How many pillows under your head in bed?

If your answer is more than “one”, it usually means you don’t have the right pillow for your sleeping position. I have broad shoulders and I was a side sleeper. I used two pillows for the longest time, otherwise I had to twist my shoulder in while sleeping, or tilt my head towards the bed, neither being really comfortable for long time periods. Then I bought a thick foam one on sale in some random store I was at, and it made a world of a difference.
- That's the only correct answer.
- I would use only one if I could find one I like that is thick enough. For a while I put two in one pillow case but the result was too oval in side profile.
  
  Maybe some of those foam chunk pillows with adjustable loft. Basically the case has a zipper in it and you can move fill from one to another.
  I bought a pair of these and some waterproof zip cases and ended up with 3 pillows I like instead of 2 because they both needed to lose about a third of their volume to be right for me.

I can't deal with more than one.
- As a kid I used to sleep with none. As a teen a towel was enough. In my 20s I was happy with one thin pillow. Now in my 40s I have one average pillow and I feel like upgrading.
  
  One good pillow is really all it takes for me. I swear by duck feathers.
- People like you are inherently Satanic.
  
  My neck aches if there’s more than one pillow under my head, I have four on my bed and often use the others to prop up my back if I’m watching tv or something, but sleeping on ones stomach limits the practical amount of pillows without discomfort

you don't need multiple pillows you need one that has the right thickness
- I don't have the luxury of buying one pillow each month, thank you very much.

0 or 1. 2+ is incredibly bad for your neck and sleep. Or you just have paper thin very old pillows and you should replace them with a high quality pillow. I use a Coop brand pillow and it’s customizable to whatever thickness works best for you. Get a good pillow and use 1. Don’t use more.
https://www.eightsleep.com/blog/how-many-pillows-do-you-really-need/
- I can't even imagine what it would look like for someone to use more than 1 pillow. Like, how is their body not contorted into a horribly uncomfortable position?
  
  I use two in a sorta L shape and then use a pillow-sheet for ventilation. Nice and cozy
- pillows always made me feel uncomfy so I pretty much entirely stopped using them. Ill ball up a blanket if I want some support but often times I forgo it
- Paper thin pillows are the best pillows. I will shiv anyone who tries to lay a hand on mine!

One, anything else is pure decadence (unless you have a neck issue or something).

Two, with the bottom pillow pulled down a bit giving me 2 tiers.
I have wide shoulders and go to sleep on my side, so I need the height, but I tend to roll into my stomach, where 2 is too high, so I wake up on the bottom pillow.
Having 2 in a slanted stack just allows for the perfect height adjustment for neck alignment.
- Holy shit!! This is the advanced pillow science I like to hear! I'm gonna try this right now!
  
  Lol, glad you like it.
  For some greater details, I've recently switched to shredded foam fill pillows. With the slant stack method, they kinda form into wedge shapes, adding support to keep the structure in place. The top sinks down to hold the pulled out bottom one out, and it keeps the bottom tier fluffy when I work my way down to sleeping in that.
  I don't think that'd work quite as good with traditional polyfill pillows or solid foam slabs. I do feel I've had less neck pain this way though, and it worked ok with the limp ass pillows I had at a recent hotel stay.
  A third pillow is propped on the nightstand for when I want to sit up in bed. That one goes almost vertical against the headboard.
- I recently made an effort to switch myself from stomach to side sleep… and discovered this exact technique through trial and error, and for the same reasons!
  I do a few modifications, though. In my case it's specifically two thin soft pillows that give me the height I need. Also, I prefer them rotated vertically so I have a more generous chest surface on the lower tier. And if I go to sleep on my side (which is most of the time now) I don't need the tiers so I'll "roll up" the lower portion of the pillows to temporarily eliminate the lower tier. If I move enough at night the pillows unroll themselves right into my stomach sleep configuration. Or maybe I manually lift myself to let them unroll, not really sure but this has been working for me.
  
  This has really been a fun thread and I'm glad I participated in it! With a post like this, I never know if the intent is serious or silly, but it's been cool learning everyone's pillow-tech.
  The sleep pros may all say we should be using one thin pillow and all sleep on our back or whatever the general rules are these days, but I can't for the life of me fall asleep on my back. I don't sleep textbook perfect, so I've got to find a practical solution for me.

One

0-1

0-1 I like it flat.
- Do you sleep on your stomach?
  
  side or stomach, but it just is more straight with the spine, making it more comfortable.
- Everything is better flat

One, and zero when sleeping on my stomach.

One ikea shark pillow
- May the blåhaj be with you always!

I use 4-5 because I have acid reflux 🤦‍♂️
- I didn't know these existed, I'll see if I can find one. Thanks!
- Ditto :o
- You're now the proud owner of a broken neck! How does it feel?

1 big memory foam

One, that's the kind of thin you get from it being cheap and way past the point you're supposed to throw it out. Perfection.

One good latex pillow for me.
- I had no idea that was a thing! Would they be good or bad for someone who hates memory foam?
  
  They are the opposite of memory foam. Your head does not sweat, or sink into the latex. You actually sleep "on" the pillow not "in" like MF. You also sleep at a controlled temperature so it's quite comfortable.
  I have a Dunlop one and I love it. I hear Talalay is softer but I have never tried one, also more expensive.
  You cannot wash these pillows, so use a good protector on it. And never leave it in the sun. Heat is the enemy of latex.

None, I sleep on my elbow.
- Smart. Cost effective.

Just the 1 for me. I've got a Simba memory foam cube pillow. It's expensive at £100 (ish) but easily the best thing I've ever slept on. Like sinking into a perfectly supportive cloud. They have an inner bag filled with loads of 1cm memory foam cubes and a good outer case so you don't feel individual cubes. Super comfy.

For me the stack goes:
my head
mostly flat pillow
my arm
another mostly flat pillow
the bed
Big thick squishy pillows (like memory foam) give me neck pain for some reason? I always get one of my boyfriends to "wear in" my pillows for me first 😅
- Polygamy and polypillowy goes hand in hand.

0 I sleep with a blanket under my head. I can fold it as many times as I need to change the height. I can sleep well sideways without having the pillow right in my face like with soft pillows. Also doubles as a eyemask when there is to much light bordering me.
- The only time I've slept on a blanket like this was in a police jail. Are you in jail?
  
  Yea, his one call was to post this comment.

Wait, you guys have more than one pillow?

1 with memory foam. I sleep sideways and on the back. I hate it when pillows are too thin or fluffy but too high is also not good on the neck.
Hijacking this: Can someone answer me why Ikea mainly sells these huge square pillows? They are so uncomfortable to sleep on but they have the nicest pillowcases.
- Are you in Germany? I don't know any country where square bed pillows are sold except DE.
  
  Interesting, I have a almost kidney shaped memory foam pillow from IKEA UK.
  I'm not aware of the big chunky square pillows.
  
  Yes Germany. Interesting, I thought it’s the same worldwide.

According to science, anywhere from 1 to 0

Two pillows. Two duvets.

I use one pillow that was sold as travel size, but I prefer it over a thick pillow.

One thick memory foam one. It was expensive but it doesn't lose fluffyness and it fixed my neck problems.

2
- Finally some reason

Five pillows and a police lock
- What's a police lock?
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_lock

One buckwheat pillow. They're sort of adjustable. I'm a side/stomach sleeper.

0 Pillows 1 Arm
- Is it a sexy arm?
  
  Can I be your sexy arm?

Three, but they are staggered in a way to make the perfect angles for my head. I have a thick one that's almost vertical with just a little bit sticking out at the bottom for the next pillow (a thin one) to lean onto. Then another thin pillow staggered on that one.
I'm technically only using two pillows of you cooking what my head is over. But the first one allows the second too for that perfect angle for me.
- I also sleep with a carefully crafted nest of pillows. 3 king size and a body pillow, arranged to automatically mold me into my half stomach, half side "army crawl" sleeping position.

A single pillowcube pillow.
To anyone wondering since it's so often advertised, it does a good job as a pillow but it's nothing revolutionary.

One and it's got to be pretty flat. Pillows in hotel rooms are so puffy, I can never sleep properly.

1? Why do you need more?

Depends on the pillows. Generally, I want enough so that my neck is straight when I'm lying on my side.

Two. One classic one and a specific rectangular neck position pillow. I had used only one pillow for years until i met one of my ex. She had around 7 pillows around her bed and used them aplenty, almost as she never wanted to touch the actual bed surface with her head.

Depends on how thick/firm they are. My bed currently has 2 thin/soft pillows that sit between my head and the wall, plus one extra firm pillow between my head and the mattress.

1 and it is a cube.

I used to have 3 but switched to 1. Makes my back and shoulders feel a bit better since my neck isnt so high anymore.

I have the flattest buckwheat pillow and it's perfect.

1
I have a pillow from Tempur (hard when cold, very soft when warm).
Upside: Pretty thick. About 8-12cm

beans

Two. One hard and one squishy soft. Makes it easy to flip around each one and reach the right density and heft.
- Fluffy under soft is wonderful if you like sleeping on your arm.

Two, both are quite firm