It has been the custom for many years when persons have had neck and back ailments to give support to the head when the person is in a reclining position. In many cases such support has not satisfactorily relieved the ailment. It has been found that the ailment has been alleviated by supporting the neck. This neck support rest provides support to the neck while also supporting the head.
Exemplary of the prior art pertinent to this invention are U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,428, issued Apr. 7, 1959 to A. C. Forsland, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,264, issued Aug. 21, 1973 to G. A. Grenier. Both of these prior patents disclose an embodiment of pillow-support in which a rearward portion adapted to support the head is at a lower elevation than a forward portion adapted to lodge under and support the neck of the user.
However, in the case of both of these prior patents, there are certain disadvantages to the configurations selected by the patentees, which relate particularly to what happens when a person attempts to sleep on his side. It is well known that many individuals prefer to sleep on their sides, being unable to breathe properly in any other position. A difficulty inherent in both of the prior patents relates to the fact that the forward neck-supporting ridge portion of the item is not configured in such a way as to be supple or yielding enough to allow the user to use the item both when lying on the back and when when lying on his side. A further problem, particularly exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,264, relates to the fact that the generally rearward slope of the upstanding ridge portion intended to lodge under the neck of the user tends, upon compression by the weight of the neck and head of the user, to shift or to seek to shift toward the rear (i.e. toward the crown of the head). This in effect places compressive pressure between the neck and head, and in a sense tends to push the neck surface toward the head. However, many persons suffer from tenseness and internal contraction of muscles and other tissues in the neck and lower head, so that a pillow item which seeks to increase that tension and compression would not be productive of comfort when sleeping.