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Marshmallow & CandyFloss : Ergonomic Pillows
Year : 2019
Company : Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, India
Contribution : Concept, Design Research, CMF, Prototyping
Team Lead: Jogy Abraham
Team Members : Abhinay Mane, Ganesh SS, Oshi Alika Narayan
The confessions of a mixed sleeper
How might we design a pillow that accommodates ergonomic requirements for supine as well as lateral sleeping posture?
Those who suffer from a restless sleep often report, “I toss and turn several times at night” or “I wake up with a stiff neck.”
Being a side sleeper or a back sleeper, one always feels the need to adjust and shift their positions to get sleep. At times, as a reflex, our body signals the hand to fill in the gap beneath our head.
Though pillow plays a crucial role, it is often neglected while considering the answers for a good sleep.
Why Pillow Thickness Matters ?
People alternate between the supine and lateral sleep position at night, and the current pillows are either too high for the supine (back) sleeping or too low for lateral (side) sleeping which became the key point for design.
If the pillow is thicker than required one often observes a loss of normal cervical curvature.
If the pillow is thinner than required, our brain signals the hand to fill the gap and one often observes an exaggerated cervical curvature.
If the pillow is of correct thickness, it helps the neck alignment to remain neutral and maintains normal cervical curvature.
Ergonomics of Sleep Postures
Wall
Wall
Shoulder Width
Hind Brain - C7 Gap
Pillow thickness is an important factor to find the right pillow. To identify the correct thickness, one needs to consider the “Shoulder Broadness” in the case of side sleeping. However, for back sleeping one needs to take in consideration of the gap between “Hind brain” and “C7 Vertebrae”.
Three Segments of Support
To accommodate both sleeping postures the pillow is divided in three sections.
The middle section is meant for supine sleeping with lower loft while the segments on either sides are meant for lateral sleeping with higher loft.
The Middle section is based on difference between hind brain and C7 vertebrae and the side section are based on shoulder broadness.
Middle section : Supine/Prone Posture
Side sections :
Left/Right Lateral Posture
Side Sleeping
Back sleeping
Side Sleeping
Product Range
Marshmallow Pillow
Character : Firm, Dense
Key Material : Polyurethane Foam
Candyfloss Pillow
Character : Soft, Plush, Yeilding
Key Material : Polyester Fiberfill
Three segment bag filled with fibers in different quantities
Side
Side
Back
Foam segments on either sides wrapped in open cell foam sheet
Side
Side
Back
Plush quilted cover
Plush quilted cover
Marshmallow Internal view
Candyfloss Internal view
Pillow Selection Guide
Check the distance between the shoulder and ear, as shown in the image. Pick the pillow from the table, according to the derived reading.
x
Wall
Shoulder to Ear Range (x)
Pillow Size
Marshmallow
Candyfloss
Below 10cm
Between 10cm - 12.5 cm
Above 12.5cm
Below 12.5cm
Above 12.5cm
Small
Big
Regular
Big
Regular