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Life is Better at the Beach Throw Pillow. A pillow is a support of the body at rest for comfort, therapeutic, decoration or play. Pillows are used by many species including humans. Some types of pillows include throw pillows and decorative pillows.  Pillows that aid sleeping are a form of bedding that supports the head and neck. Other types of pillows are designed to support the body when lying down or sitting. Decorative pillows used on beds, couches or chairs are also referred to as cushions. In contemporary western culture, pillows consist of a plain or patterned fabric envelope (pillowcase) which contains a soft stuffing, typically synthetic and typically standardized in sizes and shape. Pillows have been is historically made of a variety of natural materials and many cultures continue to use pillows made from natural materials.

The word pillow comes from Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle (akin to Old High German pfuliwi) and from Latin pulvinus. The first known use of the word pillow was before the 12th century. Though the exact origin is unknown, use of pillows evolved in animals well into prehistory, the earliest examples including reptiles and mammals resting their heads on themselves, and one another, to support the head and neck. Animals, including humans, evolved use of inanimate objects in their nests out of wood and stone as pillows. Since domestication, many animals have also learned to make use of human-made pillows and cushions, as well as to rest on members of own and other species, for this purpose.

Up to 23 million years ago tree dwelling great apes began building sleeping platforms, including wooden pillows, to improve their sleep.According to studies on chimpanzees that sleep up to eight to nine hours a night using specifically selected ironwood pillows, sturdy pillows enabled great apes to escape being hunted by night predators and not fall out of the trees while asleep. It is likely that this was necessitated by the evolution of large, energy consuming brains. Though it may also have led to longer periods of REM sleep, that in turn increased their cognitive capacity.

A pillow is designed to provide support and comfort to the body

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 There are three main types of pillows; bed pillows, orthopedic pillows and decorative pillows, with some overlapping of use between these. The appropriate size of a bed pillow depends on the size of the bed. Larger pillows than standard are available for queen- and king-sized beds.

The choice of bed pillow depends to some extent upon sleeping positions: one manufacturer recommends a thinner and softer pillow for sleeping face down, medium support for sleeping on one's back, and a thicker and firmer pillow for sleeping on the side. The classic bed pillow shape is usually a square or rectangle. In the US, they are common in these three sizes (in inches): Standard (20×26 inches), Queen (20×30 inches), and King (20×36 inches). In the US, a less common size is Jumbo (20×28 inches), which is larger than the Standard Size but smaller than the Queen Size.

Pillows are generally covered with a removable pillow case, which facilitates laundering. Apart from the color and from the material of which they are made, pillowcases are described by three characteristics: Size - Features - Opening/closing

Size conforms to the pillow the case is to contain. 

They are typically described as: Standard -16 in × 16 in (41 cm × 41 cm) Queen - 20 in × 30 in (51 cm × 76 cm) King - 20 in × 36 in (51 cm × 91 cm).

Decorative pillows serve a dual purpose.

They often have fancy cover material which serves to decorate the room where they are found. Since decorative textiles are commonly 54 inches in width, many decorative pillows finish about 17x17 inches. (54/3 = 18 less seam allowance) When used to decorate a fully made up bed, decorative pillows are likely thrown aside at bedtime, since they are not covered with a washable pillow case, thus, while found on the bed, they are primarily there for decoration, hence they fall under this category. 

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These pillows may be custom made, as well as made by freelancers. Decorative pillows are also found on furnishings in more public parts of the home, such as sofas, chairs and window seats. Here, their common use may overlap both orthopedic and bed pillows. For example, unless a person has some particular medical condition, they will likely use a handy decorative pillow for lumbar support, as needed, while seated on a sofa. Likewise, for the occasional nap, decorative pillows are handy for supporting the head or neck, even though they may not be covered with a pillow case, as are bed pillows.

There are five common synonyms for decorative pillows which are descriptive of their use in the home. "Accent" pillows emphasize or accent some other part of the home decor. The terms "sofa pillow" and "couch pillow" refer to the place these decorative pillows are likely found. The terms "toss pillow" and "throw pillow" may refer to the way they generally arrive in their places. Novelty pillows are shaped like humorous objects (a banana, tweety bird, a human leg, a chainsaw, a dill pickle, a former president) and are meant to brighten up and add humor to a room or lounge area.

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Tent-flap pillows are placed at the front of a stack of pillows decorating a bed. "Tent flap" is the term used to describe a separate flap of fabric that is attached at the top of the pillow and folds down over the face. The tent flap can be loose or tacked down; if the flap is loose a decorative tassel or bead is usually used to weigh the flap down so it hangs properly.

Floor pillows are another subset of decorative pillows. These pillows often finish 26×26 inches (one half of the width of the textile, less seam allowance)

Neck pillows support the neck by providing a deep area for the head to rest and a supportive area to keep the neck in alignment with the spine while sleeping. These can also be known as cervical pillows. Cervical pillows help patients to maintain comfortable positioning after therapeutic, orthopedic and surgical measures. Travel pillows provide support for the neck in a sitting position. Their "U" shape fits around the back of the neck and keeps the head from slipping into an uncomfortable and possibly harmful position during sleep. However, U-shaped pillows can sometimes force the head forward, creating neck stiffness. Doughnut pillows are firm pillows shaped like a torus, with a space in the middle to alleviate pressure on the tailbone area while sitting. These pillows are used primarily by individuals who have suffered an injury to the tailbone area, or who suffer pain from hemorrhoids or another ailment of the colon. Lumbar pillows are designed to support the inward curve of the lower back, filling the space created between the lower back and the back of the chair when in a sitting position. These pillows are generally used to support the lower back while driving or sitting, such as in an office chair. Orthopedic pillows are similar to memory foam pillows.

In some cultures, pillows have forms for hugging

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An example is the Dakimakura, a kind of "hugging pillow" originating in Japan that have been endowed with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic qualities and pop culture references for additional psychological comfort. 

Other types of hugging pillows are more practical, such as the Guling, long hugging pillow originating from Indonesia and the Abrazador, a long hugging pillow originating from the Philippines. A husband pillow (also known as a boyfriend pillow) is a large, high-backed pillow with two "arms." It is used to prop the user upright while in bed or on the floor, as for reading or watching television. Because of this common use, a husband pillow is also called a reading pillow. Vintage Paris Pillows Novelty pillows are shaped like humorous objects (a banana, tweety bird, a human leg, a chainsaw, a dill pickle, a former president) and are meant to brighten up and add humor to a room or lounge area. Tent-flap pillows are placed at the front of a stack of pillows decorating a bed. "Tent flap" is the term used to describe a separate flap of fabric that is attached at the top of the pillow and folds down over the face. The tent flap can be loose or tacked down; if the flap is loose a decorative tassel or bead is usually used to weigh the flap down so it hangs properly.

Vintage Birds on Antique Typography Throw Pillow