Shoulder pain in both shoulders: how to choose a pillow

If both shoulders hurt at night, the aim is a setup that doesn't load either one for hours. For many people that means sleeping on your back with a medium-height head pillow and a small pillow or folded towel under each elbow. If you can only sleep on your side, use a head pillow tall and firm enough to fill the gap between your ear and the mattress, and hug a second pillow so the top arm doesn't fall across your chest. Memory foam holds its height through the night better than polyester fibre. A better pillow can make nights more comfortable, but it won't repair a rotator cuff tear or frozen shoulder, and pain in both shoulders at once is a good reason to book a visit with your family doctor or a physiotherapist.

Why two sore shoulders change the usual advice

The standard tip for one sore shoulder is to sleep on the other side. With pain on both sides, that option is gone, because every side position puts one sore shoulder underneath you and the other on top.

• The bottom shoulder carries your body weight. A head pillow that's too low lets your head tip toward the mattress and pushes more weight into that joint. Too high, and the neck bends up while the shoulder rolls under you.
• The top shoulder drifts forward. With nothing in front of you, the top arm hangs across your chest and the shoulder stays rounded for hours.
• On your back, both arms tend to slide down and behind you, which stretches the front of each shoulder. Small supports under the elbows keep them level.

So the head pillow is only half the job. The other half is giving each arm somewhere to rest.

What to look for in a head pillow

Height that matches your frame

Shoulder width sets how much loft a side sleeper needs. Broad shoulders need a taller pillow, narrow shoulders a lower one. Your mattress matters too: a soft mattress lets the shoulder sink, so you need less height than on a firm one. Back sleepers need less height than side sleepers, so the chin isn't pushed toward the chest.

Firmness that lasts until morning

A pillow that measures 13 cm (5 inches) in the store but squashes to 5 cm (2 inches) under your head at 3 a.m. puts you right back in the too-low position. Memory foam keeps its shape. Loose polyester fibre flattens and needs fluffing, often several times a night.

A shape that suits how you move

Contoured pillows have a raised edge under the neck and a lower area for the head. They work well if you mostly stay in one or two positions. Flat pillows let you shift around more freely but give the neck less defined support. Some contoured designs are built around the cervical spine specifically, aimed at side and back sleeping.

Cover and temperature

If you sleep hot you'll flip more, and with two sore shoulders every flip counts. A cooling fabric and a removable, washable cover are worth having on a pillow you plan to keep for years.

The main options compared

One thing that isn't a pillow at all: on a very firm mattress, the bottom shoulder has nowhere to sink, and no head pillow solves that. A softer mattress topper is sometimes the more useful change.

Setups by sleep position

Mostly a back sleeper

This is the easiest position for two sore shoulders, since neither one carries your weight. Pick a lower head pillow than a side sleeper would use. Then put a small pillow or folded towel under each elbow so both arms rest level with your body or slightly in front of it. A pillow under the knees can stop you from rolling to one side in your sleep.

Side sleeper who alternates sides

Check height first. Lie on your side and ask someone to see whether your nose lines up with the centre of your chest; if your head tilts toward the mattress, you need more loft. Hug a firm pillow (any spare one from the linen closet works) to keep the top shoulder from collapsing. Switching sides during the night spreads the load so neither shoulder takes all of it.

Combination sleeper

If you move between back and side, a pillow with a middle area for back sleeping and higher edges for side sleeping saves you from swapping pillows. Keep the elbow towels nearby. You'll probably kick them away at some point.

Stomach sleeper

Stomach sleeping often pushes one or both arms up under the pillow, which is hard on sore shoulders. A very low pillow helps the neck. But if both shoulders keep hurting, moving toward back sleeping is usually the better long-term change.

After an injury or surgery

Follow the position your surgeon or physiotherapist gives you. It can be very specific about which arm goes where, and some people are told to sleep reclined for a while.

Where Dosaze fits, and where it doesn't

Dosaze in Canada sells memory foam head pillows and mattress toppers. We don't sell body pillows, adjustable shredded-foam pillows, wedges or shoulder-cutout pillows. If arm support is your main gap, a firm pillow you already own will do the job.

For a back or combination sleeper, the Cervical Orthopaedic Pillow is where we'd start. It's premium memory foam shaped to cradle the natural curve of the neck and support the cervical vertebrae (C1 to C7), and it's designed to promote side and back sleep posture. That makes it a good match for the back-first setup above.

The Contoured Orthopaedic Pillow also uses premium memory foam to cradle the neck and promote spinal alignment, and it works for side, stomach and back sleepers. If you sleep mostly on your side, the Contoured Orthopedic Side Sleeper Pillow is the version made with side sleepers in mind. All three have naturally cooling, antimicrobial fabric, a removable washable cover and CertiPUR-US certified foam, and they ship locally within Canada.

The trade-off with all three is fixed height. If a contoured pillow doesn't match your shoulder width, you can't add or remove fill the way you can with an adjustable pillow from another brand.

And if a firm mattress is part of the problem, a topper such as the DreamAlign Pressure Point Relief Mattress Topper may help more than any pillow change. Expect a week or two for your neck and shoulders to settle into a new contoured pillow.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best sleeping position when both shoulders hurt?

Back sleeping usually puts the least pressure on two sore shoulders, since neither one carries your body weight. Resting each elbow on a small pillow or folded towel stops the arms from drifting down and back. If you have had surgery or an injury, follow the position your doctor or physiotherapist recommends.

Can I still sleep on my side with pain in both shoulders?

Many people can, with the right setup. Use a head pillow tall enough to keep your head level with your spine, hug a firm pillow to support the top arm, and switch sides during the night so one shoulder isn't loaded the whole time.

Should I see a doctor for pain in both shoulders?

Yes, if the pain is sharp, getting worse or has lasted more than a few weeks. Pain and stiffness in both shoulders at once can have causes a pillow won't address, so a family doctor or physiotherapist is the right first stop.

Is memory foam good for sore shoulders?

Memory foam holds its height through the night better than polyester fibre, which flattens and lets your head tip toward the mattress. That steady height keeps extra weight off the shoulder you're lying on. Contoured memory foam pillows have a set height, so check that it suits your shoulder width.

Can a mattress cause shoulder pain on both sides?

A very firm mattress can, because your shoulder has nowhere to sink when you lie on your side. If both shoulders ache after side sleeping, a softer mattress topper may help more than changing your pillow.