It’s time to buy the best pillow for you! “A pillow is a bed for your head,” Michael Breus, sleep disorder specialist in clinical psychology said to the Washington Post. You already invest time and money to find a mattress that’s best for your body. Do the same for your head!

Let’s get to buying a pillow, then. Sounds easy enough.

We regret to inform you that it’s more difficult than it sounds. You know what you like in a pillow, but it’s not always easy to pin down what it is that you like about it. What questions do you even ask yourself?

For that quandary, we are happy to inform you that we have the essential questions you should be asking! Let this be your pillow buying guide. Before you Kareem skyhook your soon-to-be obsolete pillow into the dump to welcome your new, better pillow, ask the following questions:

Do you like sleeping on the side, back or stomach?

When looking for the best pillow to buy, it all starts here. You’re figuring out what type of sleeper you are. Depending on what answer you give to this question, you fall under one of three general camps:

• Side Sleeper: You want a pillow that’s fuller. If you’re on your side and the pillow is too low, then you’re going to be waking up with shoulder and neck pain.
• Back Sleeper: You want a slimmer pillow since you don’t have the head-to-mattress gap when sleeping on the side
• Stomach Sleeper: Much like a back sleeper, you want something thin.

For all three, it’s also important to observe what side you fall asleep on and what side you’re on when you wake. If you find yourself in a totally different position than where you started, your pillow ain’t right. Log this for at least a week and see if a pattern develops.

Do you like melting into your pillow or do you like it being supportive?

This question helps answer the first question. If you like a soft pillow, you’re most likely a stomach sleeper or a back sleeper. If you like it supportive, then you’re probably a side sleeper. Once you’ve done the due diligence and figured out the type of sleeper you are, you’ve made significant progress on finding the best pillow for you!

Do you like a mattress that’s soft, medium or firm?

Your mattress preference is related to your pillow preference. If you like your mattress firm, you’re probably a stomach or back sleeper. If you’re a side sleeper, you’re a softie. At this point, you should understand why getting the first question right is important. If you’re buying a pillow online or in-person and this isn’t a question the seller is asking you, forget about them and move on.

Does your head get hot when you’re sleeping?

Overheating in bed is the worst. It will knock you right you right out of your deep sleep. Loma Linda University’s chief of sleep medicine tells WebMD that your bedroom temperature comfort level affects the quality of your deep, or REM, sleep. Getting great REM sleep benefits your learning, memory and mood.

If you’re waking up hot on the head, chances are the material doesn’t breathe. Look for sleeping pillows that advertise a breathable foam.

That covers the essentials! There’s more out there, but if you can answer the above four, then you’re well on your way to buying a sleeping pillow best for you. For the sake of a great night’s sleep, we wish you luck!