Pillow Talk

I am so glad I was not born in medieval China. I'd never get a good night's sleep.

Chinese pillows were originally made out of stones. Later, some Asian marketing genius developed Pillow 2.0: The Porcelain Pillow. Looks comfy, doesn't it?

The Chinese believed that soft pillows robbed the body of vitality and were ineffective at keeping demons away.

I say, bring on the demons.

A lot has changed since the days of the Porcelain Pillow. Today you can get pillows in any size, shape, feel, or price range. I went pillow shopping the other day. 

It was completely overwhelming.  I came home with a head ache and no pillow to rest it on.

Let's start with price. At one end of the spectrum, for $3.00 I found a 'Mainstays deep pocket pillow' at Walmart.  This pillow would be particularly effective in the "minimize the number of nights you want your guest to sleep in your home" market segment.

For those who wish to invest a bit more, perhaps the Tempur-Pedic Rhapsody pillow is right for you, priced at just $240.

Maybe it's just me, but for $240 I'd expect my pillow to come complete with a nightly glass of wine and Michael Buble music to lull me to sleep.

And there are so many features: thread count, fiber, size and fill.  You can have down/feather filled, synthetic, or foam. I even found one you fill with water. (Note to self: evaluate potential product extension of adding a straw. Wine Rack Pillow?)  

My head was beginning to spin.

As part of my pillow research I discovered some very unusual pillows. Of course, you can depend on the Japanese for one of the goofiest styles.

But my personal favorite comes from the good old U.S. It looks soft enough, but I'm afraid you wouldn't get much sleep...especially if you have a roommate. The screaming might wake you up.