Seed pillow

What is a grain pillow?

Wheat and spelt as filling for grain pillows: Grain pillows are the best heat pillows

What exactly are grain pillows? In this Mister Sandman guide, you will learn everything about the topic and how a grain pillow is a great bonus to the right mattress. Grain pillows are pillows filled with cereal grains, e.g.:

  • Grain pillows with wheat filling
  • Grain pillows with spelt filling
  • Grain pillows with rye filling
  • Grain pillows with millet filling

Grain pillows with spelt

The most common are grain pillows with spelt filling (spelt pillows), as these are suitable for allergy sufferers, unlike pillows with wheat filling or pillows with rye filling. Grain pillows are essentially the natural hot water bottle. Unlike conventional hot water bottles, grain pillows are a natural product. Grain pillows are made of 100% natural components:

  • The filling of the grain pillows: spelt filling, wheat filling, rye filling
  • The grain pillow cover made of 100% cotton

Wheat and spelt

Wheat and spelt are two ancient cereal varieties and as such, wheat and spelt are closely related. Spelt has completely fallen into oblivion for a long time. Today, the grain spelt is experiencing a revival, and more and more people are biting into a spelt roll instead of a wheat roll in the morning. Spelt grains are considered particularly tolerable. For example, spelt is particularly digestible for people who suffer from food intolerances. Spelt is a very old cereal variety. It is said that spelt was already cultivated in Egypt 8000 years ago. From there, spelt made its way to Europe and thus to Germany. Spelt is a type of wheat and is therefore very closely related to wheat itself.

Wheat

A number of plant species are referred to as wheat. In colloquial usage, however, wheat usually means the wheat species soft wheat or hard wheat. Wheat is, after rice and corn, the most commonly cultivated grain in the world. Wheat is a staple food for many people. Wheat also plays an important role in animal fattening. In recent years, wheat has increasingly lost its positive image. Wheat is said to make people stupid and sick and is blamed for almost all civilization diseases. Great attention has been paid in recent years to the growing number of people suffering from wheat intolerance. Although wheat is one of the most important cereal crops, it is no longer considered a part of a healthy diet in some Western industrial nations.

Comparison of spelt and wheat

Wheat and spelt differ significantly despite their close relationship:

  • Spelt is less productive and more labor-intensive than wheat
  • Spelt is more robust and weather-resistant than wheat
  • Spelt is less radioactively contaminated than wheat
  • Spelt has more minerals than wheat
  • Spelt is richer in vitamins than wheat
  • Spelt is more tolerable than wheat

Grain pillows and fruit pit pillows

Wheat and spelt are very well suited as filling for grain pillows. The most common use of grain pillows is as heat pillows. Heat pillows can be divided into two categories:

  • Grain pillows with grain filling, e.g. with spelt, wheat, or rye
  • Fruit pit pillows with fruit pit filling, e.g. cherry pit pillows

These two types of pillows can be used equally for a heat application. The difference lies in the type of heat that is released by grain pillows or heat pillows:

  • Grain pillows provide moist heat
  • Fruit pit pillows, e.g. cherry pit pillows, provide dry heat

But why are grain pillows and cherry pit pillows a good alternative to conventional hot water bottles? How does such a grain pillow work?

Application of grain pillows

Anyone who has ever suffered from tension in the neck or muscle tension knows how soothing a heat treatment in these body areas is. Heat promotes better circulation and thus helps to loosen a tense neck. Grain pillows are excellent as heat pillows. The grains contained in the pillow store heat and release it for a long time and continuously. Applications with grain pillows are a simple and efficient way to do something good for the neck. The quality and durability is an important criterion to look for in a good grain pillow:

  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with stomach aches.
  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with tension, such as in the neck.
  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with rheumatism.
  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with menstrual pain.
  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with colds.
  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with cold feet.
  • Grain pillows as heat pillows help with falling asleep.

Grain pillows & Mister Sandman mattresses for an even better night's sleep.

If you are looking for the right mattress, we can reassure you. We at Mister Sandman have found a great solution for how you can customize your sleep to meet your individual needs. We offer a small and clear selection of 3 mattresses that are suitable for every type of sleeper. You can find out which mattress is right for you with the mattress finder. Our mattresses are available as particularly soft and yielding latex mattresses, cooling and medium-firm gel mattresses, as well as stabilizing and firmer cold foam mattresses. 

Use grain pillows as heat pillows.

A grain pillow is excellent as a heat pillow:

  • Place the grain pillow in the microwave and heat for 90 seconds at 800 watts.
  • Place the grain pillow in the oven and heat for about 10-15 minutes.

Afterwards, you can place the grain pillow on the affected body area. Grain pillows can start to take effect within minutes. A prolonged application with natural heat pillows is usually not possible.

Grain pillows as a cold compress

Conversely, with cold, if you have sustained a bruise while playing sports, cooling the affected area is the best solution. A grain pillow can be used for both heat and cold therapy:

  • Grain pillows help with bruises
  • Grain pillows help with swelling
  • Grain pillows help with insect bites
  • Grain pillows help with fever

To use a grain pillow as a cold compress instead of a heat pillow, one should:

  • Place in the freezer or ice compartment for a certain time (best to put the heat pillow in a freezer bag beforehand)

Grain pillows in organic quality

In contrast to hot water bottles, grain pillows are a natural product. Hot water bottles are usually made from plastic and are therefore subjected to a number of chemically-synthetic treatments. Conventional hot water bottles often have an unpleasant, sharp, chemical smell. Even though grain pillows are a natural product, it does not mean that there are no problematic substances in the grain pillow or heat pillow. Therefore, it is important for heat pillows, whether grain pillows or other pillows, to pay attention to organic quality. Both the grain pillow filling and the grain pillow cover should be organic certified. This is especially important if the grain pillow is to be used as a heat pillow for children.

Grain pillows are the perfect neck pillows

Grain pillows, whether spelt pillows or other grain pillows, are excellent as neck pillows. Unlike neck pillows made from other materials:

  • Grain pillows, e.g. spelt pillows, have excellent adaptability to the head and neck
  • Grain pillows, such as spelt pillows, adapt individually to an unlimited number of people
  • Grain pillows with spelt have excellent supportive properties

Comparison of grain pillows: spelt and wheat

It should be noted that grain pillows, whether made of spelt, rye, or wheat, are not washable as a whole. Only the cover is washable. The filling, that is, the spelt grains and wheat grains can be replaced, provided that the grain pillow cover is equipped with a zipper. The same applies to cherry pit pillows.

Cherry pit pillows and grape seed pillows

In addition to grain pillows, there are pillows filled with cherry pits or grape seeds. Cherry pit pillows and grape seed pillows have very similar properties to grain pillows and differ only in the type of heat they emit during use. Pillows with cherry pit filling, as well as pillows with grape seed filling, usually have a cover made of cotton or another natural material. One should also pay attention to organic quality for pillows with cherry pits or grape seeds. The pits must be cleaned before they are used in cherry pit pillows and grape seed pillows. This should be done as gently as possible. One should pay attention to organic certification for both the cover and the filling.

Other heat sources besides grain pillows

If you like it cozy and warm, not only grain pillows are considered as a source of heat. There are many products whose main task is the generation of body-close heat. These products can be divided into different categories.

Natural products (grain pillows and fruit pit pillows)

These products are meant to provide warmth and often have a health-therapeutic effect. The main product categories include pillows, such as:

  • Spelt pillow with spelt
  • Wheat pillow with wheat
  • Rye pillow with rye
  • Cherry pit pillows with cherry pit filling
  • Grape seed pillows with grape seed filling

Advantages of grain pillows

Grain pillows are characterized by various positive properties:

  • Simple handling of grain pillows and similar pillows
  • They are natural products
  • Grain pillows and other natural pillows of this kind are available at a reasonable price
  • Grain pillows can also be used as a cold compress

Heating pads and hot water bottles instead of grain pillows

In addition to grain pillows and other pillows filled with grains, heating pads and hot water bottles are popular products that provide warmth close to the body. A heating pad is a product that is electrically operated. Unlike heating pads, such as grain pillows, heating pads provide constant heat over long periods. Heating pads, on the other hand, can only provide limited latent heat. Heating pads are operated directly from the power grid and close to the human body. Accordingly, the safety requirements for heating pads are high. An alternative to the grain pillow as a heating pad is the hot water bottle.

Hot water bottles and bed bottles

A hot water bottle or bed bottle to take to bed on the mattress is a container filled with hot water to warm the body. Unlike grain pillows, which are used as heating pads, hot water bottles are not a natural product but are made of plastic. Grain pillows, which are used as heating pads, and hot water bottles are very similar in handling.

  • Heating pads and hot water bottles are used for heat therapy
  • Heating pads and hot water bottles can also be used for cold therapy
  • Heating pads and hot water bottles are used for neck and muscle tension and abdominal pain