Sleep & Glow Aula Pillow Review: Four Years of Trying to Become a Back Sleeper
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If you have been following my blog for a while, you already know that I love my Sleep & Glow pillows. I have been using the original Omnia pillow for a long time, and the Aula pillow has been in my collection for four years as well. Both have their place in my routine, but today I want to focus on the Aula and why I think it is worth considering if you are interested in beauty sleep.
You can save on your Sleep & Glow order from their official website with my discount code KB10.
Why Back Sleeping Is Better for Your Skin
We spend roughly a third of our lives sleeping, so it makes sense to think about what happens to our skin during those hours. We invest in skincare, wear sunscreen, and try to prevent premature aging, but what about the time our faces spend pressed against a pillow?
When you sleep on your side or stomach, the face is pressed against the pillow for hours. Over time, repeated pressure and folding of the skin can contribute to sleep wrinkles. The chest can also develop sleep lines from sleeping on your side.
Sleeping on your back helps minimize that direct pressure on your face and chest. It is not going to magically erase existing wrinkles or stop the natural aging process, but it can help reduce one source of repetitive skin compression.
Sounds easy enough, right? Just sleep on your back!
Except if you are someone who has slept on their side your entire life, changing positions can feel nearly impossible. I have tried, and I know firsthand that wanting to protect your skin does not automatically mean your body is going to cooperate. One of my worst memories to date is having to sleep on my back in high school after surgery. Yes, I am so bad at sleeping on my back that I still think about this 20 years later!
That is where the Sleep & Glow Aula pillow comes in.
What Makes the Sleep & Glow Aula Pillow Different?
The Aula pillow is designed specifically for back sleeping. Unlike a standard pillow, it has uniquely shaped side bolsters that help support your head and keep it comfortably positioned while on your back.
The idea is to create a more comfortable, supportive sleeping position that makes it easier to stay on your back instead of automatically rolling onto your side or stomach during the night.
The pillow also has an optional height insert, allowing you to customize the height to suit your needs. I appreciate having that option because pillow height and neck support can make a big difference in how comfortable you feel. As someone who is 5’9”, I utilize the insert, which fit perfectly into the Aula pillowcase and doesn’t move during use.
The Aula is designed to support proper alignment while reducing pressure on the face. It is a different experience from lying on an ordinary pillow and hoping you somehow manage to stay in the right position until morning.
My Experience After Four Years
I have had my Aula pillow for four years, so this is not a first-impressions review. I have had plenty of time to figure out how it fits into my life.
The biggest challenge for me has never been understanding why back sleeping is beneficial. It is actually getting myself to do it consistently. My hypermobility typically makes me sleep on my side with the top leg hiked up almost to my head in a weird “mountain climber pose”. This doesn’t just smoosh my face, it also causes pretty severe low back pain. I learned that many people with hypermobility end up in this pose - until 2026, I thought it was just a personal quirk of mine.
I am so used to sleeping on my side that I naturally gravitate toward that position when I am tired. Even when I start the night on my back, staying there for the entire time is another story.
I typically still do not sleep on my back all night. I want to be upfront about that because I think it is important to be realistic about what a pillow can and cannot do. The Aula is designed to encourage back sleeping, offering side support and preventing unintentional roll overs, but it cannot force you to fall asleep or stay asleep.
That does not mean I never use it, though!
I regularly use the Aula for naps when I want to lie on my back, and I also enjoy using it while listening to guided meditations or simply relaxing before bed. These are great ways to get comfortable with the pillow without putting pressure on yourself to sleep on your back for eight straight hours.
I actually recommend starting this way if you are a dedicated side sleeper. Give yourself time to get used to the position. Lie down on the pillow while listening to something relaxing, try a short meditation, or take a nap if you can. You do not have to transform your entire sleep routine overnight. Add a bolster or a body pillow under your knees if you experience low back discomfort.
I wish I had understood that when I first started trying to sleep on my back. Making it a gradual process feels much more manageable than expecting yourself to change a lifelong habit immediately.
Is the Aula Pillow Comfortable?
For back sleeping, I find the Aula comfortable and supportive. The side bolsters are an important part of the design because they help cushion and position your head rather than leaving it feeling unsupported.
The pillow is also more structured than a regular pillow. That is intentional, since it needs to provide enough support to help maintain your head position.
However, if you are accustomed to sinking into a soft pillow and curling up on your side, there will be an adjustment period. Back sleeping feels different, and the pillow is designed around that position rather than trying to accommodate every sleeping style at once.
The good news is that you can use the Aula for shorter periods of back sleeping, even if you never become someone who sleeps that way all night. It offers fantastic neck support and feels like someone is holding my head for me in the best way. I can feel every neck and shoulder muscle relax, even the ones I didn’t know were tense.
How I Use the Aula Now
After four years, I have settled into a routine that works for me. I use the Aula when I want to practice back sleeping, when I take a nap, and when I am doing guided meditations or other relaxation activities (which often result in me drifting off).
Back sleeping is worth trying if your goal is to minimize sleep-related wrinkles. Keeping your face from being pressed into a pillow night after night makes sense as part of a broader approach to taking care of your skin.
But I also think it is important to give yourself some grace. The Aula gives me a comfortable place to start, even if I have not mastered the art of staying on my back all night.
And after four years, I still reach for it. That says a lot more about its usefulness in my routine than a claim that it completely changed the way I sleep would.
Would I recommend it to someone who wants to incorporate more back sleeping into their routine, even if that means naps and meditation rather than a full night? Absolutely. And if you are like my husband, who can sleep absolutely anywhere, including the couch with TV on full blast, then DEFINITELY get the Aula, because it will keep you in an optimal position all night.
You can find the Sleep & Glow Aula pillow on the official Sleep & Glow website. Use my discount code KB10 to save on your order.
What About the Original Omnia Pillow?
I cannot talk about Sleep & Glow without mentioning the original Omnia pillow. It was my first love from the brand, and it remains my favorite choice for side sleeping. My husband and my middle school-aged daughter have them as well. The kid told me today that she has a hard time sleeping on anything else now (bougie much? You are 12!).
The Omnia is designed to accommodate side sleepers while helping minimize direct pressure on the face. It also provides the head and neck support that made me fall in love with it in the first place.
If you are a committed side sleeper who is not ready to change positions, the Omnia is the pillow I would look at first. You can still work toward reducing facial pressure and sleep lines without trying to completely retrain your sleeping habits. Add a pillow bra to help with chest lines.
The Aula and Omnia serve different purposes, and I am glad to have both. The Aula encourages me to spend more time on my back, while the original Omnia lets me sleep comfortably in the position my body naturally prefers.
The best pillow is the one you will genuinely use, and both of these have earned their place in my bedroom.
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