Since I started using the S+ sleep device to track my sleep, I have been thinking about how to get a better night’s sleep.

I realized this week that my very famous MyPillow was not very comfortable after all.  I have been using MyPillow on and off since I bought it almost one year ago.

With all its hype, I was bothered by the small pieces of foam rubbing against my head and jaw.  Perhaps I am very sensitive.  Or, perhaps, I am not.  Here are some things Consumer Reports said about the MyPillow:

MyPillow describes itself as having “3-piece interlocking fill,” but it actually has thousands of torn polyurethane foam pieces in three sizes. How does it feel? Our tester described MyPillow as “kind of lumpy, but comfortable.” We also polled staffers who bought MyPillow on their own. Most said they bought it to help alleviate a sleep problem such as insomnia, neck pain, or snoring. Half of the 18 staffers said it helped a lot, 17 percent said it helped a little, and 33 percent said it didn’t help at all. Only one-third of the group said they would buy MyPillow again.

At any rate, I decided to sleep with seven pillows, out of the 11 pillows in my house, one each night.  If none of them scores a grade of 5 (on a 5-point scale), I will start buying highly rated pillows on Amazon.  I am determined to find a 5-point pillow.

Wait a minute.  It seems as if I have done this before.  Sure enough, in 2010 I wrote a similar pillow essay. But there was no sleep device back then to use to quantify my sleep. Oh, and there were two more pillow essays in 2014, and another in 2015.

So, here’s the current plan:

Each pillow got a random letter, which was written on the pillow with a Sharpie.  And, each night I sleep with a different pillow.

I transcribe the S+ Sleep Score for that night, which is an algorithm applied to the quality of my night’s sleep. I also record the number of sleep disruptions.  A separate grade, from 1 to 5, is based, not on the sleep score, but on my overall feeling of comfort with the pillow. Here is what the chart looks like after two days of use.

PILLOWS

D  Sleep Score = 65   Sleep Disruptions =    7     Grade = 3

M  Sleep Score = 84    Sleep Disruptions = 9     Grade = 4

My other pillows are marked K, P, T, Z, and O (not used: 2 MyPillows, and 2 flat pillows)

Within a few weeks I should be able to tell you which pillow I decided upon.  If my home pillows do not cut it, Amazon has pretty good prices on their highest rated pillows.  That makes me happy.

I told my wife we soon will have enough pillows for 15 guests.

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertzebsen51@gmail.com