of strokes. But for people aged 15 to 45, the rate increases to 10%.
The new study included 53 people aged 45 to 56 with sVADs at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Japan from 2018 to 2023.
Participants were compared with 53 people hospitalized for stroke or brain hemorrhage from other causes during the same period.
Specifically, the study focused on gender, age, and pillow height.
Based on the opinions of industry experts, the research team classified pillows by height as follows: Pillows 12 cm or higher are "high"; Pillows 15 cm or higher are "extra high".
Results found that up to 34% of sVAD patients used pillows of 12 cm or more, compared with only 15% in the control group, according to Asahi Shimbun.
Additionally, 17% of sVAD patients used a pillow of 15 cm or more, compared with only 1.9% in the control group.
The higher the pillow, the higher the risk of sVAD, the researchers said.
Sleeping with a high pillow increases the risk of stroke due to neck curvature while sleeping
The study concluded that high pillows increase neck flexion, pulling the chin toward the chest. This position can rupture blood vessels if the neck is rotated while sleeping.
Research team member Tomotaka Tanaka, a neurosurgeon, said: Pillows should be limited to a height of more than 15 cm because even soft pillows can cause severe neck curvature.
The authors named this condition "shogun's pillow syndrome". In Japan, from the 17th to the 19th century, pillows as high as 12-16 cm were called "shogun's pillows", because shoguns, samurai (warriors) and geishas widely used these high pillows to maintain their traditional hairstyles that required care.
Some essays published in the mid-19th century pointed out that pillows about 12 centimeters high were comfortable. However, pillows as low as 9 centimeters were better for longevity, the report said, according to Asahi Shimbun.
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