Q: What kind of pillow do you recommend?
A: One that can help you get a good night's rest!!
I wish it was that easy but the bottom line is that whatever pillow is going to allow you to rest your body as best as possible for 7+ hours per night is the pillow that you should have.
Ideally, you also want to make sure that your pillow is not too thick or too thin {remember Goldilocks & the Three Bears??}, it should offer support for your neck and allow your head, neck and shoulders to remain in a neutral position.
If you are a side sleeper: A good rule of thumb is that the distance between the side of your head and the side of your shoulder should be an approximate thickness of your pillow, also taking 'squishiness' (is that a word?) into consideration. And to earn an extra gold star in my book, place an additional pillow of similar thickness between your knees. This helps keep your hips in a proper position to prevent added stress to those joints and your lower back.
If you are a back sleeper: Allow the main part of your pillow to be tucked in the hollow of your neck. What we want to prevent here, is the bulk of the pillow being placed under the back of the head causing your chin to come closer to your chest. A pillow on the thin side is better for a back sleeper and some patients even report that a simple neck roll does the trick!
If you are a stomach sleeper: MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ASAP! [can you tell I am not in favor of this sleeping position?] Stomach sleepers spend 1/3 of their lives sleeping with their neck in a rotated position and have an increase in their low back curve causing added stress to the joints above and below both areas. You should be avoiding stomach sleeping at all costs. Not sure how to break the habit? Here's a trick... retrain your body and prevent sleeping on your stomach by going to sleep with a ball cap on. When you try to roll onto your stomach the bill of the hat will clue you to turn to your back or side!
Happy Zzzzzz's!