We've all been using neck pillows wrong

This is the trick that will help you sleep on a flight.

 Passengers board an airplane. (photo credit: FLICKR)
Passengers board an airplane.
(photo credit: FLICKR)

It's rare to really sleep well on a flight. In fact, only if you have upgraded yourself and purchased a ticket for business class or first class can you lie comfortably.

Everyone else will suffer from sitting upright in the airplane seat and also from noisy passengers. For this reason, many of us purchase a neck pillow in advance, trying to catch a light nap on long flights. Pillow prices vary, as does their quality. Some of them are well padded and provide good support for the neck. There are also some that offer internal heating that allows pleasant muscle relaxation.

 Illustrative image of an airplane. (credit: PXHERE)
Illustrative image of an airplane. (credit: PXHERE)

However, it seems that most of us use the neck pillow incorrectly. TikTok user @Sidneyraz uploaded a video in which he explains that there is a better way to use neck pillows, so that falling asleep will be easier and simpler. After all, most of us place the pillow, which is shaped like the letter C, around the neck with the padded and larger side at the back and the opening at the front. But it would be reasonable to assume that when we sleep on a regular pillow, it should also support the back of the neck.

"I'm shocked"

"This is probably why I always felt they (the pillows) were uncomfortable."

TikTok user

Indeed, in a video he posted online, Sidney demonstrates what he calls "the right way" to use the pillow. He places the big side at the front, at the front of his neck, so he can rest his cheeks on it. He places the narrow and open side at the nape of his neck, where there is contact with the plane seat. "It feels so comfortable," he notes.

Sidney posted the video as part of his video series, called "Things I Didn't Know Until I Was In My 30s." In the comments, as expected, people were amazed by his winning tip. "This is probably why I always felt they (the pillows) were uncomfortable," one follower wrote. "That makes so much sense. I'm really shocked," remarked another, and a third added: "It blows my mind!"