photo credit: Kim / Apps

At first, the topic of a buckwheat pillow might seem kind of dull but for those who have difficulty sleeping at night, buckwheat pillows can give you a lot of relief.Buckwheat pillows have been on infomercials for a long time but infomercial stuff always feels like a rip-off to me.On a trip a few years back, I got to sleep on one and I really liked it.Today, I’ll be talking about buckwheat and also how you might benefit by using a buckwheat pillow.

Buckwheat is a domesticated and widely cultivated plant.Even though wheat is part of the name buckwheat isn’t actually related to wheat or any other “cereals”. The seeds of the plant are the most often used part of the plant. The endosperm of the seed is ground to make flour Many Asian cultures make wide use of buckwheat in noodles and other foods.

In a buckwheat pillow, the hull is used as the filling in place of the goose down or synthetic fillers used in other types of pillows.While other kinds of fillers are popular, buckwheat hulls offer several advantages. One advantage is that they typically stay cooler than other fillers because the hulls don’t really hold heat and air circulates easily between the hulls. Another advantage is that they provide an alternative to people with allergies to goose down or who are sensitive to out-gassing from man-made fillers. Finally, if you have trouble with neck and shoulder stiffness, a buckwheat pillow might give you some relief.

Because the buckwheat hulls can’t get wet, cleaning one of these pillows is a little more involve than just throwing it in your washing machine. So when shopping for a pillow, make sure it has a zipper that will allow you to remove the buckwheat hulls for washing. Buckwheat hulls are a natural product and so some people might be allergic. Especially if you are asthmatic, please be careful.