Athletes need more sleep. Our comfort products can help.

Athletes are always on the go, on and off the field, and less sleep can mean more injuries. Players who got less than six hours of sleep per night had an increased rate of injury during games, according to a University of California study; making choosing comfort products conducive to sleep crucial. 

“When we design products, we keep athletes in mind,” said Contour Products President Scott Davis. “Our products aim to aid comfort by correctly aligning the body during sleep. This can not only prolong sleep, but help athletes recover when injuries do happen.”

Athletes often place sleep on the back burner. In highly trained team sport athletes, 50 percent of athletes were considered poor sleepers and 28 percent had daytime sleepiness in a recent study published in the European Journal of Sport Science. The study concluded that athletes needed to learn more about their sleep schedules, sleep longer, and have better quality sleep.

Injury is a common occurrence in sports. In collegiate football alone, 8 out of every 1000 players are injured, according to a National Collegiate Athletic Association report. The way players behave during recovery from these injuries is critical for their chances of playing again.

For longer sleep and shorter recovery time, players should consider how they sleep and type of injury. Comfort products are designed to target specific areas of the body: 

• Head, Neck, Shoulders, Upper Back: orthopedic pillow, cervical roll, bed wedge 

• Lower Back, Hips, Pelvis: lumbar cushion, leg support pillow, seat cushion 

• Legs, Knees, Ankles, Feet: leg wedge, knee elevation cushion 

“We want athletes to be as healthy and safe as possible, because both everyday exercise, and injury recovery time can have a huge impact on their success,” said Davis. “Our variety of comfort products can help.” 

The Contour Cool Leg Pillow was recently featured in 12 NFL players’ training camp bags. Check it out here.

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Can a Knee Pillow Help Back Pain?

For years folks have been talking about using knee pillows to help with all types of back issues. That, even though the support isn't directly located on the painful area (the lower back), a pillow can bring on all levels of relief. The reasoning behind this claim, however, is solid, no matter how unrelated the actual treatment might sound. Here's why:

When we experience lower back pain, it's often caused by a secondary issue – a part of the body that's acting up and putting strain elsewhere. Likely hips, knees, etc. that's moving pressure up into the back. Nerves can be touchy and send pain signals, or sciatic areas can be making up for other areas that are failing to do their intended job. But no matter the cause, lower backs are one of the most common areas to experience pain. It's a center hub for functions, and takes a brunt of our daily tasks, even when that means we're sleeping.

However, by providing better alignment and reducing those same pressure points, back pain can be eliminated all on its own. Like with a knee pillow that's designed to keep the spine steady, reduce gravity on the hips, and promote blood and oxygen circulation. The pillow can also keep pressure from setting in on the lower back, which can cause pain round-the-clock, not just while lying down. 

Whether or not your knees and their alignment are the culprit, using a knee pillow will allow you to obtain better spine health through virtually any sleeping position. In fact, regular back pain patients often feel immediate relief when sleeping with this type of pillow. 

To learn more about how a knee pillow can help eliminate back pains, or to start shopping today, 

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