Do Buckwheat Pillows Stay Cool All Night? – The Bedding Planet

Do Buckwheat Pillows Stay Cool All Night?


This post is a part of the complete buckwheat pillow buyers guide

Buckwheat pillows contain an all natural filling for your pillows. Among their many benefits, temperature regulation is one of the main and most sought after benefits of these pillows.

How effective they are at doing this, and how, will be the focus of this post. 

So, do buckwheat pillows stay cool all night? The short answer is yes, buckwheat pillows have the ability to potentially keep you cool all night long. Their cooling ability is a result of the breathability that is made possible by all the air spaces that are present in between the unique shape of the buckwheat hulls themselves.

The rest of this post will be a deep dive on how buckwheat pillows achieve this. 

The Background of The Buckwheat Pillow

Buckwheat pillows, also known as sobakawa, originated in Japan. Today they are used all over the world as they have gained popularity due to their performance and comfort. 

Wait, Isn’t Buckwheat Food?

buckwheat

Yes, buckwheat seeds are a food product. They are a highly nutritious, gluten free cereal used in the same way as most cereals. Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat in any way and is not even a grass. It is known as a pseudocereal. 

However, this is not the product that is used to fill those pillows that some people have come to love so much. 

The buckwheat hulls, or the casing that covers the seed, is what is used to fill buckwheat pillows. The hulls are often a by-product of the grain harvest, and the wasteful farmer might even discard these hulls as a ‘waste’ product of the harvest.

Sometime around 600 years ago, the Japanese discovered the amazing benefits of using buckwheat hulls as bedding. There was a natural progression to filling their pillows with the buckwheat hulls in order to take advantage of these benefits. 

To this day, buckwheat pillows are still the most popular pillows in Japan as well as in other parts of Japan. 

Sometime around 100 years ago, buckwheat pillows made their way to North America. From here, they slowly spread around the rest of the world. And today, buckwheat pillows can be found all over the world as a popular choice for pillow fillings. 

So What’s The Secret With The Buckwheat Pillow? 

As I mentioned earlier on in this post, buckwheat pillows are known to keep you cool all night long. Now, with all the different pillow filling options saturating the market, it seems that all manufacturers of the newest secret formula for their special filling claim that their pillows will keep you cool all night. 

So how could it be that the humble buckwheat hull can outperform all this fancy technology? 

The truth is, all these new materials are trying to imitate what natural products have already been doing for millenia. Most of the time, keeping things simple is the most effective option. 

The secret to the stellar performance of the buckwheat hull is in the shape of the hull. The unique shape of the hull traps little pockets of air in between the hulls while you’re sleeping on it. This allows air to move freely through the pillow.

Do-buckwheat-pillows-smell

This means that, while you’re laying your head down to rest, the heat that comes out of your head is absorbed by the little air pockets. And, because the air is allowed to move freely through the pillow, this air then moves away from your head and is replaced by cooler air. Obviously, this keeps your temperature stable while you’re snoozing away. 

But Wait, There’s More Benefits to a Buckwheat Pillow

The temperature regulation of buckwheat pillows is not the only amazing benefit of this all natural pillow filling. Some people swear by buckwheat pillows to improve their sleeping habits. And getting proper sleep is one of the cornerstones to a healthy lifestyle and life. 

Now, a quick disclaimer. Buckwheat pillows are different. And they feel different. This is not your luxuriously soft down pillow that your head will sink into as soon as you put any weight on it. 

A lot of people describe buckwheat pillows as feeling a bit like a big bean bag. The individual hulls are present and you can feel them. The pillow feels more dense and heavy than most of the pillows that most people are used to. 

While this sounds strange and off putting to some, this is where the magic of buckwheat pillows lie. The dense nature of the buckwheat pillow forms a complex matrix of tunnels and pathways beneath your head while you’re sleeping. And this is where the air is exchanging and moving about and keeping you cool all night. 

This density also means that the pillow can be moulded and shaped to fit the unique contours of your head, neck, and shoulders. This gives you support that is superior to more traditional, softer pillows that essentially get squished flat during the course of the night. 

Another great feature of buckwheat pillows is that they can be fully adjustable. This means that, whether you’re a back, side, or stomach sleeper, the buckwheat pillow can be adjusted to fit your comfort level. 

They are also used effectively to relieve stress and tension in the neck and shoulders and may contribute to the reduction of tension and stress headaches. 

benefits-of-the-buckwheat-pillow

What About Buckwheat Pillows and Bed Bugs?

Another concern that people have about buckwheat pillows is bugs. Many manufacturers of synthetic sleeping materials play on this fear. They will tell you that their materials are healthy and free from bugs and bacteria and all those nasty things. 

While we’ll never be free of bacteria, as it is an important part of a healthy life, the truth is that most natural pillow materials are also free of bugs. This is because the buckwheat hulls, which are used for the filling in these pillows, have no nutritional value. 

All the nutrition is in the seeds, which is why buckwheat seeds are such a big industry in the health market. 

The hulls themselves are of no interest to bugs. There is no reason for them to seek out buckwheat hulls. An added benefit is that you can have bug free bedding without all the nasty chemicals that come with synthetic materials with all the fancy technology. 

Remember, nature does it best. 

The Buckwheat Pillow – An Excellent Choice For Temperature Regulation

And there you have it, buckwheat pillows are an excellent option for someone looking for a temperature regulating pillow with a natural and chemical and plastic free filling.  

They may take some getting used to, as they don’t have the same feeling that most of us are used to when it comes to pillows. 

But once you’re used to sleeping with a buckwheat pillow, you might never go back. You might even become one of those people that take their pillow on vacation with them. 

I don’t blame you. Getting a proper night’s rest is the foundation of a good day.


Buckwheat Pillows: A Complete Buyers Guide – Parts:

1. Why Use a Buckwheat Pillow? The Benefits & Drawbacks
2. How Long Do Buckwheat Pillows Last? (How to Make Them Last Longer)
3. Do Buckwheat Pillows Attract Bugs And Dust Mites?
4. How to Sleep on a Buckwheat Pillow
5. Can Buckwheat Pillows be Heated up?
6. Best Buckwheat Pillows of 2022 – Compete Review
7. What Does a Buckwheat Pillow Feel Like? (Comfortable, Weird?)
8. Can Buckwheat Pillows Cause Allergies?
9. How to Clean and Dry a Buckwheat Pillow: Step by Step Guide
10. Do Buckwheat Pillows Stay Cool All Night?
11. Do Buckwheat Pillows Smell?

Niklas Lampi

My name is Niklas and I'm the author and content operator at The Bedding Planet. I've always had a big interest in bedding and more specifically sleep. If I find something that makes me sleep better, whether that's a lifestyle change or a better bedding environment, I'm ready to share it with the world!

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