This Side Sleeper Pillow Ended My Nocturnal Existential Angst

I’m a freak for pillows. Like, I have eight on my bed, and [quickly counts] 10 throw pillows on my couch, plus more stashed away in my office, on chairs, and crammed into the closet. Is it a bit of an illness, this addiction to down-stuffed quadrilaterals? Maybe. But, like most others, I spend a third of my life in bed and, for the last several years, another third trying to find somewhere comfortable in my house to work from home—so that’s where the pillows come in, cradling me from every angle. Plus, I’m a Taurus. We’re unapologetically decadent, and insistent on maximizing customization of our personal spaces. Everything soft. Everything cozy.

And yet, even with a lifetime spent having an orgy with at least a half-dozen pillows every night, I somehow still had not optimized my bedding arrangement for my sleeping position—until recently. Comrades, did you know that using a pillow designed specifically for your flavor of nocturnal bodily positioning is a game changer? Gather ’round.

For my whole life, I’ve identified as a side sleeper—but the reality is that I often fall asleep on my side, but then wake up on my stomach or on my back. I’ve attributed the movement in my sleep to dreams about being Ecco the dolphin, ice-cream-before-bed induced nightmares, red-sauce-induced acid reflux, and generalized anxiety. But sleeping on my side is what I prefer, and I always thought that pillows were fine at accommodating it. The “crunchy” feeling of down and cradling support of memory foam are what work best for accommodating the weight of my giant head, and there is nothing I despise more than fluff-filled pillows with no “texture” to them.

Still, even with my crispy feather bois and body-conforming Rosenskärm, there were nights when I felt like I was sinking too far into my pillows in a way that sort of trapped one half of my face—a simple rectangle was just not cutting it for positioning my noggin just right. Also, I’m a sweaty little condensation cutie that has trouble staying at a comfy temp, and sometimes memory foam seems to trap heat in a way that turns me into even more of a melty human popsicle. Plus, you ever just feel like you don’t know where your arms are supposed to go when you’re sleeping? I suffer from that particular neurotic affliction, too.

But lo and behold, there is a platonic ideal pillow for side sleepers, and I hath found it.

I had never heard of Honeydew Sleep until recently, but when I came across the Scrumptious Side Sleeper Pillow, not gonna lie, it made me sort of hungry. Like, this sounded like a pillow that would not only absolve me of morning neck creaks, but also would taste like a giant marshmallow. The more I read about the brand—that it was family-owned, manufactures its handmade pillows in Southern California, and uses strictly nontoxic materials—the more I was curious about what, exactly, made this pillow so scrumptious. Honeydew also offers a 60-day in-home trial of all its pillows, which is a good sign for any and all bedding; clearly, the brand was sure that its products would have few haters. So, I figured, why not give it a shot? I always have room in my heart (and my home) for a new pillow.

First impressions

When my pillow came, it was in one of those wildly vacuum-packed bags that made it look tiny and dense, but it immediately fluffed up when I released it. There was a disclaimer that came along with the pillow stating that it might be best to air it out for a few days if it had that kinda weird, new-foam odor, but mine smelled like nada: just fresh sheets and REM cycles. Also, shoutout to the very #y2k curlicue font on the ribbon that runs around its sides. Love to see it.

The pillow is not a rectangle; it’s somewhat rectangular, but is really more of an hourglass, a bean, or the shape of aviator sunglasses. This is an important factor in its utility, as I soon discovered, since it makes all of the difference in neck positioning. But it also means that the pillow best fits into its own custom pillowcase, and might look somewhat funky stuffed into a standard case. Thankfully, the included pillowcase is classic white and super-soft, so zero complaints from me on that front.

The wow factor/existential relief

The first thing I thought when I finally laid my head on my scrumptious bb was that the level of firmness was a slam dunk for me. While the pillow is memory foam, it has a different feel than other pillows—probably because Honeydew uses neither one solid piece of foam nor a pile of shredded foam scraps, both of which are common for memory foam pillows. Instead, the brand uses customized machinery and “virgin” materials combined with copper and gel to give its pillows what is known as its “unique, doughy feel.” The 100% CertiPUR-US certified, copper-infused foam is also naturally antibacterial, anti-microbial, and has temperature-regulating properties, according to Honeydew.

After just seconds, I could instantly understand why the Scrumptious Side Sleeper is by far Honeydew’s most popular pillow. The shape leaves space for my shoulder so that I can position my neck in the optimal support zone, aligning my spine and putting my head in a perfectly fitted cloud holster, letting me sink in without feeling like I’m being smothered by the sides of the pillow. It’s the perfect level of firmness/support for me, but Honeydew also allows customers to purchase additional fill for their pillow if they’re in search of more, which is pretty cool, IMO. We love a custom experience.

Additionally, the sides of the pillow wrap around the front and back of my side, offering a gentle feeling of being cuddled. It’s clear where my shoulder, arm, and neck are supposed to go, and that helps to assuage a percentage of my existential angst, which flares up worse at night, and having it even partially remedied is priceless to me. On top of that, I have never slept with a pillow that stays this cool before. When I read the thing about it being infused with copper, I was like, yEaH, oK, wHaTeVeR… but honestly, it never feels hot, or even warm. I never even have to do “the flip.” (You know the flip.)

I’ve been in a relationship with this pillow for two weeks now, and I genuinely feel like I’m getting that super-deep sleep where I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in. My other seven or so pillows are there, but they might be feeling a little neglected. Honeydew also kindly sent me their body pillow—I’ve never had one before!—and I’ve taken to using that on some nights as well, when I’m in the mood for feeling really snug as a bug in a rug. It’s made with the same “doughy” feeling, and it’s like spooning a cool croissant—I mean that in the best way possible.

TL;DR

This cult-fave, best-selling side sleeper pillow has impressed even me, a pillow hoarder by trade who thought I’d slept on it all. I’m getting some of the best sleep I’ve ever had thanks to its funky ergonomic shape and cooling filling, and the less I wake up in the middle of the night convinced that I said something stupid at a wedding two years ago, the more I can go on living a life of joy and focus on the things that really matter, like how long Ariana Grande is going to keep dating that Spongebob guy before things go up in glorious karmic flames. Plus, right now, it’s also available as a gift pack which includes the special, fits-perfectly pillowcase—and I can earnestly tell you there’s no better gift for instantly improving the life of a side sleeper.

This pillow is a marshmallow dream that’s worth every penny (after all, good sleep is priceless), and truly lives up to its scrumptious name. Side sleepers, this one’s for you.

The Honeydew Scrumptious Side Sleeper Pillow is available at Honeydew and Amazon.

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