For most of my life, I thought I was a back sleeper. It’s what I told people. It’s what I believed. Every time I fell asleep, I’d start out lying flat on my back — arms at my sides like I was meditating. But one night, I decided to actually pay attention. What I found shocked me. Turns out… I flipped to my side within the first 30 minutes. Every. Single. Night. And I favored my right side.
My mind was blown.
All the years I spent wondering why sleeping on planes felt so miserable? Why travel pillows never seemed to work for me? Why I’d wake up with neck pain, no matter how “ergonomic” the pillow claimed to be? The first time I flew with a u-shaped neck pillow , I intuitively knew something was off. Why wrap around my neck when my back was the problem. It’s a chain reaction: muscles relax during rest and sleep, followed by spine compression and collapse, then lastly the head falls forwards . Well, of course, the neck hurts trying to keep our head up.
Now it made sense:
The problem: the fact that every travel pillow was trying to force me into a position I don’t naturally sleep in — on my back!
Most Neck Pillows Are Built for Back Sleepers
Of course I search the web for answers. Once I saw the data — that only 16% of the population only sleeps on their back — everything clicked. Where other data showed 40% but the include people who also slept on their back temporarily then switch.
Most neck pillows are designed to wrap around your neck, like a stiff collar, and attempt to hold your head upright. But in doing so, they squeeze your neck, push your head forward, and force your body into an unnatural, locked-back position. Even worse? They trap heat, block airflow, and make you sweat.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t sleep when I feel strangled and overheated.
And if you’re someone like me — someone who instinctively turns onto their side for comfort — then traditional pillows are working against your body, not with it.
Side Sleeping Is Natural — and Better for Your Health
Side sleeping isn’t just instinctive — it’s also considered one of the healthiest sleep positions.
According to sleep studies , it:
• Reduces snoring and sleep apnea by keeping airways more open
• Improves digestion and can reduce acid reflux (especially on the left side)
• Eases neck and back pain by aligning the spine
• Promotes lymphatic drainage and circulation
No wonder we default to it — side sleeping feels nurturing, both physically and emotionally. It’s how we curl up when we want to feel safe.
It’s how we sleep when we finally let go.
But Side Sleeping on a Plane? ( Impossible In Basic Economy )
Sleeping on your side while sitting upright — like on an airplane — is incredibly difficult:
• There’s nowhere stable to rest your head, especially if you’re not in a window seat
• Your neck collapses sideways or forward
• Most pillows wrap and trap, but don’t support
• There’s no softness or custom fit — just a generic, one-size-fits-none design
By design, chairs were designed to keep you in one position — straight forward and on your back.
As a side sleeper trying to rest in economy class, you’re basically fighting gravity with no tools.
That’s exactly why I designed Bolstie.
Bolstie: The Best Travel Pillow for Side Sleepers — Designed by Me for Us
I didn’t want to create another pillow that wraps the neck.
I wanted something that actually mimicked the feeling of side sleeping while seated — something that could recreate that cozy, supported, gravity-free position I get in my own bed.
Here’s how Bolstie solves the side sleeper problem on planes:
✅ It Creates a Diagonal Line of Support
Bolstie runs from your head or jaw diagonally across your chest, down to your waist. That angle keeps your head gently upright without leaning back or slumping forward.
✅ No Neck Wrap, No Heat Trap
Bolstie never ever have to wrap your neck — which means free airflow, no sweating, and no pressure.
✅ You Control the Firmness
Stuff it with rolled-up clothes using the Bolstie Packing Method (yes, we made that a thing) — and you get to choose the level of support. More clothes = more structure. Less = softer support.
✅ It Fits in Your Personal Item
And unlike bulky memory foam pillows, Bolstie is washable, lightweight, and fits in a backpack or tote — which means no more carrying a puffy U-shape around your neck through the airport like a sad flotation device.
Sleeping Sideways, Seated Upright — Life Changing
The first time I used Bolstie on a long-haul flight, I cried a little.
Not because I’m dramatic (okay, maybe a little), but because I had never felt that comfortable while upright. I finally felt supported. My body could let go.
And most importantly — I could sleep the way I naturally sleep.
If you’re a side sleeper, or just someone who’s never found a neck pillow that actually works, I hope Bolstie changes things for you the way it did for me.
Thanks for being part of this journey.
And next time you’re flying — remember: you don’t have to fight your body to get rest.
