So today, we’re going to talk about something that has a sizeable cult following in Japan: dakimakura, also known as huggy pillows.

Hey, where’s everybody going? Come back! This isn’t about pillows with covers depicting anime girls in various state of undress (not that such things don’t exist in awkwardly huge quantities in Japan). Instead, we’re taking a look at ordinary, undecorated pillows with an extra-large size that’re designed to be embraced as you fall asleep. Not only won’t you have to hide them when you’ve got company coming over, they’ve actually got a number of health benefits, say fans of non-anime dakimakura.

First, to get an idea of what we’re dealing with, let’s do a quick Internet search for dakimak-oh God, no. Don’t do that, especially if you’re at work.

▼ Dammit, Google!

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Wow, that sure got naked in a hurry. Let’s try, “ordinary dakimakura” and see if that’s any better. Next, filter out the random porn that still sneaks its way in, aaaand, bingo!

DM 3
Okay, now that we’re all on the same non-perverted page, what’s the upside to using your hard-earned money to buy what’s essentially an adult-sized free-form stuffed animal, bearing in mind that sexual deviancy is already off the table?

▼ Because seriously, dude, we eat on that thing.

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1. Reduced lower back pain

Sleeping on your stomach or back can put excess pressure on your lower back, leading to pain and discomfort during your waking hours. In order to alleviate this, you might need to adapt to sleeping on your side. Holding a dakimakura as you do so can help distribute your body weight throughout your joints, also making the position easier on your shoulders and knees.

If you just can’t get comfortable unless you’re facing the ceiling, a dakimakura can still come in handy, even if you’re not actually holding it. Instead, place it under your knees, which will again relieve some of the pressure on your lower back.

2. Deeper, more restful sleep

While there’re many different things that can cause insomnia, emotional unease such as stress and loneliness are often contributing factors. When lying down in bed, having some sort of physical connection, even if it’s to an inanimate object like a dakimakura, can have a soothing effect that translates into a longer period of high-quality sleep.

If it doesn’t make you feel self-conscious (and really, if anyone else is in your bedroom, he or she should really be the one to help with your sleep-impeding loneliness), it might even be worthwhile to say a few words to your inanimate bedmate. Researchers found that test participants who spoke to a dakimakura showed a reduction in their secretion of cortisol, a hormone triggered as a response to stress.

3. Less snoring

So we’ve seen how dakimakura can be good, both physically and mentally, for you, but what about the people you live with? Well, there’s reason to think everyone in earshot will be thankful for you to share your bed with a dakimakura, since it can help with snoring.

The culprit once again is sleeping on your back, which causes your tongue to loll back into your throat. This narrows the passageway for air to flow through, which can produce the kind of snoring that makes the people you live with contemplate smothering you with your non-dakimakura pillow, since it’s the quietest way to do you in, and the irony of killing you in a noisy way because of all the racket you’re making would just be too much to bear.

As we talked about above, sleeping on your side while holding a dakimakura will help reduce some of the strain on your shoulder and knee, making that position more feasible for those who usually can’t get comfortable unless they lie on their back. This will help keep your tongue from falling back and blocking the air passage, which in turn should result in less snoring.

The person who stands to gain the most satisfaction from this change, is, of course, your dating partner or spouse. Your quieter slumber will translate into more sleep for him or her, which will hopefully convince your lover the relationship is worth continuing. That, in turn, should keep you from needing a plain dakimakura to deal with your loneliness, or a naked anime girl one to deal with your pent-up lust.

Source: Naver Matome
Insert images: Google (edited by RocketNews24), Rakuten, RocketNews24