Presently, buckwheat pillows are making the rounds on the web. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re pillows that have buckwheat hulls as stuffing. The hulls as fillings increase moisture absorption and airflow compared to standard paddings.
Traditionally, people have already used buckwheat as stuffing for pillows. They are 100% natural, dust-free, and dust-mite resistant. However, right now, foam and plastic tend to be the standard filling of pillows since they’re affordable and convenient.
And while you’ll discover buckwheat pillows in the market nowadays, other crafty folks prefer creating their own. In making your pillow, you can select the finest materials to use, plus you can tailor it to suit your needs. If you want to discover how to create buckwheat pillows, keep reading this article.
What is Buckwheat?
Before discussing how to create the pillows, let’s first talk about buckwheat as a material. This grain originally came from Asia. The seed develops inside a husk, and experts consider it as a fruit. However, the husk or hull, which shields the grain, is inedible. For hundreds of years, people not only consumed buckwheat, but also fed them to animals.
Today, many regions cultivate the grain as people slowly discover the value of its hull. Pillow companies clean the husk after taking out the seeds. Then they use the hull for stuffing mattresses and pillows. With retail manufacturers capitalizing on the advantages of buckwheat goods, the product is becoming widely visible.
The Benefits of Using Buckwheat Pillows
Of course, the beneficial effects of this product vary per individual. However, many consumers attest to obtaining comfort and ease in consistently utilizing this type of pillow. Thus, one can say, a buckwheat pillow is a product worth considering. If you’re curious to see various samples of this product, you may visit pinetales.com. Now, let’s take a closer look at the following benefits of using buckwheat pillows:
- Enhances Sleep – After two to three nights of using the pillow, you’ll see a shift in your sleeping condition. The dynamic hulls provide your neck and back with excellent assistance and a knead-like effect.
Moreover, it gives you better airflow while you sleep, due to the openings in the shells. The pillow is likewise warm when the temperature is mild, and more relaxed during warm weather.
- Encourages Air Circulation During Sleep – Looking closely at the hulls, you’ll see that they feature smooth textures with a triangular form. They likewise produce thousands of small air pockets in between them.
Because of these features, buckwheat pillows encourage air circulation while you sleep. The shells don’t compress, and only conforms when you lay your head on it.
- Soothing to Use – Indeed, it can be challenging to imagine grain hulls as soothing when they’re actually rough with sharp edges. However, buckwheat hulls are little grains that will slip through your fingers when you comb through them.
It might take some time for you to get used to sleeping on them, primarily if you only use foam or down pillows previously. But, little by little, you’ll feel and realize how soothing buckwheat pillows are for sleeping.
- Reinforces Muscle – Terrible sleep positions can result in back and neck pain. As earlier explained, this type of pillow aids your neck and head in the proper place. At the same time, it helps your spine by enabling absolute relaxation.
While you sleep, your tissues and other muscles still operate to maintain your spine straight. However, during the night, your ligaments, tendons, and muscles can tire out and try to offset one another. When this happens, it can result in unpleasant tenderness and pain.
If you’re not careful and don’t modify this habit, it can cause sleeplessness and migraines, among other conditions.
- Helps Ease Migraine – Many factors can trigger a migraine. The headache you experience can be due to soft tissue fatigue, pressure points, or poor spinal positioning. And because of this, the reason for migraines may differ from one person to another.
Even so, many users claim to feel relief or experience lower incidences of migraine attacks with the help of the pillow. Again, the possible reason for this is the proper support the product provides to airways and soft tissues.
Furthermore, it gives gentle pressure against specific points on your head and neck. As a result, you’ll feel relaxed because of blood regulation and the discharging of endorphins.
- Product is Natural – Since buckwheat is a natural material, it’s perfect not only for the human body but also for the environment as well. When you already have fresh and organic bedding, why do you need to go back to petroleum-based or chemically-loaded pillows?
- Lessens Snoring – Do you know that one of the causes of snoring is a poor sleeping position? While buckwheat pillows don’t promise to resolve all your snoring issues, particularly if you have sleep apnea, it helps improve your posture, leaving your airways open while you sleep.
- Quickly Cleans – Some people regularly change their down, foam, or plastic pillows. The reason for this is because dust, dead skin cells, and other body fluids stick to them.
When you use buckwheat pillows, all you need to do is unfasten your pillowcase and wash them. You can put the grain hulls in a small bin and distribute them evenly so they can dry out in the warmth of the sun.
- Long-lasting – As long as you don’t subject your buckwheat hulls to moisture, your grains will not easily spoil. In fact, you can reuse your grain hulls for years. Make sure, though, that you use sturdy zippers and stitch your seams properly to hold your buckwheat hulls in place.
The Downside of Buckwheat Pillows
While this product has many benefits, there are some downsides to consider before you go out and invest in them. Below are a few of the drawbacks of buckwheat pillows:
- Hulls Not Washable – As mentioned earlier, you can only place the buckwheat hulls under the sun so they can stay fresh. Remember, though, that you can’t rinse buckwheat.
The hulls don’t sustain water. Soaking them in water will destroy their firmness and will lead to their softening. Moreover, if you rinse them in your washer, it can make it uneven for good.
- Need Time to Adjust – Most users of the pillow say you’ll need time to adapt to using the product. The firm stuffing is far more different than the usual soft feathers, fibers, and foam in regular pillows. And while these can provide contouring and a bit of cushioning, they don’t reposition with your movements. The product instead keeps you in position.
Many users say it will take roughly about five days to adjust to using the pillow. Then again, any new item you’ll use for the first time will involve some trial and error before you discover the one that suits your needs. You’ll need patience during these days. It may even lead to several unpleasant nights until you find the right adjustment for you.
- Strong Odor – You may notice a potent odor when you first use your pillow. Typically, buckwheat pillows give off an organic, earthy scent that many consider relaxing and aromatic.
However, because of specific storing methods, it can sometimes expel a strong smell upon opening. Some customers find the smell unpleasant, but once you air it out, the odor fades away quickly. Other companies, roast the hull before giving them to customers and, in the process, they minimize the smell.
- A Bit Noisy – Because of the shells, the pillow creates a shuffling and rustling sound when you turn or lay on it. The noise is relatively soft and weak because of the pillowcase, but others may be bothered by it on their first use.
Once your head is in position, the sound becomes negligible unless you’re an anxious sleeper who continually moves. But one of the positive things about the product is that you can readily shape it. Hence, you can make dents where you want to place your head.
- Heavy – The pillow roughly weighs 12 lbs. It’s not the kind of pillow you recline on when you watch some television. Since it has shells inside, gravity will pull the hulls to the bottom of your pillowcase.
Some customers say they have a difficult time changing pillowcases because of the weight of the hulls. Others also say they even find it tough to move the product since it’s heavy.
Moreover, buckwheat pillows are likewise not for pillow fights unless you’re absolutely protecting yourself from someone. These products aim to support your body so you can achieve quality sleep effectively.
How to Make Your Buckwheat Pillow
Now that you have an idea of the pros and cons of buckwheat pillows, you can examine whether the product is right for you. If you can’t wait to try it, you can easily purchase the product from the web or some local stores near you. However, if you’re a resourceful person, you’ll find that creating your own is straightforward.
Here are quick steps on how you can do it:
Step 1
Since you’re creating your own pillow, start by designing and planning your project. In doing this, you can prevent encountering issues while working on your pillow. Begin by deciding on the size you prefer and selecting the material for your cover.
In choosing your fabric, keep in mind that the hulls are heavy, so you should pick a sturdy material that’s thick and not damaged quickly. However, keep in mind that since the buckwheat hulls are already dense, avoid hefty materials that will add more weight.
Lastly, select a reliable and robust zipper for your casing that will surely last a long time, and that can safeguard your pillow while you readjust your stuffing overtime.
Step 2
Once you have your materials, you can begin working on the pillow. Start by cutting your fabric into two parts. See to it that you make a seam at the exterior corners. After creating the seams, sew the bottom side, and then stitch the material together.
In filling your hulls, don’t forget to check the recommended numbers. For instance, a regular-sized pillow can hold approximately 7 lbs. of shells. If you want to see actual examples of buckwheat pillows, watch this video:
Factors to Consider in Creating Your Pillow
Take note that in making your own buckwheat pillow, you can thoroughly control the comfortability and structure of your end product. When deciding on your pillow’s size, see to it that it will not take up too much of your bed’s space.
Additionally, while they’re firm, some users still prefer some padding to help reduce pressure. If you want some cushioning, you can combine your buckwheat hulls with other elements to make it fluffy. Yes, the firmness should help you minimize body pain; however, to help you relax more, you can include additional features to provide you with cushioning.
Final Thoughts
As shown above, customer claims on the beneficial uses and drawbacks of buckwheat pillows are diverse but well worth trying. Then again, keep in mind that there are still minimal clinical studies that will back these claims. It’s also best to remember that buckwheat may not be suitable for everyone.
What’s sufficient to others may work like an allergen for you. So, before investing in these pillows, check with your primary health provider if you’re allergic to the material.
Note that some may need three to five days to get used to sleeping with these pillows. However, after a few days, the noise isn’t discernible. If you’re one of those people with sleeping issues or other problems like migraine or snoring, there’s no harm in trying out buckwheat pillows.
When creating your own pillows, you can experiment with the number of hulls you can add inside your case. Of course, don’t forget to examine the quality of your hulls and determine how you need your buckwheat pillow to feel in the end. What’s great about these pillows is that you can modify the fill anytime to find the support and satisfaction you need.
